Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr.[1][3] (born November 8, 1982)[3] is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he appears on its Raw brand as the Million Dollar Champion.[2] He is a former two time World Tag Team Champion with his tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.
After being trained by Chris Youngblood and undergoing further training at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, DiBiase made his professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006. He won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship with his half brother, Mike DiBiase, in February 2007, and also toured Japan briefly with Pro Wrestling Noah. He signed a developmental contract with WWE in July 2007, and was assigned to their developmental facility, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He joined the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction for a short time, before winning the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in December 2007. Due to injury, he relinquished the championship in January 2008.
He made his WWE television debut on May 26, 2008, and in his first match as a member of the Raw roster, he won the World Tag Team Championship with Cody Rhodes. They dropped the championship in August, before winning it again a week later. Rhodes and DiBiase were joined by Manu shortly afterwards, forming a faction of multi-generation wrestlers, although shortly afterwards DiBiase was taken off television to film The Marine 2. Upon his return, he formed The Legacy faction alongside Rhodes and Randy Orton.
Aside from professional wrestling, DiBiase is also an actor, making his film debut in The Marine 2, a direct-to-DVD movie that was released on December 29, 2009.
World Wrestling Entertainment
The Legacy (2008–2010)
DiBiase made his WWE television debut as a villain on May 26, 2008, where he cut a promo about his intent to become a champion like his father, Ted DiBiase, challenging the World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly.[17] At the Night of Champions pay-per-view, DiBiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first match in WWE, after Rhodes betrayed Holly, revealing himself to be DiBiase's partner.[18][19] After holding the title for just over a month, they dropped them to John Cena and Batista on the August 4 episode of Raw.[20] The following week, DiBiase and Rhodes used their rematch clause to regain the title.[21][22]DiBiase and Rhodes were soon joined by Manu, forming a stable of multi-generation superstars. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, DiBiase and Rhodes lost their title to CM Punk and Kofi Kingston.[23] It was during this time that Randy Orton became linked to Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu on television, criticizing them in a mentor-type role.[9] On the November 3 episode of Raw, DiBiase was attacked by Orton, after he interfered in Orton's match.[9] This storyline attack was to allow DiBiase to be written out of WWE storylines, so he could film the direct-to-video movie, The Marine 2.[9][24][25]
On the January 12, 2009 episode of Raw, DiBiase returned to aid Manu and Sim Snuka in attacking Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.[26] Instead, however, DiBiase turned on them and helped Rhodes and Orton assault Manu and Snuka, thus joining The Legacy faction.[26] As part of The Legacy, DiBiase entered the Royal Rumble match in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final four, before being eliminated by Triple H.[27] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with the McMahon family, helping him to attack Shane and Stephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.[28][29] DiBiase was also elevated to main event status as a result of joining The Legacy, competing in handicap and six-man tag team matches, as well as the occasional singles match against Orton's opponents and rivals.[30][31][32] On April 26, at the Backlash pay-per-view, DiBiase, Rhodes, and Orton defeated Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match, which, per the pre-match stipulation, resulted in Orton winning the WWE Championship.[33] During WWE's tour of Australia in early July, DiBiase suffered an arm injury, but did not miss any time because of it.[34] Throughout mid-2009, DiBiase and Rhodes continued to compete against and attack Orton's rivals, particularly Triple H, preventing him from earning a match for Orton's championship.[35][36] As a result, Triple H reformed D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels and they defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at SummerSlam.[37] DiBiase and Rhodes later defeated DX in a submissions count anywhere match at the Breaking Point pay-per-view, before losing to DX in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.[38][39]
Tension between the members of The Legacy began building in 2010, when Orton attacked DiBiase and Rhodes for accidentally costing him a chance to win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.[40] In February 2010, DiBiase defeated Mark Henry in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, earning a chance to win the WWE Championship.[41] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he eliminated Orton from the Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated by Kofi Kingston soon after.[42] On the February 22 episode of Raw, Orton turned on The Legacy, believing they had a plan to turn on him, and in retaliation, they attacked Orton the following week.[43][44] As a result, the three competed in a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.[45]
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