THE DIBIASE: The Tuxedo Collection of the Million Dollar Man
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
With the massive snowfall hitting the Northeast this past weekend, I’ve been sitting inside, trying to not go through “cabin fever”. To combat that, I went onto Netflix and began binge-watching one of my all-time favorite sitcoms: How I Met Your Mother.
To me, this might be the last great, classic sitcom in modern American television. Ted Mosby, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and Robin Scherbatsky are among four of the most popular television characters ever. The fifth might just be known as LEGEN…
Wait for it…
…DARY! Barney Stinson, of course.
Barney was the epitome of a bachelor. Great job (PLEASE), lots of money, fantastic apartment, awesome laser tag skills, and the ability & game to pick up any woman he wanted while upholding the “Bro Code”. He was the caricature of what men wanted to be like in New York City.
He also, at least for a short moment in time, owned the most expensive suit in the world.
In Season 6, Episode 12 (False Positive), Barney, after initially holding back, purchased a diamond pinstriped suit worth a massive amount of money. After Ted called out Barney’s selfishness on a night out, and called out any mugger to steal the trousers off Barney’s body, the suit was returned.
I can bring up this one point: how does this relate to wrestling?
Of course Craig Thomas and Carter Bays are wrestling fans. The name of the suit?
THE DIBIASE.
And that is where our story begins…
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I know many people see “the Nature Boy” Ric Flair as the most luxurious wrestler of all time. Limos, the finest apparel, Rolex watches, cars, bar bills and houses were all the Nature Boy talked about.
To me, there was no one who personified WEALTH than the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
He had the most perfect pompadour, the perfectly groomed beard, the cash to buy anything that he wanted. As Mr. DiBiase was oft to say, “Everybody has a price for the Million Dollar Man!”, followed by that bellowing, maniacal laugh.
Ted DiBiase also had the best tuxedos.
Every time he stepped foot into an arena, he always had the finest suits that he wore down to the ring or the interview podium. His aura was next level when he was wearing those tuxedos.
Ted Dibiase's fresh clothes were always memorable. But how many did we see on World Wrestling Federation television through the late 1980s and early 1990s?
After doing my research, I found all of them and am going to display them one-by-one.
The Black with Purple (September 1987)
For 1987, this tux was absolutely sharp. The dark purple with the black just showcased dominance. As for the casual WWF fan in the 1980s, it easily made the Million Dollar Man stand out, complete with dollar signs.
The Gray with Light Purple (Early 1988)
The peak of the early Million Dollar Man. Most notably worn for the time period when he “bought” the World Wrestling Federation Championship from Andre the Giant on The Main Event on February 5, 1988. This tux made DiBiase look more for a schemer than the one he wore on his debut.
The Green (Fall 1988)
It was bright, sparkly, and flat-out bombastic. Although it did not last long in DiBiase’s tuxedo repertoire, I will say that the green tuxedo was, by far, the best looking Hasbro figure he had, in my opinion. Plus, he “purchased” Hercules in that tux.
The Black and Gold (1989 through 1991)
This is the most recognizable design for the Million Dollar Man. Once he created the Million Dollar Championship, Mr. DiBiase wore this nonstop. Two WrestleManias, the war with Virgil, picking up Sensational Sherri, and countless promos and interviews.
The Black With Pink (1989)
This one is very rare. Doing my research of his different tuxedos, this one came up. Seeing the banner behind him, this looks like it came from 1989. I'd love to have seen this one more.
The Black with Gold Trim (1992-1993)
Around WrestleMania 8, DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster formed Money Incorporated. With the Million Dollar Championship no longer in the mix, the tuxedo became more streamlined. Black jacket with $$$ in gold was the order of the day. Less cartoony and more understated, yet still bad-ass.
The White with Gold (1992-1993)
For the big events, the Million Dollar Man started wearing the all-white tuxedo, as well as white trunks and boots. Those were saved for the big events in 1992 - SummerSlam and Survivor Series. However, although the all white gear disappeared, the tuxedo remained until his final days in the WWF at SummerSlam 1993.
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Once the Million Dollar Man retired as an in-ring competitor, gone were the tuxedos and thus began the simple suits. Although they looked great, they weren’t any of the classic Million Dollar Man tuxedos from years past. In a way, they were with the modern times.
To this day, I miss those wild suits of Mr. DiBiase. It really made him stand out. Hearing How I Met Your Mother honored the legacy of Million Dollar Man with THE DIBIASE years ago makes me think that I wasn’t the only one.
Dare I say, they were legendary.
Bankie Bruce
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