DiBiase left WWE in 2013 due to family commitments and other business pursuits. He continued to wrestle on theindependent circuit until 2017. In 2020, he officially announced his retirement.
DiBiase made his WWE television debut as avillain on the May 26, 2008 episode ofRaw, where hecut a promo about his intent to become a champion like his father,Ted DiBiase Sr., challenging theWorld Tag Team Champions,Cody Rhodes andHardcore Holly.[19] At theNight of Champions pay-per-view on June 29, DiBiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first match in WWE, after Rhodes betrayed Holly, revealing himself to be DiBiase's partner.[20][21] After holding the title for just over a month, theydropped it toJohn Cena andBatista on the August 4 episode ofRaw.[22] The following week, DiBiase and Rhodes used their rematch clause to defeat Batista and Cena to regain the titles.[23][24]
DiBiase and Rhodes were soon joined byManu, forming a stable of multi-generation superstars. On the October 27 episode ofRaw, DiBiase and Rhodes lost their title toCM Punk andKofi Kingston.[25] It was during this time thatRandy Orton became linked to Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu on television, criticizing them in amentor-type role.[11] On the November 3 episode ofRaw, DiBiase was attacked by Orton, after he interfered in Orton's match.[11] This storyline attack was to allow DiBiase to be written out of WWE storylines, so he could film thedirect-to-video movie,The Marine 2.[11][26][27]
DiBiase (right) as a member of The Legacy withRandy Orton (center) andCody Rhodes (left)
On the January 12, 2009, episode ofRaw, DiBiase returned to aid Manu andSim Snuka in attacking Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.[28] Instead, however, DiBiaseturned on them and helped Rhodes and Orton assault Manu and Snuka, thus joiningThe Legacy faction.[28] As part of The Legacy, DiBiase entered theRoyal Rumble match at theRoyal Rumble on January 25 in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final four, before being eliminated byTriple H.[29] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with theMcMahon family, helping him to attackShane andStephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.[30][31] DiBiase was also elevated tomain event status as a result of joining The Legacy, competing inhandicap andsix-man tag team matches, as well as the occasionalsingles match against Orton's opponents and rivals.[32][33][34] On April 26, at theBacklash 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 theWWE Championship.[35] During WWE's tour of Australia in early July, DiBiase suffered an arm injury, but did not miss any time because of it.[citation needed] 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.[36][37] As a result, Triple H reformedD-Generation X (DX) withShawn Michaels and they defeated DiBiase and Rhodes atSummerSlam on August 23.[38] DiBiase and Rhodes later defeated DX in asubmissions count anywhere match at theBreaking Point pay-per-view on September 13, before losing to DX in aHell in a Cell match at theHell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 4.[39][40]
Tension between the members of The Legacy began building, when Orton attacked DiBiase and Rhodes for accidentally costing him a chance to win the WWE Championship at theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view on January 31, 2010.[41] On the February 1 episode ofRaw, DiBiase defeatedMark Henry in anElimination Chamber qualifying match, earning a chance to win the WWE Championship.[42] At theElimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 21, he eliminated Orton from the Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated by Kofi Kingston soon after.[43] On the February 22 episode ofRaw, Orton turned on The Legacy, believing they had a plan to turn on him, and in retaliation, they attacked Orton the following week.[44][45] As a result, the three competed in a triple threat match atWrestleMania XXVI on March 28 in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.[46]
After WrestleMania, DiBiase debuted a newgimmick of an arrogant millionaire, similar to his father's old gimmick.[47] On the April 5 episode ofRaw, DiBiase was given possession of theMillion Dollar Championship and access to a trust fund by his father.[48] DiBiase then began looking for a "Virgil", a manservant like his father used to have. He offered the position toR-Truth, who refused, provoking a feud between the two.[49][50][51] On the May 17 episode ofRaw, DiBiase revealed his "Virgil"—the originalVirgil who had worked for his father.[47][52] In his first singles pay-per-view match atOver the Limit on May 23, DiBiase was defeated by R-Truth.[47][53] During the match, DiBiase suffered aconcussion, but was able to appear onRaw the following night.[54][55] On the June 21 episode ofRaw, DiBiase fired Virgil in favor of the managerial services of his on-screen girlfriendMaryse.[56] In September, DiBiase entered in a feud withGoldust over the Million Dollar Championship, after Goldust stole the title from him.[57] On the November 15 episode ofRaw, Goldust returned the Million Dollar Championship belt to DiBiase Sr., who then offered to give it back to his son, but he refused the offer, proclaiming that he was interested in another belt. Later in the night DiBiase attackedWWE United States ChampionDaniel Bryan, setting up a match atSurvivor Series on November 21 for the championship, in which he was unsuccessful.[58][59] DiBiase was a Pro for thefourth season ofNXT, in which he and Maryse mentoredBrodus Clay.[60] On the January 25, 2011, episode ofNXT, Clay traded DiBiase forAlberto Del Rio as his Pro.[61]
