WWE Hall Of Famer Ted DiBiase Lays Out Reasons For His Success In Wrestling

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase's in-ring career spanned nearly 20 years. During that run between 1974 and 1993, "The Million Dollar Man" captured various championships, including the Mid-South North American Championship and his own Million Dollar Championship, which he held for 922 days in his first reign. On "Busted Open Radio," DiBiase spoke about the factors he believed contributed to his success in wrestling.

"The exposure I had to some of the greatest wrestlers in the industry," DiBiase explained. "When I was in the middle of that — of course, I grew up in it — my dad was one of those. Again, a three-hour and 15-minute Texas Death Match, and they were letting people in off the street. But the Funks, primarily. My exposure to the Funks and a lot of the other people — 'Cowboy' Bill Watts. I give Watts a lot of credit because Watts was extremely smart. He was a very intelligent guy. His understanding of the psychology of wrestling in the way we knew it is incredible. And then, the talent I was exposed to in his territory. I mean, top of the list is the Funks."

DiBiase worked with Dory Funk Jr. and the late Terry Funk while performing for the NWA and AJPW. DiBiase, who knew the Funks all his life, revealed in a previous interview that he used to seek Terry's guidance about his career, noting he called the "Hardcore Icon" about Vince McMahon wanting him to take on the moniker of "The Million Dollar Man" in WWE. Meanwhile, DiBiase worked for Watts' Mid-South Wrestling, which later became the Universal Wrestling Federation.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.