Former wrestling superstar Ted DiBiase announces he has 'severe brain trauma'

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase revealed that he has been dealing with “severe brain trauma” stemming from his days in the ring.

During a recent edition of his ‘Everybody’s Got a Pod’ podcast, he revealed that he has been dealing with some memory loss. No official diagnosis has been made by a medical expert, but DiBiase, known for his persona as ‘The Million Dollar Man,’ wrestled for over two decades and has taken a toll on his body.

“I’m dealing with this, this is legit. I don’t have Alzheimer’s, and I don’t have dementia. But they said, ‘Ted, you have something. We just simply call it severe brain trauma,'” DiBiase said. “What it affects is my memory, and they say it’ll be easier for you to remember something you did 40 or 50 years ago, but the short-term memory, some of the stuff right now, it’s bits and pieces.”

The ongoing issues haven’t stopped DiBiase from staying in and around the wrestling business. Widely regarded as one of the greatest villains in pro wrestling history, DiBiase could be seen on regular WWE programming as recently as 2021 while conducting a storyline in NXT (WWE’s developmental brand) with Cameron Grimes, who was in the midst of a money-man gimmick himself, and LA Knight.

Grimes and Knight fought over DiBiase’s iconic ‘Millon Dollar Championship.’ After Grimes finally secured the belt, DiBiase, who was playing the role of Grimes’ money mentor, gave the title back to his elder. DiBiase thought better of it and returned the title to Grimes before riding off into the sunset with his patented laugh — and the real championship. It wasn’t until DiBiase was gone that Grimes realized that the belt DiBiase handed him was a cheap replica. By that point, he was long gone — classic Ted DiBiase.

After that, DiBiase also made a brief appearance on a special edition of Monday Night Raw in January alongside Irwin R. Schyster, or IRS.

Younger wrestling fans might recall DiBiase’s son, who wrestled under the ring name Ted DiBiase Jr. in the 2010s and is best remembered for his role in the ‘Legacy’ faction alongside Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes. The group’s gimmick shined a light on the family lineage of each performer, but DiBiase Jr. is on the outside looking in on the wrestling business these days while Orton is one of the sport’s all-time great stars and Rhodes is arguably the most popular wrestler in WWE today.

Still, DiBiase Sr. was one of the most hated performers of his generation — which in wrestling terms means he’s one of the best. As he continues to combat his ongoing brain ailment, it’s not a bad idea to check out some of his all-time greatest hits.