Jim Ross Says Promoter Leroy McGuirk Almost Killed Ted DiBiase For Dating His Daughter

Former wrestling promoter Leroy McGuirk wanted to murder Ted Dibiase for dating his daughter, according to Jim Ross.

Ross learned of McGuirk's intentions while sharing a car ride with the former NWA member promoter in the mid-1970s. As they drove from Oklahoma to Shreveport — to produce a Mid-South Wrestling TV taping – Ross realized that McGuirk was carrying a handgun in his leather satchel.

"It was the biggest handgun I had ever seen," Ross recalled on "Grilling JR." "I asked him, 'Mr. McGuirk, why do we need that gun?' And he says, 'Well, I'm gonna kill Ted Dibiase over at Shreveport.'"

As they stopped at a diner for a meal, the astonished Ross made a phone call to "Cowboy" Bill Watts to inform him of McGuirk's plans. At the time, Watts served as the matchmaker for McGuirk's NWA Tri-State territory, besides running his own territory in Shreveport. 

"I make the phone call and Cowboy starts laughing," Ross said. "I told him, 'I don't think it's f—ing funny.'"

Ross then detailed the exact plan drawn out by McGuirk — who was visually impaired — to execute Dibiase.

"I was going to take him to Alamo Plaza Hotel, check him in, and leave his door cracked," recounted Ross. "He was going to be sitting at the door, so when the door opened, he was going to blow Dibiase away with his handgun. You know why? Because Dibiase was secretly dating Mike McGuirk and Leroy had a hard and fast rule: 'My daughter is not going to date any wrestlers.'"

As they neared the end of their journey, Ross began to contemplate "What I was going to be charged with" as he didn't want to be an accessory to murder.

"Luckily, Cowboy met me at Leroy's room and took over the reins," Ross revealed. "By that time, Leroy had already gone through half a pint of whisky."