Ted DiBiase accomplished a lot in his WWE Hall of Fame career, but that success came at a cost.
Speaking on a recent episode of Everybody’s Got A Pod, DiBiase opened up about the consequences of spending two decades in the world of professional wrestling, revealing that his memory is affected by what physicians call “severe brain trauma.”
“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.’ … I only wrestled maybe almost 20 years, so I’m not surprised I might have a little brain trauma. What it affects is my memory, and they say it’d be easier for [me] to remember something [I] did 40 or 50 years ago, but the short-term memory — some of the stuff like now — it’s bits and pieces.”
Elsewhere in the podcast, DiBiase detailed his decision to step away from in-ring competition, saying he retired earlier than many of his peers so that he could go on to have a long and comfortable life. The Million Dollar Man was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2010.
Ted DiBiase’s Family Is Involved In A Massive Welfare Scandal
Back in May of 2022, DiBiase and his sons Ted DiBiase Jr. and Brett DiBiase were among 38 names in a civil lawsuit seeking to reclaim a total of $24 million dollars which was meant to be used to tackle poverty in Mississippi. NFL legend Brett Favre was also listed among the names.
At the time, Brett DiBiase was the only one to face criminal charges and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in U.S. District Court earlier in 2023. Brett had already pleaded guilty to other charges related to the scandal back in late 2020.
On April 20th, the United States Department of Justice issued a press release stating that Ted DiBiase Jr. was officially being indicted with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and theft, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft, and four counts of money laundering due to his alleged involvement in the scandal. He could face decades in prison if convicted on all charges. DiBiase, Jr. was released from jail on bond on April 21st.
State officials say Ted DiBiase Sr. also received millions in TANF funds for his Christian ministry. However, officials have neither accused nor charged him with a crime.
h/t WrestlingInc