In my experience (which I've been spending way too long providing evidence of) Ted Dibiase, "The Million Dollar Man" is the greatest pure heel that has ever come out of professional wrestling.
I'm sure more learned students of the history squared circle before the era I've been discussing could give me multiple lessons on this, so lets change that to, "My absolute favorite pure heel" and move on.
You know a gimmick is fantastic when, years later, your boss steals it almost completely.
The "Mr. McMahon" evil manager character when Vince injected himself and his family fully into the story lines was a more "real world" interpretation than the original.
Though Ted's version was much more over the top silly (and more importantly, he didn't actually have power over those he lorded over) and therefore, his was a greater source of fun.
Dibiase ticked all the normal bad guy boxes and then some.
One thing that made him such an irredeemable heel, was his obvious in ring competence. He had visible skills there. He wasn't out of shape, or contrarywise, a body builder with a personal training group. He had the classic, old school, tough guy, barrel chested form, as befitting a member of a multi generational wrestling family. (Son of wrestler Helen Hild and adopted by her husband "Iron Mike" Dibiase)
On the rare occasions he wasn't resorting to foreign objects, bribery, outside help, illegal blows, assisted holds, cowardly retreats, and bizarre rule modifications, he demonstrated real wrestling ability.
It was much easier to despise a man who clearly showed he didn't employ all those bad guy tactics because he needed them to win. He was rotten solely because he wanted to be. Even his finisher was offensive. After applying the "Million Dollar Dream" sleeper hold, he would stuff a wad of bills into his unconscious opponent's mouth.
While he could never have a face turn (and ya gotta love that purity of character) his supposed millions provided obvious, in-story reasons for many characters' heel turns. It also supplied reasons for other characters' face turns, because even the lowest of the low could become sick of his arrogance and attempts to buy them off, earning them cheers from any crowd.
Managers tended to be leaders of factions, but his impressive ability on the microphone coupled with his "funding" and evil laugh made him the natural leader whenever the bad guys assembled.
Aside- I 've always felt wrestling heels on the mike were like Disney villains in the parks. In both cases, the good guys can much more easily get by on looks alone, where the bad guys have to be good at talking and are therefore usually more impressive and well spoken. (And more fun!) Before performances were completely scripted, the heel usually called (controlled the flow of) the matches as well, requiring extra knowledge of both execution and ability.
As evidence of what a great actor he was, Ted is now a minister who has helped a bunch of other wrestlers find their way in the world after their careers on the canvas.
The fact that he could lose the belt in a match was just one of many insane aspects of the wrestling world that this character allowed for "reasons."
Another bit of loopy-ness was the rebranding of a former All American face into an ally of his. Barry Wyndam and Mike Rotonda (or Rotondo in New York) started in the WWF as the US Express. It was them, not Hulk Hogan that "Real American" was the entrance music for originally.
Aside- Most wrestlers have family connections, but Rotonda's are deeper than they look. Wyndam was Rotonda's brother-in-law, and Wyndam's dad was Blackjack Mulligan. Rontonda's sons are Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas. He also worked as an agent for the WWE until Covid reduced many a workforce.
Wyndam left the WWF, the song moved to Hogan, and after a bit of re-teaming "Mike Rotondo" vanished, but a new heel arrived.
Irwin R. Shyster (yes: I.R.S.) was an evil tax collector...who wrestled for...
"reasons."
He teamed up with The Million Dollar man as "Money Inc." You'd think the millionaire and the tax assessor would be natural enemies?
Then again, looking at the world today, having them both take advantage of the little guy may have been prophetic.
On to the actual moment.
Yes, it was scripted, and yes it was planned...
But it was beautifully executed.
It was going well until the fourteenth bounce. At that point, he kicked the ball out of the child's hands, yelled "You didn't get the job!" and let loose his booming laugh.
Though it was practiced, Ted going full bore startled little Sean and he ran back to his mother better than he did in rehearsals, cementing the heartless Million Dollar Man as the worst of the worst.
Yes, the kid did get the money anyway...there's no business like show business.
Even cooler, Ted Dibiase ran into Sean years later when he was managing a rental car place after attending college...
on a basketball scholarship.
Because sometimes real life writes more surprising storylines than the entire WWF creative team could ever think of.
Come back next week for what is probably the least famous,
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