Ted DiBiase Jr: A Career Timeline

Theodore Marvin Dibiase Jr was born in Baton Rouge, LA, on Nov 8, 1982. He is the second son of Ted Dibiase Sr, best known to the public as “The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase. Ted Jr was raised in Clinton, Mississippi, where he attended high school and college. He excelled in football and soccer and eventually earned his bachelor’s in science and business. After leaving college, Ted Jr decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a career as a pro wrestler. 

Ted Jr's older brother, Mike Dibiase, would also begin training for a career in pro wrestling at the same time. The Dibiase brothers first began training with Chris Youngblood in Amarillo. Chris was a second-generation wrestler, the son of Ricky Romero. Ted Jr and Mike would then move on to Eldon, MO, where they would start training at The Harley Race Wrestling Academy. This is where I would meet the Dibiase brothers and begin training alongside them. 

My first meeting with Ted and Mike is something of a blur. I was so caught up in the anticipation of my training that I had trouble remembering certain specifics around this time. I recall doing cardio exercises and drills with Ted Jr and noticing how smooth he was. I chalked it up to genetics, unaware that he had prior training. My first impression of Mike was that while he looked the part of an athlete and was a legitimately tough guy, he wasn’t as natural in the ring as his younger brother. 

Our days at training were Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Why they were all consecutive was never explained, but that was generally the case. Our day would begin with 100 jumping jacks, 50 to 100 pushups, and then 500 to 1,000 squats. This extreme cardio regimen was designed to build up our tolerance for the conditioning required to work a match. After this, we would get in the ring and run basic drills, our routine for the first 4 to six weeks. 

Ted Jr arrived at Harley’s a couple of weeks before I arrived. It was all but a foregone conclusion that he had a WWE contract waiting for him upon completing his training with Harley. Sometimes, his time in Eldon seemed little more than a formality. Being able to tout him, as trained by the legendary Harley Race, was a way of embellishing Ted Jr's credibility. Having said that, Ted Jr put in the same time and effort as the rest of us and never took any shortcuts. 

Ted DiBiase Jr. taking a hip toss from Trevor Murdoch [Photo from author Mark Ryan]

Looking back, I sympathize with Ted Jr regarding the enormous pressure he must have felt. We were just two kids in our early 20s, attempting to navigate a world that still had the power to intimidate us. His father was one of the biggest names of the Golden Era, and considered to be one of the best wrestlers as well. On the one hand, it seemed that Ted Jr was having the world handed to him on a silver platter, but the flipside was that all eyes were on him. If he fell short in any way it would have likely seemed catastrophic. 

The Dibiase Brother's In-Ring Debut

It was decided that Ted Jr and Mike would debut as a team in the Summer of 2006. For whatever reason, I remember the date as if it was my debut. July 8 at the Eldon Community center was the time and place. To make the occasion even more momentous, the patriarch of the Dibiase clan, Ted Sr, would be in attendance. There was only one time that I can recall the Dibiase boys being shown preferential treatment, which was in the weeks before this match. 

I want to preface this by saying that Harley had much riding in this match. The Dibiase brothers were his most high-profile students, having already produced Trevor Murdoch before this. And quite frankly, it benefited all of us to be associated with what was considered at the time to be a significant debut. But if I'm being sincere, I found it a little unfair to the rest of us when our entire training sessions were devoted to Mike and Ted rehearsing their match. We were all paying $3,000 to go to Harley’s school. Now, it was educational to observe how a match was put together, especially under such many microscopes. 

Thanks to meticulous preparation, the debut was a success. It was all uphill for Ted Jr's wrestling career for the next 4 years. Things worked out a little differently for Mike. I thought Mike wasn’t as passionate about becoming a wrestler as Ted was. He was athletic but not nearly as coordinated and smooth as Ted Jr. I like to tell people I never saw Teddy take a nasty bump. Everything he did was fundamentally consistent. 

As our time at Harley’s winding down, I can say that Ted Dibiase Jr was always kind and friendly to me. He checked in on me when I suffered an ankle injury and paid me some lovely compliments on my work and promos, especially. We had a pleasant conversation over some beers one night. He confided in me that while he did feel the pressure of being the Million Dollar Man's son, he was doing his best to enjoy the moment. Though it wouldn’t come as a surprise, his life was about to become much more exciting and complicated.

