On a recent edition of his “Everybody’s Got A Pod” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. discussed his diet while wrestling the late Yokozuna, and more.
Yokozuna wrestled for WWF/WWE from 1992 to 1998. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his diet while wrestling: “I mean, and a lot of my eating, like I couldn’t eat anything after three o’clock in the afternoon, because if I did I’d be throwing up in a ring. So a lot of times I didn’t eat, I would eat quick-stop food, peanuts, beef jerky, whatever. But I drank a lot of beer. When I traveled with Dick Murdock, oh my gosh, unbelievable. I mean, he was such a great wrestler too. But he could drink that beer, man. It was kind of like, that was the thing is especially — again, territorial days, you know. Depending on the trip you’re gonna make, get to the town and everybody’s got a cooler in their car. You know, stop at the 7-11 or wherever you can get a case of beer, put it on ice, and it’ll be ready for the trip home, or the trip to the next town. There was a lot of drinking on the road, you know. Not necessarily for the driver, but everybody else in the car.
“One of my favorite meals, even to this day, is breakfast. You know, I like three eggs over easy, the hashbrowns and a double order of sausage or bacon or whatever, and toast. I love breakfast. Or something else easy, like hamburger steak. But you know again, at night after a wrestling show, you’re talking about, you’re getting out at 10:30, 11 o’clock. unless you stop like at a truck stop and go in and sit down and eat, and none of us ever did that. You would either eat when you got home or wait till the next day.”
On whether he was watching what he was eating while wrestling: “I didn’t even know what carbs and protein were. I started — gosh no, I mean, what was my diet? Oh, well, there is a lot of truck stop food. I love cheeseburgers. And of course, I love Tex-Mex. Man, I can eat Mexican food every day. I love it. Again, I grew up in the South and in Arizona.”
On Yokozuna: “Yokozuna was a very likable guy. Very likable guy. I can’t think of anybody that had any huge issues with Yokozuna. Just a very, very good guy. And you know again, for his size, he got around that ring pretty good. It’s kind of like, that was what what impressed me. For his size, his mobility was, I would say, much better than any other person I had ever seen. That was his biggest thing. He was really strong. I mean, he was obviously big and heavy. And Yokozuna — I mean, I compare that to like Sumo wrestlers. Sumo wrestlers, they train them from birth almost, I mean, from a very young age. And you know, they get real big but I tell you what, if you ever — you could probably make you could make football players out of Sumo wrestlers really easy. Because when they say go and they start pushing each other, it’s unreal. Anyway, good guy. I liked him very much.”
In a recent episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. shared some interesting insights about his time wrestling alongside the late Yokozuna. From discussing his diet to praising Yokozuna’s skills, DiBiase provided fans with a glimpse into the world of professional wrestling during that era.
DiBiase revealed that his diet while wrestling was quite restrictive. He mentioned that he couldn’t eat anything after three o’clock in the afternoon, as it would cause him to vomit in the ring. This limitation often led him to consume quick-stop food like peanuts and beef jerky. However, he did mention that he drank a lot of beer during his travels, especially when he was accompanied by fellow wrestler Dick Murdock. Drinking beer was a common practice among wrestlers during those territorial days, where they would stock up on cases of beer for the road trips.
When it came to meals, DiBiase expressed his love for breakfast. Even to this day, he enjoys three eggs over easy, hash browns, a double order of sausage or bacon, and toast. He also mentioned his fondness for hamburger steak. However, due to the late-night wrestling shows, he rarely had the opportunity to sit down and eat after a show. Instead, he would either eat when he got home or wait until the next day.
DiBiase admitted that he didn’t pay much attention to his diet during his wrestling days. He didn’t even know what carbs and protein were back then. He enjoyed truck stop food, especially cheeseburgers, and had a particular affinity for Tex-Mex cuisine. Growing up in the South and Arizona, he developed a love for Mexican food and could eat it every day.
When discussing Yokozuna, DiBiase had nothing but praise for the late wrestler. He described Yokozuna as a very likable guy who didn’t have any major issues with anyone. Despite his size, Yokozuna displayed impressive mobility in the ring, which impressed DiBiase. He compared Yokozuna’s agility to that of Sumo wrestlers, who are known for their strength and pushing power. DiBiase admired Yokozuna’s strength and considered him a good friend.
Overall, DiBiase’s podcast episode provided fans with an inside look at the wrestling world during his time and shed light on his experiences wrestling alongside Yokozuna. From discussing his diet and eating habits to praising Yokozuna’s skills, DiBiase’s anecdotes offered a unique perspective on the life of a professional wrestler.