Ted Dibiase Sr. interview Part 3 - Working in WWE Creative, how Ted Jr. was used in WWE, religion and more

Ted Diabiase Sr.

I recently spoke with WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase.

In the third part of the interview below, Dibiase discussed working on the WWE creative team, his ministry, not wanting his children to enter the business, how WWE was using Ted Jr. and much more.

WrestlingINC: How did you end up working in the WWE creative department?

Ted Dibiase: I think it was late ’04 that I was back there. I got a call, they wanted me to come back and be a part of the creative team. I said, “you know, that’s not really me.” I’m not Clint Eastwood. I’m not good on both sides of the camera. I’m good in front of it.

And they wanted me to come back and at least try, so I did for about a year and a half and I guess it took them that long to figure out I was right.

But going back, I reestablished a very good working relationship with the company and with Vince, so all’s well that that ends well.

Again, when I left, I think John Laurinaitis was the head of talent relations at the time. He called me in he said, “Ted,” kind of hanging his head. I said, “you’re letting me go?” He said, “well…,” and I said, “thank you very much” and he looked at me with a shock on his face. And I said, “Johnny, this was the most miserable year and a half I have ever had.”

I love the business, but I’m just not made to do this. I tried and I’m like I wasn’t just going to quit, because I wasn’t just going to quit. I’m not going to just quit.

It’s just one of those things. When you’re a wrestler you’re thinking about one guy, yourself, your character and whatever guy it is you’re working with. When you’re a writer and you’re kind of in a booking type role, you’re thinking about the entire roster so you’re thinking about wrestling 24 hours a day.

Quite frankly, life’s too short. I put in a lot of time, and it just wasn’t for me. Anyway, I’ve got a great relationship with the company today, I’m on a Legends contract with them and they’re free to call me whenever they like, and I’ll go back and make a cameo appearance and go make some public appearances for them for charity events and whatever they want me to do based on my availability. And I’m fine with that.

WrestlingINC: After your time with WCW you had started Ministry, right? The Heart of David?

Dibiase: Right. I mean Heart of David Ministry is something I made. It’s a non profit organization, a 501 (c)(3). Basically,I am the company. I am Heart of David because Heart of David Ministry, the Ministry is a Ministry of evangelism.

It’s like I’m the chief cook and bottle washer. What the Ministry is, is it’s me going out, it’s me going to churches. I go to prisons. I go to foreign countries and I share the gospel.

Churches will pay me to come in and do events and then I still do school assemblies from time to time, but that’s not church related, that’s still trying to bring a positive message young people in our country today about the importance of making smart choices.

Of course, I share the smart and dumb choices that I made in my life in an effort to help them make better choices. That’s Heart of David. Again, it’s about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. That, more than anything else, is what I do.