Enjoying the last remnants of his run at the top of the promotion before a gradual decline into midcard magnificence, Ted Dibiase is one of the few lightning rods for a crowd not that bothered about getting shocked.
Everything there was to love to hate about him was on display - he cheats like a pr*ck to get by Jim Duggan, technically outclasses Don Muraco, coasts to the final on a bought bye, and tries all of the above in a grand final near-miss. WWE didn't just observe good tournament booking with his trail - they preserved his character too.
Despite the fact he doesn't even look as big a heel as some of the folk sitting front row, Dibiase brilliantly brings out the best in his opponents to such a degree that fans are, well, savage for his eventual undoing.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
