Ted DiBiase Explains Etiquette for New Wrestlers Dealing With Veterans

On the latest episode of the Everybody’s Got a Pod, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase talked about proper etiquette for new guys with veterans, Rick Rude, and more. You can check out some highlights below:

Ted DiBiase on the etiquette for new guys using character or real names when speaking with veterans: “No, we’ll just call each other by name. And there was no — I mean, it wasn’t anything military or whatever. I just know this, that at least when I was there, kind of like the old school way. If you’re a rookie, if you’re the new kid on the block, so to speak, it’s basically, ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No, sir.’ And then that’s the other thing that young guys need to learn is that whether they realize it or not, everybody’s watching them to see what he’s made of. And how he is gonna — it’s kind of like, if you’re the new guy on the block, you don’t want to come in there and take somebody’s locker room space or whatever. We go to a lot, a lot of weekly towns, right? Everybody seems to have their spot, not all the time. And the one thing you damn sure wouldn’t want to do is move somebody’s stuff. If you’re young and you’re just starting, then you find that corner, get dressed, and don’t speak unless you’re spoken to.

“And that’s at the very beginning. That’s just kind of like, getting broken in. And guys would watch you and say, ‘Okay, now he was in the first match. Did he just get dressed and leave, or did he get dressed and go out to watch the other matches?’ Because if they know that you got dressed, and you went and you watched the other matches, that you’re actually trying to learn your trade. That you’re not just like, anxious to get in there and get out of there, because you’re on the first match, and make it to the bar before everybody.”

On Rick Rude: “I never got to know Rick real well. I mean, we were never bosom buddies. We didn’t call each other or whatever. But I mean, as the business goes and we’re on the road together, and we’re staying in the same hotels and stuff like that. And then, I’d see him at the show and then I would see him again at the hotel bar or whatever. Not a bad guy. I had no issues with him.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Everybody’s Got a Pod with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.