WrestleMania IV Tournament
#PWHS #StorytimeOnSunday #SOS #Article #WGD #WrestleManiaIV #WMIV #Tournament
How true is the rumor that the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase never winning the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania IV was the Honky Tonk Man's fault?
Here, DiBiase and HTM give their versions of the story:
Ted DiBiase
"There was a lot of talk that at Wrestlemania IV, the tournament - that I would win it. That was the initial plan. I would win it and have my run with Hogan..."
Honky Tonk Man
"[Ricky] Steamboat was leaving.
He was the one that got the [Intercontinental] belt from Savage and up and quit the company, saying, 'I want to go home and spend time with my wife and children.'
Of course, if you have a championship belt, you don't go home and spend time with your wife and children. You have to be on the road and [Vince] said, 'This guy wants to go and do this and I got to have the belt in a town.'
I just happened to walk by [in the hallway] and Hogan said to Vince, 'What about him?'
Vince pulled me aside and told me what he wanted to do.
I said, 'Listen, if you give me that belt, I don't want a day off.'
And I ran with that belt for 64 weeks..."
Ted DiBiase
"You gotta satisfy a lot of people and someone said Honky Tonk Man didn’t want to drop the intercontinental belt to Randy Savage. And they wanted to make Randy happy too...so somebody came up with that idea to turn Randy babyface..."
Honky Tonk Man
"[Refusing to drop the title to Savage] wasn't the fact of losing the belt [itself]...I had a deal with WWE and Vince - a handshake deal. There were no contracts back then. 'I'll do anything you want if you give me an opportunity. If I do good, pay me. If I don't do good, I'll pack my bags and move down the highway.'
All I said was, 'Treat me good on TV. Take care of me on television.'
Back in the old days, us old guys always believed that if they destroy you on television, you're pretty much destroyed.
It did Savage's career better than mine because he became World Champion as opposed to being the Intercontinental champion again.
For that reason, Ted DiBiase - who still has a little animosity towards me - though not a lot - Ted never got to be world champion..."
Ted DiBiase
“Wrestling is a business and of course I guess if you’re given the title you’re getting marked as the best...but that’s not necessarily always true.
A belt is a gimmick in our business. It’s a status symbol.
So the question was posed to me: 'What would get you more heat, Ted? If you didn’t win the belt? Or if in your arrogance you thumbed your nose at it and created your OWN belt...'
And I said, 'That’s the ticket.'
And it was.
Today, you talk about a conversation piece...Everybody wants to come take a picture with me and the Million Dollar Belt.
The Million Dollar Belt made me more money than the WWF Title ever would have..."
Honky Tonk Man
"I don’t see why he was mad...the Million Dollar Man got the same perks as the world champ anyway!”
Here, DiBiase and HTM give their versions of the story:
Ted DiBiase
"There was a lot of talk that at Wrestlemania IV, the tournament - that I would win it. That was the initial plan. I would win it and have my run with Hogan..."
Honky Tonk Man
"[Ricky] Steamboat was leaving.
He was the one that got the [Intercontinental] belt from Savage and up and quit the company, saying, 'I want to go home and spend time with my wife and children.'
Of course, if you have a championship belt, you don't go home and spend time with your wife and children. You have to be on the road and [Vince] said, 'This guy wants to go and do this and I got to have the belt in a town.'
I just happened to walk by [in the hallway] and Hogan said to Vince, 'What about him?'
Vince pulled me aside and told me what he wanted to do.
I said, 'Listen, if you give me that belt, I don't want a day off.'
And I ran with that belt for 64 weeks..."
Ted DiBiase
"You gotta satisfy a lot of people and someone said Honky Tonk Man didn’t want to drop the intercontinental belt to Randy Savage. And they wanted to make Randy happy too...so somebody came up with that idea to turn Randy babyface..."
Honky Tonk Man
"[Refusing to drop the title to Savage] wasn't the fact of losing the belt [itself]...I had a deal with WWE and Vince - a handshake deal. There were no contracts back then. 'I'll do anything you want if you give me an opportunity. If I do good, pay me. If I don't do good, I'll pack my bags and move down the highway.'
All I said was, 'Treat me good on TV. Take care of me on television.'
Back in the old days, us old guys always believed that if they destroy you on television, you're pretty much destroyed.
It did Savage's career better than mine because he became World Champion as opposed to being the Intercontinental champion again.
For that reason, Ted DiBiase - who still has a little animosity towards me - though not a lot - Ted never got to be world champion..."
Ted DiBiase
“Wrestling is a business and of course I guess if you’re given the title you’re getting marked as the best...but that’s not necessarily always true.
A belt is a gimmick in our business. It’s a status symbol.
So the question was posed to me: 'What would get you more heat, Ted? If you didn’t win the belt? Or if in your arrogance you thumbed your nose at it and created your OWN belt...'
And I said, 'That’s the ticket.'
And it was.
Today, you talk about a conversation piece...Everybody wants to come take a picture with me and the Million Dollar Belt.
The Million Dollar Belt made me more money than the WWF Title ever would have..."
Honky Tonk Man
"I don’t see why he was mad...the Million Dollar Man got the same perks as the world champ anyway!”
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
#StorytimeOnSunday - WrestleMania IV Tournament.
Author: Matt Pender (of Wrestling's Glory Days).
Published: June 17, 2018.
Article: #202.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
#StorytimeOnSunday - WrestleMania IV Tournament.
Author: Matt Pender (of Wrestling's Glory Days).
Published: June 17, 2018.
Article: #202.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other articles by Matt Pender can be Read Here.