Ted DiBiase Praises Bill Watts’ Unparalleled Psychology For The Wrestling Business

Ted DiBiase Sr. recently discussed various subjects on his “Everybody’s Got A Pod” show, including his time working for Bill Watts in Mid-South and the reputation Watts had as a tough figure in the industry.

Regarding Bill Watts, DiBiase acknowledged his intelligence and credited him with teaching him much of the psychology of the wrestling business. However, DiBiase also mentioned that Watts had his detractors, as some perceived him as a bully during a different era of wrestling. He said,

“Touche to Bill Watts for, you know, number one, having, I mean, and Bill is extremely intelligent. I mean, mm-hmm. My understanding of the psychology of our business. I learned most of it from Bill. I grew up in the business, but Bill was so good and so smart, and a lot of people didn’t like him. I mean, a lot of people didn’t like him, you know, said he was like a bully. Wrestling was a different, you know, animal back then. And the only thing I would’ve said, and I actually, I talked to Bill occasionally still. Now and then I’ll get on the phone with him or whatever, and, uh, he sends me like he sends me jokes. He, you know, he’ll text message me some jokes and stuff like that. But, you know, I told him one time, I said, you know what, Bill? I said, I appreciate all you did for me. I said, but, you know, you know, I just wish you’d have paid me better.”

DiBiase also praised Watts for his creative finishes, citing the example of the loaded glove technique, which could turn a match around and generate significant heat from the audience. He stated,

“The loaded glove. Bill was so smart. I mean, it’s kinda like Bill is so smart, you know, and he’d give two guys a finish and a lot of Bill’s finishes were very long. And I said, you could screw up the whole match, and if you got the finish right, the match would get over. When he laid this all down for us, that deal was there, right before where I took that bump over the top to the floor. Most guys wouldn’t just let the referee count but no dog gets out because, and they, and they covered it. Look at this. She’s helping his friend back up and Yeah. And back into the ring. And, then Right after he did that, I popped him. Oh, you talk about the heat. Oh my gosh.”

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