Ted Dibiase Talks Problems With The Ultimate Warrior, Where Issues May Have Stemmed From, Regrets
WWE Hall of Famer Ted Dibiase was long considered one of the most dastardly heels in professional wrestling. However, the villainous Dibiase spoke out on the Joe Cronin show recently and says that he has one big regret.
"If there was a regret, the one thing I didn't get to do before he died, was bury the hatchet with Ultimate Warrior. Everybody knows there was no love loss between a number of wrestlers and Jim Hellwig, but when the company came out and put him in the Hall of Fame, I thought it was the classy thing to do. I'm a minister, I preach forgiveness all the time," Dibiase said.
Dibiase talked about what really accelerated the issues, which was the infamous Self-Destruction Of The Ultimate Warrior DVD. The WWE released the documentary in 2005, which was a hit piece on Warrior.
"All the guys that were interviewed, the guys collectively said the same thing, but we were all interviewed separately," Dibiase said. "I didn't understand Warrior. When you come into my business, but you join the family, and that's something that Jim never did. It didn't seem to me that he was grateful for the things that people did for him."
Dibiase said that Warrior approached the business like it was a cut throat industry and had to do whatever it took to get to the top. Dibiase said that he thinks the source of Warrior's anger was his family issues early on in life.
"Some people said he paid me a compliment, but he really didn't," Dibiase said of Warrior's Hall of Fame speech. "I was going to go back there and shake his hand and say forget about it. Then I thought about it, and thought it was his night, and I'm probably one of the last people he wants to see coming."
Dibiase closed by saying that he figured he'd have another opportunity to bury the hatchet. Unfortunately, Warrior passed away just days later. Dibiase says if he ever feels that way again, he'll be sure to act on it.
Source: Joe Cronin Show
Bill Bradley contributed to this article.