Mega Bucks
Encyclopedia
The Mega Bucks was a professional wrestling
tag team
that competed in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) in 1988. The team, consisting of "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
and André the Giant
, was formed in a storyline that saw DiBiase purchase André's contract from fellow manager
Bobby Heenan
. André was to win the WWF Championship
from Hulk Hogan
, but then he attempted to sell the belt to DiBiase. The title was vacated, but DiBiase and André were then scheduled to face Hogan and Randy Savage
in a match at SummerSlam 1988
, which Hogan and Savage won. After the match, DiBiase and André went their separate ways and the team was dissolved.
with Hulk Hogan. According to the storyline, André was tired of Hogan being the top wrestler in the WWF and was jealous of Hogan's reign as WWF Champion
. On an episode of Piper's Pit
, André turned on Hogan by attacking him and challenging him to a match for the championship. Hogan and André faced each other in the main event of WrestleMania III
on March 29, 1987. Hogan won the match, but the feud remained unsettled.
In November 1987, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase announced his intention to buy the WWF Championship
from reigning champion Hulk Hogan
. Hogan refused and faced DiBiase in a series of matches instead. After DiBiase lost these matches, he purchased the contract of André the Giant from Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
in January 1988. He planned to help André win the title, after which André would present the belt to DiBiase as a gift.
André faced Hogan for the title on the February 5, 1988 broadcast of The Main Event
, with Dave Hebner
as the scheduled referee
. André pinned Hogan to win the championship and handed the belt to DiBiase. The pinfall was controversial, however, as Hogan's shoulders were not on the mat when the referee made the three count. After the match, the real Dave Hebner, who looked identical to referee that had officiated the match, ran to the ring to attack the impostor referee. Hulk Hogan then threw the impostor out of the ring onto DiBiase and his bodyguard Virgil
. According to the storyline, DiBiase had paid an unnamed referee to get plastic surgery to look exactly like Dave Hebner. In reality, the second referee was Dave's twin brother Earl Hebner
, who was making his on-screen debut with the WWF.
declaring the WWF Championship vacant and booking a 14-man tournament at WrestleMania IV
to determine the new champion. In the tournament, André and Hogan were booked to face each other. Their match ended in a double disqualification, and both men were eliminated from the tournament. Meanwhile, André interfered in DiBiase's matches, which helped DiBiase make it to the final match, in which he faced "Macho Man" Randy Savage
. After André got involved to help DiBiase, Hogan came to the ring to even the odds. Savage won the match and the championship, and the rivalry led to a match being booked between The Mega Powers
(Hogan and Savage) and The Mega Bucks (DiBiase and André).
At the inaugural SummerSlam
, the two teams faced off. Jesse "The Body" Ventura
had been appointed as a supposedly impartial guest referee by Jack Tunney. It was strongly hinted leading up the event that Ventura, who provided commentary
for many WWF events and was a strong critic of Hulk Hogan, had been paid an undisclosed amount by DiBiase. Near the end of the SummerSlam match, Elizabeth, the manager of The Mega Powers, got involved to help her team. She stripped off her skirt to expose her skimpy panties to the stunned Mega Bucks, which allowed The Mega Powers to make a comeback and win the match. While counting the pinfall, Ventura stopped counting at two and hesitated until Savage pushed Ventura's hand to the mat to complete the three count.
, with the explanation that Heenan had quietly purchased his contract back at a large profit, and feuded with other upper-card wrestlers such as Savage and Jake Roberts
. Hogan and Savage continued to feud with DiBiase for the remainder of the year.
Although the tag team of The Mega Bucks was short-lived, DiBiase and André appeared in the 1989 Arcade game
WWF Superstars
as the game's boss
tag team.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
that competed in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) in 1988. The team, consisting of "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
and André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
, was formed in a storyline that saw DiBiase purchase André's contract from fellow manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
Bobby Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
. André was to win the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
from Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, but then he attempted to sell the belt to DiBiase. The title was vacated, but DiBiase and André were then scheduled to face Hogan and Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
in a match at SummerSlam 1988
SummerSlam (1988)
SummerSlam was the first annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was produced by the World Wrestling Federation and took place on August 29, 1988 in Madison Square Garden, located in New York, New York. The pay-per-view was created to help the company compete against rival...
, which Hogan and Savage won. After the match, DiBiase and André went their separate ways and the team was dissolved.
Formation
Prior to the formation of the team, André the Giant had been engaged in a feudFeud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Hulk Hogan. According to the storyline, André was tired of Hogan being the top wrestler in the WWF and was jealous of Hogan's reign as WWF Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. On an episode of Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions in 2003 - 2011....
