4. Million Dollar Man
The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase was a classic heel character. The gimmick has been portrayed and used as an influence for many top heels since, both for in-ring and management characters. Of all the Superstars on the list, the Million Dollar Man actually 'held' the WWF Championship for 3 days from February 5th to February 8th 1988, and defended the Championship against Bam Bam Bigelow at a WWF event on the 8th. However, the reign was stricken from records as Dibiase in storyline had 'paid' Andre The Giant to give him the Championship after defeating Hulk Hogan in controversial circumstances. Much like some of the other Superstars in this article, Dibiase could be seen as a victim of his own talent, as after this time around the Main Event scene he would spend a lot of time as a notable Midcard character, and later in his in-ring years would be a prominent part of the Tag Team division as part of Money Inc. with IRS. After retiring from in-ring competition, Dibiase's skills were showcased as a commentator and manager, with the latter role leading to him and his Million Dollar Corporation to many high profile storylines in the mid-90's. Obvious comparisons with the JBL and elements of the Alberto Del Rio gimmick can be made when looking at similar Superstars to Dibiase in the modern day WWE product. JBL enjoyed a long reign as World Heavyweight Champion, and as previously mentioned Del Rio has had a number of WWE Championship runs in the company so far. With the Million Dollar Man character having such a strong influence on these gimmicks, it would be easy to argue the Ted Dibiase Sr. would have enjoyed time with a major Championship had he competed in the industry today.