Promotion WWF/E Date retired November 15, 2010 Final champion(s) Ted DiBiase Jr. | Date established February 15, 1989 First champion(s) Ted DiBiase Most reigns Ted DiBiase (3) | |
The Million Dollar Championship was an unsanctioned professional wrestling championship in WWE (formerly the World Wrestling Federation) created for The "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. The Million Dollar belt was designed by Terry Betteridge of Betteridge Jewelers in Greenwich, Connecticut. It is gold plated, made with cubic zirconia, with three small diamonds on the back. It cost around $125,000.
History
Ted DiBiase was unable to win the WWF Championship, having lost the final match of the WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV to "Macho Man" Randy Savage. During the Summer of 1988 DiBiase teamed with André the Giant, in a team known as "The Mega Bucks", while chasing the WWF Championship.
A frustrated DiBiase decided that if he couldn't win or buy the WWF Championship he would purchase his own championship belt. In 1989, DiBiase unveiled a new championship belt, which he called the Million Dollar Championship. This belt never was officially sanctioned by the WWF, and DiBiase would rarely put his "title" on the line in matches.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts stole the belt during their feud in early 1990. This also led to a face turn for the Big Boss Man who resented his manager Slick selling his services to DiBiase in order to retrieve the belt from Roberts. After attacking Jake and stealing the bag containing the belt and Roberts's pet python, Damien, DiBiase, the Boss Man and Slick headed for The Brother Love Show where DiBiase bragged about buying the Boss Man's services. The Boss Man then told both Slick and DiBiase that he couldn't be bought and immediately returned the bag to Roberts, who had been left handcuffed to the ring ropes. The Boss Man then released Roberts, walked back to the Brother Love set, pushed Slick, and again told an irate Million Dollar Man that he couldn't be bought before walking off to the cheers of the crowd, cementing his face turn. DiBiase had his bodyguard Virgil get the belt back from Roberts back at WrestleMania VI after Jake was counted out during their match at the SkyDome.
In 1991, DiBiase's bodyguard Virgil rebelled against his master, turned face and trained with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to face DiBiase at SummerSlam for the Million Dollar Championship. Virgil won the match, making him the only wrestler to win the belt in the ring. However, DiBiase regained the belt with the help of Repo Man at Survivor Series Showdown. When DiBiase and IRS won the WWF Tag Team Championship on February 7, 1992, DiBiase abandoned the Million Dollar belt.
Ted DiBiase would later go on to award the belt to his newest protégé, The Ringmaster, on his arrival in the WWF in early 1996. After his protégé lost a match against Savio Vega on May 28, 1996, DiBiase was (kayfabe) forced to leave the WWF.
After a 13-year absence, the belt reappeared on WWE television in 2009 when DiBiase, the guest host of the night, appeared on the July 6 episode Raw, carrying the Million Dollar Championship as he carried out his duties. Nearly a year later, when DiBiase was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010, he had the Million Dollar belt with him, saying he "never leave[s] home without it". On April 5, DiBiase's son, Ted DiBiase Jr., after disbanding the tag team Legacy, came out holding the championship belt, claiming his father had given it to him. WWE's official website confirmed the reactivation of the unsanctioned belt under DiBiase Jr.'s profile. On the October 4 episode of Raw, Goldust attacked DiBiase Jr. and gained possession of the championship. On the November 8 episode of Raw, Goldust's own wife Aksana stole the Million Dollar Championship from him. On the November 15 edition of Raw, Goldust stole the belt back and returned it to DiBiase, Sr., who then offered to return it to his son, who rejected the offer.