"I felt the pressure big time" - Ted DiBIase Jr. on living up to the legacy of his father

Ted DiBiase Jr. certainly felt the pressure of trying to follow in his father's footsteps.

It's difficult for many children to live up to the legacy of their parents. But when your dad is WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, that's quite the mountain to climb.

Ted DiBiase Jr. was the latest guest on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet to discuss his WWE career and what he's up to now. When asked if he felt expectations for him were higher due to sharing the name of his Hall of Fame father, DiBiase Jr. believes that there were.

“Personally I feel like they were, that’s a personal opinion," Ted DiBiase Jr. said. "But yeah you want to do justice to the legacy, when that torch is passed and you are trusted with the opportunity. The difference was my dad had I don’t know how many years in Mid-South and in the territories leading up to his career in WWF. Whereas for me, I trained for a year in Elden, had 4 months in Japan and when I get back WWE hires me. A year later I am debuting on TV. It’s about 2 years in the making and then here I am a WWE Superstar. And my dad introduces me May 26th 2008 I believe it was in Denver Colorado. I felt the pressure big time that night for sure.”

My interview with @TedDiBiase is up now! 🙌He talks about his decision to leave WWE in 2013, growing up as @MDMTedDiBiase’s son, being part of Legacy, whether or not he wants to make a return and more!🎧: https://t.co/bHmjx7fnV6📺: https://t.co/iYxEISBzA6 pic.twitter.com/tT9G1nj2L6

— Chris Van Vliet (@ChrisVanVliet) July 1, 2021

Ted DiBiase Jr. wanted to follow in his father's footsteps growing up

But following in his father's footsteps was something Ted DiBiase Jr. had wanted to do since he was a young child, comparing the men he watched his dad wrestle growing up, like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, to superheroes.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t," Ted DiBiase Jr. said. "There was a period where I just didn’t think it was gonna be a possibility. He was pretty adamant about us not wrestling. That was due to a lot of road life and his focus on having a family when he shifted out of the business. That focus on having a family became more his faith and became more important than being a global icon. But when you’re watching your dad wrestle Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant at Madison Square Garden, it’s like watching Batman and Superman go at it. Of course I wanted to be like him.”

Good times bro. Thanks again @ChrisVanVliet 🙏🏼 https://t.co/cY9mMItYHo

— Ted DiBiase Jr. (@TedDiBiase) July 1, 2021

Do you think there was too much pressure on Ted DiBiase Jr., given his father's legacy? Is there any way WWE could have handled things with him differently? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.