Name: Ted DiBiase
Year Inducted: 2007
Induction Category: Modern Era

Ted BiBiase

Theodore Marvin DiBiase was born into a wrestling family in Miami, Florida on January 18, 1954. His stepfather was "Iron Mike" DiBiase, who had a strong influence on him as a child. After Iron Mike died when Ted was fifteen, his mother, former wrestler Helen Hild, slipped into depression and Ted moved to a town in Arizona to live with his grandparents. After his junior year at West Texas State University, he stepped into the squared circle to follow in his father's footsteps.

After wrestling in Amarillo, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ted moved to Atlanta to continue his career. While there, he met his future wife Melanie and they were married in 1981. After the birth of their first son, the DiBiase's moved to Mississippi where he continued wrestling for Mid-South. The WWF took notice of his talent. They developed Ted into the "Million Dollar Man" and he was surrounded by money, limousines and life in the fast lane.

Ted's career as a wrestler has taken him to Europe, Japan, India, Canada, and all of the fifty states. Ted has held many wrestling titles including the WWE Tag Team Championship with I.R.S. as "Money Incorporated" and he was even crowned WWE Champion when he "bought" the championship from Andre the Giant on live network TV. Due to a neck injury several years ago, Ted was forced to give up the physical side of professional wrestling.

After leaving the ring, he played the role of manager, spokesperson, and color commentator for both WWE and WCW. In WCW, he was known as "Billionaire Ted". He also traveled the NASCAR circuit as a WCW representative. Ted's WCW contract expired in 1999 and he returned to the WWE in April 2005 working as a road agent and writing consultant until October 2006.

Between 1999 and 2005, Ted found new roles outside of professional wrestling. He was a spokesperson for the Sunshine Foundation, an organization that grants wishes for critically ill children and he founded Heart of David Ministries, for which he continues to travel the world as an evangelist furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also has his own wrestling promotion, the Power Wrestling Alliance, which he runs as an outreach of Heart of David Ministries. Ted DiBiase is now an ordained minister and Evangelist. His website is www.MillionDollarMan.com. When Ted has some downtime, he enjoys scuba diving.

From Wrestle Mania superstardom to a marriage on the brink of divorce, Ted's story affects people of all ages, including Harley Race, Terry Funk, publicist/agent Bobby Riedel and Johnny Ova, 22 year old indy pro wrestler.

Harley Race weighed in on Ted by stating, "I knew Ted since he was a young man, and he was one of the greatest wrestlers in the business then, and stands out even today. The Million Dollar Man is a class act. Him going to the Hall of Fame was a given. Congrats Ted, I'm proud to call you my friend."

Melanie DiBiase summed up her family's response to Ted's PWHF Induction by commenting, "I am very excited to see this honor bestowed on my husband. This is the legacy he is leaving our three boys as his father, Iron Mike DiBiase, left it to him. It is an honor I know he treasures, as does his family. Our family thanks the Hall of Fame committee for its thoughtful consideration."