Also on the card, to the surprise of many…..was Ted DiBiase.  While DiBiase didn’t wrestle that night, he did interviews with Paul Boesch, and announced to the crowd that he had joined the WWF.  In Houston, because he had been a face for so long, the crowd cheered…despite the vignettes that would soon change his character.  DiBiase announced that he would return to the Sam Houston Coliseum in June to wrestle another newcomer to the WWF….the One Man Gang.   

Drawing on their past, DiBiase mentioned “unfinished business,” implying that the feud from the UWF would spill over into the WWF.  The match was a natural fit, and was a chance to have a semblance of storyline continuance from one ?WF to another ?WF!!   

On June 7, 1987, DiBiase wrestled the Gang in front of a disappointing crowd.  While he was having his vignettes aired as a heel, the crowd in Houston cheered DiBiase.  However, the result was familiar….the Gang was able to squeeze out a victory due to outside interference. ( this time by Outlaw Ron Bass)  This set up a return match for two weeks later, as on June 26, 1987, DiBiase would join forces with another WWF newcomer and ex-UWFer…Sam Houston.  DiBiase and Houston would wrestle Gang and Bass on the undercard of a Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala WWF title match. 

In that match, DiBiase would turn heel in Houston as he turned on his partner during the match.  While great as a babyface, DiBiase’s destiny was to be a heel.  His turn back to the “dark side” would lead to bigger and better things. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t personally comment on how expertly DiBiase’s situation in Houston was handled.  From day one in the WWF, DiBiase was meant to be a heel.  But with so much recent history as a face, it would be awfully hard to turn DiBiase in the eyes of the Houston fans.  Paul Boesch turned a potential lemon….into sweet tasting lemonade!!   

Fast Forward: 

DiBiase would make major waves in both Houston and the WWF in the months to come, beating Hogan by countout in Hogan’s first title defense against DiBiase in September 1987.  DiBiase also infuriated local Houstonians as he offered hundreds of dollars to local kids to bounce a basketball or do a series of push ups, only to cheat the kids out of their hard earned money!!  In late 1987, DiBiase announced that he would “buy” the WWF title from Hulk Hogan.  Hogan turned him down, and DiBiase turned to Andre the Giant.  He put the offer on the table:  If Andre were to win the WWF title from Hogan in an upcoming match on national television, he would sell the title to DiBiase.   

At the February 1988 “Main Event” on a Friday night, DiBiase came the closest he ever would to a world title as he “bought” the WWF title from Andre after the “evil twin referee” angle for a couple of days.  Then, “WWF President” Jack Tunney stripped DiBiase of the title; thereby setting up the WrestleMania 4 14 man title tournament.  DiBiase would face a familiar foe in the first round:  Hacksaw Duggan.  Thanks to timely interference from Andre the Giant, DiBiase defeated Duggan, and also garnered a win over Don Muraco on his way to the tourney final, losing to Randy Savage.  DiBiase vs. Savage rematches were the headline event for WWF house shows for the spring and summer of 1988, and DiBiase would headline the inaugural SummerSlam card with Andre vs. Hogan and Savage.  DiBiase remained a top level star for the WWF well into 1989. 

NEXT MONTH:  

A hot September night…with a tepid Sam Houston Coliseum crowd!!  We’ll take a look at why even though the action was hot, the crowd was cool, and how one wrestler’s life would change very shortly after this September card.