Courtesy of LordsofPain.net:
Marshall Ward of WrestleNewz.com recently spoke with WWE Hall of Famer “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. Here are some highlights from part 1of the interview:
The legacy of Mid-South Wrestling:
“It was one of the best. I mean, even today when you talk to wrestling fans, it’s like Mid-South has its own following in a similar way to ECW in the ’90s. Bill Watts, who has mellowed out somewhat over the years, he was kind of like a Vince Lombardi in that you learned from him through fear and intimidation. But he was very good. I mean, he came out of the Eddie Graham school of wrestling, so to speak. And Eddie is considered one of the greatest psychologists of our business in terms of what makes it work and angles and all that stuff.”
His bloody feud with Hacksaw Jim Duggan:
“Jim and I could go in a match and be wrestling each other, the people would be screaming for him, booing me, and when we’re up there of course it’s business. We worked really well together, and when things click between two wrestlers, you can be in the midst of business but at the same time we’d be telling jokes.
I remember one time I got one of my front teeth knocked out, and so I got a partial where they have the deal where they have the thing that slips in and slips out. And of course, you know anybody else with any sense would never go into the ring with that thing. They would take it out for the match, but I guess I was too vain to be seen with one of my front teeth missing, right? So I wore the thing and Jim gave me this move where you pick the guy up and you drop him — we used to call it an ass bump or a turd stomper. And he comes down and it’s like my backside hits his knee, then I vaulted myself over the top rope and on to the floor. But when I did it, that partial came flying out of my mouth.
It was almost like, “Oh my gosh, where is it?” Jim says, “Hey, did you lose something?” Jim grabs me and he’s got me in a headlock and it looks like he’s mauling me or poking me in the eyes, but basically he’s helping me put my thing back in my mouth. Gosh it was funny.”