Back in the days when wrestling promotions were carved out of the country into small regional territories, appearances by the world champion were as scarce as common sense is on WWF television.  As mentioned in last week's column, an appearance by the world champion was treated as a major event with wrestlers fighting tooth and nail to get the opportunity to face off against the champion.  In the case of Ted DiBiase, his chance to wrestle for the most coveted prize in professional wrestling nearly cost him his career.

Bill Watts’ Mid South promotion had earned its reputation as one of the toughest promotions to wrestle in.  Watts, a former wrestler himself, assembled some of the toughest names in wrestling anywhere, men like “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Steve “Dr. Death Williams”, Ted DiBiase, and Dick Murdoch.  Mid South was light on pretty boys and heavy on brawlers and shooters who made up perhaps the roughest roster of wrestlers in the National Wrestling Alliance.  

Not surprisingly then, the chance to wrestle Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship did not come easy.  As was often the case in the territories, the area’s champion was the defacto number one contender.  Butch Reed held the North American Heavyweight Championship in Mid South and was named as Flair’s opponent.  Reed faced off against Flair in a non-title match and defeated the champion, angering “The Nature Boy”.

“The Nature Boy” wasn’t the only person who was angry.  Dick Murdoch was none too happy with the selection of Reed as the number one contender and he took out his frustration by beating Reed senseless.  As a result, Reed was out of the title hunt and a new number one contender had to be named.  The next week, Ted DiBiase was named as the new number one contender.  DiBiase, a much hated (but respected) heel had held the North American championship a record number of times. 

That week, Ric Flair (whose name was misspelled as “Rick Flair”) appeared on Mid South television to defend his world championship against DiBiase.  Before the match started, DiBiase was confronted by Dick Murdoch who told DiBiase to step aside and allow him to wrestle Flair (Murdoch had been one of the potential contenders who DiBiase had edged out to face Flair).  Murdoch told DiBiase to step aside and let him wrestle Flair.  Murdoch told DiBiase that it was he who had trained DiBiase and while DiBiase was a great wrestler, he was no Dick Murdoch.  DiBiase pointed out that no one held the North American title as many times as him (including Murdoch) and told Murdoch that he was yesterday’s news.   Stung by DiBiase’s words, Murdoch punched him but DiBiase struck back, clearing the ring of the would-be challenger as he turned his back on Ric Flair.

An opportunistic Ric Flair wasted no time and delivered a knee to DiBiase’s back, hurling him through the ropes and into the waiting hands of Dick Murdoch.  Murdoch grabbed DiBiase and launched his head into the unforgiving ring post.  DiBiase bounced off of the steel and hit the concrete floor hard.  When he turned over, the television camera caught the grisly sight of blood covering DiBiase’s face and body, the result of his collision with the steel post.

As Murdoch walked away from the slaughter, referees checked on DiBiase’s condition.  Ted’s tag team partner Steve Williams showed up and checked the condition of his friend.  A cocky Ric Flair told the fans at ringside that DiBiase had blown his opportunity and had his mind somewhere else when he should have been taking care of business.   Then, butchering the English language just as much as Murdoch had butchered DiBiase, ring announcer Boyd Pierce confirmed the Nature Boy’s message when he told the fans “I don’t guess there will be a title match…”

As was mentioned though, Mid South wrestlers were notorious for their tenacity.  During the break, Ted DiBiase had doctors apply a pressure bandage to his head and demanded that he be allowed to wrestle Ric Flair.  As DiBiase was tended to by doctors, “Cowboy” Bill Watts appeared on television and told the fans that despite his injuries, DiBiase was going to wrestle Flair.  DiBiase had waited a year for this shot, an opportunity that some wrestlers never get.  Injured or not, he was going to face off against Flair.  Watts warned fans that the match could be bloody and that the match would not be for the squeamish.

Once order was restored, DiBiase returned to the ring, his head heavily bandaged.  Ric Flair didn’t wait for DiBiase to get into the ring, attacking the challenger and trying to reopen his wounds.  Flair chopped away at DiBiase, sending him through the ropes and outside the ring to the site of the attack that nearly ended his title opportunity.  DiBiase was noticeably weakened by blood loss but he fought with the heart of a champion, knocking Flair down and giving Flair everything he had.  As the fans chanted DiBiase’s name, they wondered if it would be enough to beat “the Nature Boy”.  Flair knew DiBiase was injured and he capitalized on the injury, punching and tearing at the bandage until it fell off and the blood began to flow again.  By the late stages of the match, both Flair and DiBiase were covered in blood but the life giving fluid was all DiBiase’s.  Nevertheless, DiBiase fought back with the tide of the match turning back and forth.

Like Flair, DiBiase was a master of the figure four leglock.  When the opportunity came to apply the hold, DiBiase locked it in on Flair, hoping to get a submission victory over the world champion.  However Flair was close enough to the ring ropes to grab them and force the hold to be broken.  Realizing his mistake, DiBiase went to apply the figure four this time in the center of the ring but as he did, Flair kicked DiBiase knocking him outside of the ring.  Weakened by blood loss, DiBiase lay outside the ring as the referee counted him out.  Ric Flair raised his own hand in victory, another close but successful title defense.

Outside the ring, DiBiase hovered in and out of consciousness.  The match was over but further punishment awaited him.  Dick Murdoch walked over to DiBiase as the announcers wondered if DiBiase’s former teacher was coming over to congratulate him on a hard fought match.   Consolation was the furthest thing from Murdoch’s mind as he picked up DiBiase and beat him silly about the ring, capping the beating off by delivering a brainbuster to DiBiase on the concrete floor. 

That day, Ted DiBiase regained the cheers of the fans after displaying tremendous heart in his bid for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.  At the same time, Dick Murdoch earned the fans’ hatred for his loathsome display of envy.  While DiBiase’s bid for the gold was unsuccessful, it was truly memorable and a great moment in wrestling. 

Pictures: http://www.wrestleinfo.com/DiBiasechallengesFlair.html