The “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase is petitioning the WWE to recognize his ill-gotten world title reign, in which he bought the belt from Andre the Giant for cash.
WWE recognizing that change would strike down one of former WWF president Jack Tunney’s most infamous decisions while in office.
Fans may remember the brief run in 1988 where the Million Dollar Man tried to buy the belt from then-champion Hulk Hogan. When those attempts failed, DiBiase financed an elaborate scheme involving twin referees that allowed Andre the Giant to defeat Hogan for the title. Andre then sold the belt to DiBiase. President Tunney stripped DiBiase of the belt and declared it vacant.
The petition, setup through a simple form on DiBiase’s official website, comes on the heels of the Hall of Famer’s recent appearances on NXT television.
The Million Dollar Man and his sons, Ted Jr. and Brett, were in the news in 2020 when it was alleged that they fraudulently received over $4 million in welfare funds intended for the poor.
The #MakeItOfficial movement also comes at a time when a lot of fans are questioning Jack Tunney’s legacy as president of the promotion.
Follow @insidethepromo on twitter.Everyone’s got a price for the #MillionDollarMan, even @TheGiant46. In 1988, Andre helped me win the championship from @HulkHogan. @WWE doesn’t recognize this as an official title reign. With the help of the #WWEUniverse we can #MakeItOfficial. https://t.co/cQyGENynHs pic.twitter.com/mDSnbQRSh1
— Ted DiBiase (@MDMTedDiBiase) May 29, 2021
