Well, here we are now; with DiBiase finally out on his own. And he may not have the signature laugh, but he's got his pop's famed "Million Dollar Belt" and has debuted a new persona based on the one that made his dad so legendary; a cocky millionaire with bottomless pockets and distain for the competition. Of course, not everything about DiBiase is the same. He's not a carbon-copy and he doesn't want to be. We had a chance to speak with DiBiase again and ask him about his Over the Limit PPV match, the million dollar belt, and his reunion with Virgil!
IGN TV: What was it like to reunite with Virgil on Raw this past week?
Ted DiBiase: [laughs] That was really cool. It was a big surprise and I don't think anyone expected it. Me walking out there and then just turning around with a smile and there's Virgil. The guy who used to pick me up from school. The guy I used to monkey around with and jump on. I guess he's kind of gotten smaller in his older age, but I used to grab onto his arms –he had these huge pipes, you know, these 24-inch arms back in the day and he'd just lift me up off the ground. I'd make him do it all the time. I used to bug the crap out of that guy. And now he's carrying around the belt, pulling the ropes down, opening doors and carrying my bags. It's a great feeling.
IGN: Backtracking a bit…how does it feel to be carrying around your dad's Million Dollar Belt?
DiBiase: It's fun. It's a good feeling. It was a nice gesture by the old man to let me take it over. And unleashing the trust fund was even better. Because now I can do a lot of things that most people can't. But that belt is special. It's got a lot of history and it definitely deserves to be viewed by the fans. A whether you say you're a fan of it or not, everyone likes to see it.
IGN: Do you ever worry about the line between paying homage to your father and being your own man and doing your own thing?
DiBiase: No, I'm not worried at all. My dad was who he was and I am who I am. This is just me being me. Life gives you lemons and you make lemonade. This is who I am. I'm a DiBiase. I didn't ask for it, but this is who I'll be. The biggest differences between me and my dad is, well, A: I think I'm more talented than he was and B; I'm definitely better looking than my dad was. And on top of that, I'm a movie star. He never made a movie so I've got one up on him already. So, I'm not worried because I think my actions will speak louder than words and I'll start this Sunday, at Over the Limit, when I beat R-Truth.
IGN: This is your first singles Pay Per View match ever, is that right?
DiBiase: Yes, it is. It feels really good. I had a good run with Cody Rhodes and I wish him all the best on Smackdown. We had a great tag team and I learned a lot and it was fine while it lasted, but it was time. It's great to be on my own and forging my own career now. I'm excited.
More from Ted DiBiase on page 2...
IGN: What do you think about the WWE's recent retooling of their Pay Per View schedule? They've renamed some shows and created some others.
DiBiase: You know, it's nothing new to be honest with you. It's change. And that's the only thing that stays constant. Change. Over the years they continue to change things. It's just keeping things fresh. I like it. I think it will draw people in and I think it will create new avenues. New matches. I'm very excited to see the "I Quit" match between Batista and John Cena. There's also a "Hair vs. Pledge" match between Punk and Mysterio. So there are always new avenues.
IGN: Would you do another movie if you had the chance?
DiBiase: Absolutely. Man, that was a lot of fun. The Marine 2 was very successful and hopefully they're smart enough to know that I can do this and get to do some more.
IGN: How about smaller roles on some USA shows?
DiBiase: I'd like to. That would be a lot of fun. I mean the Marine role just landed in my lap – the lead role in my own movie. Doing some of the smaller things would be nice. You learn so much when you're on the set. I'd love to do one with people who work on TV shows week after week. It would be a lot of fun. And I've heard from some of the guys who've done it that it's a lot of fun. We've got a good partnership with USA, so hopefully some opportunities will come up.
IGN: Considering the work that you guys do week in and week out, do you think that wrestlers are under-estimated as actors?
DiBiase: Definitely. And that's what I think is great about the celebrity guest stuff that we've been doing on RAW. Because so many actors have come in and just been blown away by what we do. Because it's live. There are no second takes and what you see is what you get. It prepares you. We get stereotyped as meathead that run around and fight each other in our underwear. But we've got a lot of talented guys who, when given the opportunity, have come through. So I think you'll see a lot more WWE stars on the big screen. And WWE Studios is spitting out movies left and right. I think we've got, on the schedule, 6 or 7 this year. We've got a new guy, Mike Pavone, heading up WWE Studios and he's just doing a great job. He's got a great vision of how it should be run.
WWE's Over the Limit PPV airs this Sunday, May 23rd, and features John Cena vs. Batista in an "I Quit" match, Edge vs. Randy Orton and Ted DiBiase vs R-Truth!
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