10 Times Ego Cost Wrestlers Everything

5. Ted DiBiase Lives The Gimmick

Shane McMahon Riddle WWE Royal Rumble 2022
WWE.com

WWE's 2009 book on Ted DiBiase's life and career flies under the radar as an essential read. Some skimmed-over sections do hurt it, but there's enough meat on the bone to make it worth your time. Plus, Ted declines the chance to shy away from controversial moments or attempt to cover himself in glory.

He admits that his womanising, drinking and general behaviour as the high-rolling 'Million Dollar Man' cost him his marriage. DiBiase lived that gimmick in the late-80s and early-90s. Then, he was horrified when his wife found out the full extent of his cheating and threatened to leave him.

Ted believed he was untouchable as a top heel - in short, he lost touch with reality.

1993 was a tipping point. Desperate to save his marriage and banged-up anyway, Ted quit full-time wrestling and returned home for a spell. In the book, he lays out how egotistical he'd been during his prime, and how poorly he treated so many people.

That caught up with him.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.