, André turned on Hogan by attacking him and challenging him to a match for the championship. Hogan and André faced each other in the main event of WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
on March 29, 1987. Hogan won the match, but the feud remained unsettled.
In November 1987, "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase announced his intention to buy the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
from reigning champion Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. Hogan refused and faced DiBiase in a series of matches instead. After DiBiase lost these matches, he purchased the contract of André the Giant from Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
in January 1988. He planned to help André win the title, after which André would present the belt to DiBiase as a gift.
André faced Hogan for the title on the February 5, 1988 broadcast of The Main Event
WWF The Main Event
The Main Event was a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It was a spin-off of the show WWF Saturday Night's Main Event and occasionally aired on NBC on Friday nights. Only the first three The Main Event episodes were shown live on NBC. The final...
, with Dave Hebner
Dave Hebner
Dave Hebner is an American professional wrestling authority figure, promoter, road agent and referee.-Career:Hebner debuted as a professional wrestling referee in the late 1970s in the Richmond, Virginia area...
as the scheduled referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
. André pinned Hogan to win the championship and handed the belt to DiBiase. The pinfall was controversial, however, as Hogan's shoulders were not on the mat when the referee made the three count. After the match, the real Dave Hebner, who looked identical to referee that had officiated the match, ran to the ring to attack the impostor referee. Hulk Hogan then threw the impostor out of the ring onto DiBiase and his bodyguard Virgil
Mike Jones (wrestler)
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
. According to the storyline, DiBiase had paid an unnamed referee to get plastic surgery to look exactly like Dave Hebner. In reality, the second referee was Dave's twin brother Earl Hebner
Earl Hebner
Earl William Hebner is a professional wrestling referee currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the twin brother of Dave Hebner...
, who was making his on-screen debut with the WWF.
Feud with The Mega Powers
The controversy resulted in WWF President Jack TunneyJack Tunney
John "Jack" Tunney was a Canadian wrestling promoter. Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president, suspending wrestlers, stripping them of titles, and ordering matches...
declaring the WWF Championship vacant and booking a 14-man tournament at WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
to determine the new champion. In the tournament, André and Hogan were booked to face each other. Their match ended in a double disqualification, and both men were eliminated from the tournament. Meanwhile, André interfered in DiBiase's matches, which helped DiBiase make it to the final match, in which he faced "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
. After André got involved to help DiBiase, Hogan came to the ring to even the odds. Savage won the match and the championship, and the rivalry led to a match being booked between The Mega Powers
The Mega Powers
The Mega Powers were a tag team in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling . The Mega Powers consisted of Hulk Hogan, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage with Miss Elizabeth as their valet...
(Hogan and Savage) and The Mega Bucks (DiBiase and André).
At the inaugural SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1988)
SummerSlam was the first annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was produced by the World Wrestling Federation and took place on August 29, 1988 in Madison Square Garden, located in New York, New York. The pay-per-view was created to help the company compete against rival...
, the two teams faced off. Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
had been appointed as a supposedly impartial guest referee by Jack Tunney. It was strongly hinted leading up the event that Ventura, who provided commentary
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for many WWF events and was a strong critic of Hulk Hogan, had been paid an undisclosed amount by DiBiase. Near the end of the SummerSlam match, Elizabeth, the manager of The Mega Powers, got involved to help her team. She stripped off her skirt to expose her skimpy panties to the stunned Mega Bucks, which allowed The Mega Powers to make a comeback and win the match. While counting the pinfall, Ventura stopped counting at two and hesitated until Savage pushed Ventura's hand to the mat to complete the three count.
Aftermath
This match marked the end of the feud between Hulk Hogan and André The Giant that had dominated WWF programming for over 18 months. In the weeks after the match, André returned to The Heenan FamilyThe Heenan Family
The Heenan Family was a stable of heel wrestlers managed by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan beginning in the 1970s. Heenan managed wrestlers under the Heenan Family name in the American Wrestling Association , the National Wrestling Alliance's Georgia Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling...
, with the explanation that Heenan had quietly purchased his contract back at a large profit, and feuded with other upper-card wrestlers such as Savage and Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
. Hogan and Savage continued to feud with DiBiase for the remainder of the year.
Although the tag team of The Mega Bucks was short-lived, DiBiase and André appeared in the 1989 Arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars is an arcade game manufactured by Technos and released in 1989. It is the first WWF arcade game to be released. A series of unrelated games with the same title were released by LJN for the original Game Boy...
as the game's boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
tag team.
Championships and accomplishments
- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWF ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(1 time) - André
- WWF Championship