The Reason Ted DiBiase Never Became WWE Champion
The Million Dollar Championship belt, a visual spectacle in the annals of wrestling history, was meticulously crafted to complement the extravagant persona of WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase, known as the Million Dollar Man, during the late 1980s.
While wrestling belts are often viewed as mere props in the scripted world of professional wrestling, the Million Dollar Championship transcended this notion, embodying Ted DiBiase’s character and his ostentatious display of wealth.
In an episode of Everybody’s Got a Pod, DiBiase disclosed that the concept for the distinctive belt was conceived by wrestling legend Pat Patterson. Reflecting on its origins, DiBiase recounted:
At the time it was maybe going to be me and Hogan, and I’d beat Hogan and I’d have the [WWE Championship] belt for a while. But then, obviously, if you’re a heel in the new WWF, you’re not going to be the champion very long, because kids want to see their champion, the good guy, have the belt. But [Pat Patterson] says, here’s the deal. In your arrogance, you basically say, ‘I don’t need your stinkin’ belt. I’ll create my own championship’ and that’s how the whole Million Dollar Championship came to pass.
Introduced through vignettes in late 1988, the WWE showcased DiBiase overseeing the belt’s creation at Betteridge Jewellers in Greenwich, Connecticut, adding to its aura of exclusivity and luxury.
Despite not actually costing a million dollars, the original price tag was estimated by DiBiase to be around $40,000, attributed to the approximately 700 cubic zirconia adorning its intricate design. Today, the belt’s value is speculated to exceed $200,000.
Which Wrestler Does Ted DiBiase Think Shouldn’t Have Won The Royal Rumble?
Ted DiBiase has said that he doesn’t think Lex Luger should have been a dual winner of the 1994 Royal Rumble match. DiBiase instead thinks that Bret Hart should have been the sole winner due to Luger’s relative inexperience in the wrestling world.
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