WWF villain Ted DiBiase on wrestling life's demons

By David Clegg
Published in the Courier : 23.08.10
Published online : 23.08.10 @ 08.51pm

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"It was thanks to her faith in God and her willingness, at a time in her life when she had been betrayed and badly hurt, to give me another chance that I really didn't deserve," he says.

DiBiase was born to be a wrestler. His mother, Helen Hild, was an accomplished pro wrestler, as was his stepfather "Iron" Mike DiBiase, who died of a heart attack in the ring when Ted was 15. His children have now followed him into the business, with Ted Jr (27) a fully-fledged WWE star and Brett (22) in training.

Did Ted have any concerns that his children would make the same mistakes as him in the wrestling world?

"For years I preached to them that they would never wrestle, not because I didn't like wrestling — because I love wrestling," he says. "It was for the same reason my father didn't want me to wrestle — the lifestyle that goes along with it can often destroy people. When you walk into the wrestling business you realise you are going to live a great deal of your life away from home and it's going to be very difficult for your family."

But Ted says he had a change of heart after returning to work behind the scenes for the WWE several years ago and observing the changes that had occurred in the industry. He claims there is now a less punishing work schedule for wrestlers and a comprehensive drug testing system.

"You hear all of the sad stories about the deaths due to drink and drug addictions in wrestling, but I don't know why wrestling gets pointed out and highlighted all the time, because it happens in Hollywood just as much as it does with us," he says. "Now the WWE has what I believe is state-of-the-art drug testing and everybody gets tested.

"If you need rehab to get over addiction issues the company will put you through rehab. There are a lot of people who think you can't have that kind of body without drugs, but you can."

The issue of drug abuse in wrestling is a sensitive one and has been the subject of much debate in recent years. In June 2007, former world champion Chris Benoit murdered his wife and seven-year-old son, before hanging himself. In the aftermath of the tragedy there were suggestions Benoit's steroid use contributed to his actions.

"I took steroids for a very short time," says DiBiase. "It should be obvious by looking at me that I didn't take them regularly because I was in good shape, but I was never massive. My strength was my ability to talk and my work in the ring. I always looked like an athlete but I didn't look like Charles Atlas.

"The thing about the steroids was I was always afraid of them and I finally had a doctor tell me about the effects and that warned me right off them — that was it for me with that stuff. The only other drug I took for a while was cocaine. Now this doesn't sound like the Million Dollar Man, but I stopped doing that because I was cheap — I didn't want to spend the money on it!"

When not preaching DiBiase now spends much of his time helping young wrestlers learn from his mistakes and schooling them in the art of the sport. His relationship with the Blairgowrie-based SWE began last year when he was contacted by company owner David Low.

"David emailed me and told me about the organisation and his desire to put on the event and asked if I wanted to get involved," he says. "I am happy to be able to meet the fans and maybe give some of the young wrestlers some tips."

Mr Low says wrestling is extremely popular in Dundee, with youngsters regularly packing community centres across the city to watch SWE shows.

"A lot of it is down to the popularity of the WWE," says Mr Low, who wrestles under the name Bravehart in tribute to WWE star Bret Hart. "We bring over the American stars and the audiences in Dundee seem to respond to that. It is really exciting someone like the Million Dollar Man is coming to Dundee.

"Wrestling is just huge over here."