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Ted
DiBiase has been involved in the world of professional wrestling his
entire life. His stepfather, wrestler "Iron Mike" DiBiase,
began the tradition and had a strong influence on him as a child. He
died in the ring when Ted was fifteen. Shortly after, his mother slipped
into a depression and turned to alcohol. Ted moved into a little town
in southern Arizona to live with his grandparents. After Teds
junior year in college at West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas,
he stepped into the squared circle to follow in his fathers footsteps.
After wrestling in Amarillo, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ted moved
to Atlanta to continue his wrestling career. While there he met his
future wife Melanie and they were married in 1981. Teds wrestling
engagements kept him away from her, while ego, pride, and money took
center stage. After the birth of their first son Teddy, the DiBiases
moved to Mississippi where he continued wrestling for Mid-South Wrestling.
Ted was hoping that the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) would take
notice of his talent. The WWF did take notice. They had an idea for
a new character and developed Ted into the "Million Dollar Man"
and he was surrounded by money, limousines and life in the fast lane.
Through hard work and much determination he quickly rose to the top
of his profession were he has remained for the past twenty years.
Teds career as a wrestler has taken him all over the world; all
over Europe, Japan, India, Canada, and all of the fifty states, including
Alaska and Hawaii. Ted has held many wrestling titles over his expansive
career not withstanding, "The World Championship Title." He
has wrestled alone, as part of a tag team, and in recent years as the
role of manager. You may also have heard him at times behind the camera
as he often commentated and did color commentating for World Championship
Wrestling.
Due to a neck injury several years
ago, Ted was forced to give up the physical side of professional wrestling.
He acted as a ringside manager in both the WWF (Andre the Giant, Steve
Austin) and WCW (Steiner Brothers). While with WCW, Ted appeared on
Ted Turner's cable networks "Monday Nitro" and "Thursday Thunder" TV
programs, and acted as creative consultant to EA Sports for their WCW
Mayhem video game designed for the Sony Saturn and N64 game systems.
He also traveled the Nascar circuit as a WCW representative. Ted's WCW
contract expired in 1999. He returned to the WWE in April 2005 where
he worked 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 founded Heart of David Ministries (for which he continues to travel
the world as an evangelist furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also
through Heart of David Ministries, Ted shares his prayer of hope all
over America in motivational assemblies speaking out against the results
of drug and alcohol abuse - warning America's youth about the trap of
being addicted to drugs and alcohol. He also encourages them to stay in
school, set reachable goals and pay whatever price it takes to become
the best that they can be. But, Ted's speaking ministry is not focused
only on youth, but he I actually has an even stronger message for "macho
men" out there, and also struggling married couples. He speaks at men's
meetings, whole church congregations, and special events. He also has
his own small wrestling promotion - the Power Wrestling Alliance - which
he runs as an outreach of Heart of David Ministries.
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