FCW

In 2007, Ted Jr signed his inevitable developmental contract with WWE and reported to Florida Championship Wrestling. His debut match saw him team with a young Jake Hager. He would join a faction that consisted of all Hart family members, Natalya, Harry Smith, and Teddy Hart. While in FCW, Teddy would suffer many injuries, as his body seemed to be adjusting to the daily grind of being a full-time pro wrestler. In 2008, he finally got his call-up to the main roster. 

WWE Main Roster Debut

After declaring his intentions to capture tag team gold, Ted Jr set his sights on the Raw Tag champs, Hardcore Holly, and fellow generational talent Cody Rhodes. The entire thing was a swerve in an angle that I feel is somewhat underrated. Ted Jr had requested and was granted a title match at the Night Of Champions PPV. He hadn’t done anything to earn a title shot, so why his challenge was accepted was curious. Teddy had promised that he had a partner that would reveal themselves at the show. That partner was none other than Cody Rhodes, who betrayed Holly, aligning himself with his fellow prodigal son. 

Cody and Ted Jr was a pairing that made a lot of sense and would be integral to both men’s careers. Cody had been toiling somewhat in the singles and tag ranks. His alliance with Dibiase Jr was the catalyst he needed to reach the next level. For Ted Jr's part, his ascent came more rapidly than anyone could have ever anticipated. Not long after capturing the Raw Tag Titles, he and Cody worked with John Cena and Batista. Then, WWE showed that they had enormous plans for him when he was cast in the lead role for The Marine 2. 

Legacy

The formation of Legacy was a bit patchy and non-linear. Cody and Ted Jr had formed a loose alliance with Manu, son of Wild Samoan, Afa, and cousin to Roman Reigns. It was clear that it was an odd fit, initially, but because of each man’s pedigree, it made at least partial sense. Soon enough, Randy Orton began to taunt the trio verbally. He seemed to question if they had what it took to live up to their family legacies. 

It wasn’t entirely clear what Orton was up to, but the pieces began to fit together over time. Eventually, Orton starkly suggested that Manu was deadweight to Ted Jr and Cody, and he was promptly and violently excised. Thus, Legacy would officially form, becoming one of the best trios in company history. Looking back, some sartorial definition would have helped the group. This was when everyone not named Chris Jericho was always in their gear for some reason. Seeing Legacy in suits would have channelled the same energy that helped the image of The Four Horsemen and Evolution.

Nonetheless, the group did wonders for all three men. This was arguably Orton’s career peak, and much of it is attributed to the members of Legacy always giving him an advantage. Ted Jr and Cody were now viewed as certifiable main-eventers with foolproof futures. They began a feud with a reunited DX after Triple H called on his old friend, HBK, after suffering multiple 2 on 1 attacks. They had a solid outing with DX at SummerSlam before finding themselves in the main event with them at the inaugural Hell In A Cell PPV. 

 No one realized it then, but Hell In A Cell 2009 was Ted Jr's finest moment as a pro wrestler. Not only would the match between Legacy and DX main event show in favor of both World Title matches, but it was the best on the card. Although Legacy would drop the fall to DX, Cody and Ted Jr seemed to be all but made men at this point. Shortly after this, the cracks in Legacy began to appear slowly. Randy Orton heard more and more cheers from the crowd, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to present him as a heel. 

WrestleMania 26

After trading the WWE Championship back and forth with John Cena, Orton dropped it for the final time at Bragging Rights in an Iron Man match. This spelled uncertainty for both Ted Jr and Cody, as Orton was now well on his way to becoming a babyface. An angle at The Royal Rumble in 2010 made it quite clear that Legacy was headed for splitsville. After allowing the story to unfold for a few weeks, it seemed like a realistic scenario to book a triple-threat match. Usually, triple-threat matches are reserved for a title at stake, but this was one of the rare occasions where it was used to settle a grudge. 

The match itself was decent, being positioned second on the card. The opening moments were a bit tepid, as the process felt slightly awkward. The breakup hadn’t aged enough to warrant a chaotic and/or emotionally charged match, but all three men played their parts well. Orton, of course, got his hand raised, as he was the only one the company seemed to have any plans for going forward. This incites the debate on how effective Legacy was, and perhaps Orton in particular, at elevating Dibiase Jr and Cody.

