WWE legend on rumors that Vince McMahon asked him to come out of retirement
Vince McMahon approved the WWE returns of several legends in the 2000s, including Fit Finlay, Ricky Steamboat, and Roddy Piper. Another veteran of the wrestling industry, Ted DiBiase Sr., recently addressed speculation that McMahon asked him to wrestle again around that time.
DiBiase Sr., also known as The Million Dollar Man, retired in 1993. He later worked for WCW as an on-screen talent before returning to WWE in 2004 as a creative team member.
On Everybody's Got A Pod, the 69-year-old dismissed rumors that McMahon also wanted him to make an in-ring return:
"I don't remember Vince ever asking me to come back as an in-ring talent (…) I had gotten physically out of the business right about the 20-year mark, and for the people that don't know this, I actually told my wife, I said, 'I am not going to stay in the ring actively too long. I'm not gonna end up like my dad,'" DiBiase Sr. said. [0:17 – 1:08]
Mike DiBiase, the adoptive father of Ted DiBiase Sr., died at the age of 45 after suffering a heart attack following a match in 1969.
DiBiase Sr. was one of WWE's most well-known stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of his biggest career highlights came in 1988 when he headlined WrestleMania 4 with Randy Savage.
Could Ted DiBiase Sr. have wrestled for WWE again?
After retiring from in-ring competition, Ted DiBiase Sr. signed up to a Lloyd's of London insurance policy. As part of the agreement, the former WWE villain would have been forced to repay money if he wrestled again.
8/30/1993
Razor Ramon defeated Ted Dibiase (in his final WWF match) at #SummerSlam from The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
#RazorRamon #RIPScott #ScottHall #TheBadGuy #Machismo #RazorsEdge #TedDibiase #MillionDollarMan #AllAboutTheMoney #WWE #WWELegends #WWEHistory https://t.co/3gmkR6ejlZ
DiBiase Sr. suffered from a neck injury towards the end of his career, but he was still capable of wrestling when he retired:
"I was just about to turn 40 when I got out of the ring, and I knew that I physically was capable. Physically I still had it in me to continue, but I chose to, for that reason [not wanting to wrestle for too long], get out of the ring." [1:10 – 1:26]
The WWE Hall of Famer recently gave his thoughts on the possibility of wrestling again 30 years after his retirement.
Do you have any favorite Ted DiBiase Sr. moments? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Everybody's Got A Pod and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.