As part of the2011 supplemental draft on April 26, DiBiase was drafted to theSmackDownbrand.[62] In his first match onSmackDown, DiBiase lost to his former tag team partner Cody Rhodes.[63] The following week, DiBiase was accompanied to the ring by Rhodes.[64] On the June 3 episode ofSmackDown, DiBiase lost to former rival, Daniel Bryan via submission. After the match, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Bryan, but were stopped bySin Cara.[65] On the July 8 episode ofSmackDown, DiBiase teamed with Rhodes in a winning effort against the team of Bryan andEzekiel Jackson.[66] After DiBiase lost a match against Randy Orton on the August 26 episode ofSmackDown, Rhodes attacked him, ending their association.[67]
On the September 16 episode ofSmackDown, as Rhodes was ridiculing the audience, DiBiase disguised himself as a fan by wearing a paper bag on his head before attacking Rhodes, turning into afan favorite.[68] DiBiase then challenged Rhodes for theWWE Intercontinental Championship atNight of Champions on September 18, but was unsuccessful.[69] In a YouTube video published on September 22, DiBiase introduced his new gimmick to holdtailgating parties with fans just before WWE events, terming those who tailgated with him as the "DiBiase Posse";[70][71] DiBiase also acknowledged that mimicking his father's rich gimmick "didn't really work out".[70]
In November 2011,Jinder Mahal chastised DiBiase about forsaking his wealthy upbringing to hang out with commoners,[72] starting a feud and leading to DiBiase defeating Mahal on the December 9 episode ofSmackDown.[73] Three weeks later, Mahal defeated DiBiase to conclude the feud.[74] In January 2012,Hunico started a feud with DiBiase when Hunico was offended that he was not invited to one of DiBiase's Posse parties. Both traded victories in regular singles matches onSmackDown,[75][76] with DiBiase wrestling despite a wrist injury.[77] Although DiBiase beat Hunico in a flag match, Hunico cheated to win the last match in the series in February.[78][79] On March 6, DiBiase suffered a broken ankle during television tapings.[80] That same month, DiBiase announced that he was undergoing shoulder surgery.[81] DiBiase returned on September 16 atNight of Champions, participating in the pre-showWWE United States Championship number one contender battle royal, but was eliminated byTensai.[82] DiBiase's only televised match in 2013 saw him defeatMichael McGillicutty on the May 9 episode ofSuperstars.[83] On August 26, after suffering from depression and anxiety, DiBiase announced that he was not renewing his WWE contract, which expired on September 1.[84][85]
DiBiase made his first wrestling appearance since leaving WWE on October 12, 2013, in the opening round ofFamily Wrestling Entertainment's Grand Prix tournament, defeatingColt Cabana.[86] On October 18, 2013, DiBiase was announced to appear at Tommy Dreamer'sHouse of Hardcore 3. At the event, he participated in a pre-show meet and greet.[87] After that, he did not wrestle again until he had two matches for Mississippi-based promotion Pro Wrestling EGO in 2016 and 2017.[88]
In May 2012, DiBiase started his own non-profit organization, theTed DiBiase Foundation. As part of the foundation, individuals with life-threatening illnesses or disabilities were offered the chance to meet DiBiase at WWE live events, and further programs for youth leadership and community causes are being developed.[89] He also participates in programs as a leader for the Heart of David Ministry.[90]
When DiBiase left WWE, he took up an executive position with CollegeGarageSale.com, a college textbook e-commerce website.[91] He is now the vice president of business development for One Life.[90]
In late 2008, DiBiase began filming the movieThe Marine 2, in which he plays the main character, Joe Linwood.[27][92]The Marine 2 is adirect-to-DVD-and-Blu-ray project, and was released on December 29, 2009.[93][94] The film was DiBiase's first acting experience, and he spent six weeks inThailand for filming.[95][96] For the movie, DiBiase performed all his own stunts, which resulted in him separating thecartilage between two of his ribs during a fight scene.[95][97]
DiBiase married his high school sweetheart, Kristen, a nurse, on October 30, 2008.[100] DiBiase and his wife have a son, Tate McKinley DiBiase, who was born on May 15, 2012, and a daughter, Ava DiBiase, born in 2018.[101][102]
In May 2022, the Mississippi Department of Human Services sued DiBiase, his father, and several others to recover more than $20 million in money "squandered" from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families anti-poverty program.[104] He was also found to have played a major role in benefiting from speaking engagements which aided the controversy, with his companies Priceless Ventures LLC and Familiae Orientem receiving more than $3 million from nonprofit groups between 2017 and 2019.[105][106]
On April 20, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement relating to the scandal indicting DiBiase with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and four counts of money laundering.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years behind bars for the conspiracy count, a maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars for each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars for each count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and for each count of money laundering.[107]
^Caldwell, James (January 25, 2012)."Big Ted DiBiase injury update". Pro Wrestling Torch.Archived from the original on January 28, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2012.
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