Cody has praised Orton, saying that he is the reason that Cody became a millionaire in his 20s without the benefit of a college degree. Cody has gone on to the most incredible heights in the business, main eventing the upcoming WrestleMania. Ted would continue wrestling at the time but did not have the same path as Cody. Cody is stronger on the mic, so that could have been the critical difference. Therefore, it’s safe to conclude that Legacy was at least half successful in creating a future star. 

The Million Dollar Championship, Maryse, and The Dibiase Posse 

After the split of Legacy, Dibiase seemed to flounder a bit. Creative attempted to channel his father’s gimmick, giving him the old Million Dollar Championship. Ted Jr did his best in the role and looked the part.  Ultimately it just wasn’t the right fit, as Ted Jr didn’t come across as the megalomaniacal aristocrat that his father was able to portray. This was the last time the company seemed to commit to Ted Jr as an onscreen character. 

In an ongoing bit that hasn’t exactly aged well, Ted Jr began a search for his “Virgil.” He offered the job to R-Truth, who turned him down. Ted Jr would eventually enlist the original Virgil in a short-lived pairing. After this, Ted Jr was paired with his old FCW cohort, Maryse. Once again, this pairing was short-lived, as he and Maryse didn’t seem to have any natural chemistry. 

Ted Jr would eventually be traded to Smackdown, where a brief feud with his former Legacy brethren, Cody Rhodes, was ignited. Cody had been wearing a prosthetic mask following an injury.  He began suggesting that the crowd wear paper bags to conceal their inner hideousness. Ted Jr would wear one of these bags somewhat cleverly, only to reveal himself before attacking Rhodes. The rivalry was short-lived, but it did offer a momentary spike to Ted's fledgling career. 

After making an unsuccessful bid for the United States Championship, Ted Jr would somewhat pioneer using YouTube as a way of self-promotion. He established the “Dibiase Posse,” a squad of tailgaters who would cavort in the parking lot before WWE shows. This would lead to a short feud with Jinder Mahal after Mahal castigated Dibiase for abandoning his wealthy roots to associate with “commoners.” After the Mahal feud, Ted Jr would work with Hunico after the latter was offended over not being invited to one of Ted Jr’s parties. 

Ted Jr would then undergo shoulder surgery. After returning from surgery, Ted Jr only wrestled a few matches. After suffering from depression and anxiety, Ted Jr said he would not renew his WWE contract. This would conclude a 5-year run with the company. At this point, Ted Jr's future in wrestling was uncertain at best. 

The Independents, Retirement, And Welfare Fraud

Upon leaving WWE, Ted Jr began taking independent bookings almost immediately. This was short-lived, however, as after 2013, he would not wrestle again until 2016 for a locally-based promotion near his home area. In 2017, Ted Jr would announce his retirement from wrestling. In the few interviews he’s conducted, he’s stated that while he is open to returning to the ring, he has no imminent plans. It remains to be seen if we ever see Ted Jr compete again. 

In 2022, Ted Jr, his father, and his younger brother, Brett, were sued for welfare fraud. The Mississippi Department Of Human Resources levied a 20 million dollar lawsuit against the Dibiases and other prominent names. It was alleged that the Dibiase family had extorted funds from an organization to help needy and impoverished families. Before Ted Jr had started with WWE, he and his family had been involved with philanthropic activities in conjunction with the church they belonged to. This was a blemish on the Dibiase family name, but the clan has continued publicly conducting themselves with the same decorum.

Conclusion 

I could have never extrapolated Ted Jr's journey in pro wrestling when I met him in the Spring of 2006. We all knew he was destined for primetime at some point, but the rest was up to fate. Honestly, his career wasn’t much different than his father’s. Aside from Ted Sr's controversial World Title reign, his only official accolade was a tag title run in 93/94. Like his father, Ted Jr worked with all of the top guys in WWE, and never looked out of place. 

Unlike his dad, though, Ted Jr could never find a marketable gimmick. His identity was attached to his family name, and in post-millennium WWE, that didn’t seem to be enough. In my opinion, Ted wasn’t allowed to find himself then. He had no idea who he was; if he did, he didn’t seem ready to share it with the world just yet. Nevertheless, Ted Jr set out to complete a goal, and that’s precisely what he did.