Ted DiBiase wasn't supposed to be as involved with NXT TV as he eventually became.
In late April 2021, the WWE Hall of Famer began appearing on NXT as part of a storyline where he was constantly one-upping the recently wealthy Cameron Grimes. Speaking with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, The Million Dollar Man revealed that what started out as a four-week gig turned into four months, instead.
"Well, Cameron Grimes, who in real life apparently does invest in the stock market and apparently he’s done very well. So, they just played off of that," DiBiase began by saying. "They said, ‘Let’s just create a story. GameStop goes through the roof and he becomes this multi-millionaire over night and starts trying to be like me.’ But, storyline-wise, not doing a very good job of it. So, the first few weeks they just brought me in and each time I would one-up him. One of them was we would go in a jewelry store. He’d buy this really nice Rolex watch, right? I come up behind him and go, ‘Not a bad watch, kid,’ but then I hold up this diamond bevelled watch and go, ‘But it’s not a million-dollar watch.’ He goes berserk and I walk out the door. But when we first started it, I think I was gonna be there for four weeks or something. It just kept building, well let’s bring back the Million Dollar belt."
Over the next couple of months, DiBiase kept getting the better of Grimes, even siding with his rival, L.A. Knight. Grimes and Knight fought for the Million Dollar Championship at NXT TakeOver: In Your House with L.A. coming out on top. On June 15, just two days later, however, Knight turned on DiBiase.
Not looking for an easy way out of the attack, DiBiase shared how he made sure that he was taking the bumps and putting everything he had into them. Here were his full remarks:
"It’d been a long time and they didn’t want me to do that. The two bodyguards so-to-speak guarding the belt, they said, ‘You can fall back into their arms and they’ll catch you.’ I said, ‘Nuh-uh. I’m gonna do what I’ve done all my life, probably twenty to thirty times a night. The ring is a very good ring, I’m just gonna take the bump.’ But, I made sure I did it. I put everything I had into it. It’s kind of like the old man going, ‘I’m gonna show these old whippersnappers how you do it.’"
Two months later at NXT TakeOver 36, Grimes challenged for the Million Dollar belt with the stipulation that DiBiase would become Knight's butler if he lost. Thankfully for the Million Dollar Man, Grimes was victorious, ensuring DiBiase could continue living his life of luxury.
Fightful provides live coverage of NXT every Tuesday night beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
