Vince McMahon is a known workaholic and there are a lot of stories about how the retired wrestling promoter almost never went to sleep. Former WWE employee Teddy Long got to experience the boss’ relentless routine firsthand on multiple occasions while working in the company.
The former WWE Chairman was recently spotted at the Superbowl event alongside his son Shane McMahon and The Undertaker. A lot of people noted that McMahon looked to be in good shape physically despite his age.
Teddy Long talked about this Vince sighting in a new WrestleBinge video. Recalling his time as the SmackDown General Manager, the former WWE official discussed how Mr. McMahon went to gym at crazy times:
“Well, one thing about Vince, and I know this for a fact, he stays in the gym. Okay? I’ll tell you a story about Vince maybe you guys don’t even know. Sometimes at night after he would leave the TV, which means around midnight, 1 o’clock, he would fly his plane into the next town. And when they got into that town, it may have been 2 o’clock or 2:30 in the morning.
Vince got right out of that plane, got with his trainer [who] was already in the town and made arrangements to get the gym open. So when Vince landed, he got off that plane at 2:30 in the morning, got with his trainer, picked him up and they went straight to the gym. That’s where he went. The next morning, he would get up, he would go back to the hotel, he didn’t sleep. Next morning, he would get up, be the first one at TV.”
When asked if he ever saw Vince McMahon taking a nap backstage, Teddy Long replied negatively. He then discussed how the former WWE executive not only never seemed to rest himself but he hated seeing others sleep as well:
“I remember one time at WrestleMania, I know I left him at the Hall of Fame. He was the last one there. This was 2 o’clock in the morning, we got out of there like real late one time.
The next morning about 9 o’clock we had to be back and the first person I see is Vince. So I waited to see if he was in a good mood and everything. So he spoke to me that let me know he’s in a good mood and I asked him, I said, “Have you been to sleep?” And he said to me that sleep was his enemy. Michael Cole told me one time.
I was on Vince’s plane and Michael Cole sat right next to me and he told me ‘Do not go to sleep on this plane unless Vince goes to sleep.’ One time they went overseas and they went with Big Show. Big Show went to sleep after they took this water bed off the plane. They put it wherever they landed, they put it somewhere. Big Show got on the water bed and went to sleep. Well, Vince came by, seen him, stuck a hole in it, let all the water out.”
MLW Battle Riot VI featured a surprise appearance by wrestling legends Mark Henry and Teddy Long.
The two WWE Hall of Famers surprised fans as they oversaw the Ritual Combat match between Alex Kane and AJ Francis, seated beside the victor’s throne. Their appearances were not promoted for the show, but there are also a few surprises for MLW fans on the show.
Recently, Long appeared on WWE television during the 2024 draft as he took part in announcing a round of picks for the SmackDown brand. Mark Henry’s contract with AEW expired in May.
Other Possible MLW Surprises
Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select reported that WWE Superstar Xavier Woods and former TNA producer David Sahadi were backstage.
The Battle Riot match included notable names like Paul Walter Hauser, Violent J, and Chris Danger. Additional surprises were anticipated during the show, so keep checking back for more updates.
MLW Changing Pay-Per-View System
During Battle Riot, Major League Wrestling announced that its pay-per-view events will move to YouTube for MLW Members. This change marks the end of MLW’s partnership with Triller TV, which began airing MLW events in May 2023.
Upcoming MLW pay-per-views include:
MLW Blood And Thunder on July 29 in Tampa, FL
MLW Summer of the Beasts on August 29 in New York City, NY
MLW Fightland on September 14 in Atlanta, GA
You can find our full results for the MLW Battle Riot event here. There was certainly a lot to unpack when the show was over.
Teddy Long started off as a referee, but later became a manager and eventually the most popular SmackDown general manager of all time. During his tenure, he had fellow WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker on his roster and an unofficial catchphrase became Long booking talent in bouts against ‘The Deadman.’
Long revealed on “Insight” with Chris Van Vliet that the bit became so familiar after he recalled a time when Vince McMahon wanted his daughter Stephanie to put more of an emphasis on a star’s name. Long was sure to do that for Taker.
“Vince gave me free reign to say what I wanted to say. But he knew I was gonna say nothing that would get the company in trouble. They’d write stuff. I just add my stuff to it.”
Teddy Long also got “playa” over in WWE and origins of that were even more unexpected.
Long was asked where “playa” came from and instead of it just being a simple term to use, Long made it known “playa” first made its presence by having a dog in the household.
“I had a labrador retriever, his name was Boss. I got him as a puppy but as he got bigger and bigger and started getting in the way. So every time, I’m like ‘Come on Playa. Get out of the way Playa, move.’ I’m just talking to him and one night I went to TV I started using slang, calling people Playa, that’s how I got the Playa started.”
Please credit Insight and h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
Teddy Long may have been part of the wrestling business for decades, but some of his most signature traits came from outside of the industry.
During his time as SmackDown’s General Manager, Long would often dance to his theme song which was first used by Rodney Mack, a Superstar Long once managed. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Long shared how his dance came about.
“My grandson, he’s 19 now. Well when he was two years old, we were trying to learn him how to walk. So we bought this walker that we put him in… Every time we put him in this walker, all he would do would bop up and down like that. So I went to TV one night and they’re playing my music but I was just thinking about him. So I was having fun and just started doing the dance.
“One night, I got ready to walk out, and just as I got to the curtain, Vince is standing up. He’s yelling ‘DO THAT DANCE!’ What dance? And he starts doing it! And that’s how the dance started.”
Long’s dance was a hit with the WWE Universe.
Long’s signature dance would often be accompanied by him announcing some match or telling a wrestler ‘Let me tell you something playa.’ In the interview, Long explained how it wasn’t his grandson, but his dog that inspired his signature ‘playa.’
“I had a golden retriever, his name was Boss. I got him as a puppy but as he got bigger and bigger, Boss started getting in the way. So every time, I’m like ‘Come on Playa. Get out of the way Playa.’ I’m just talking to him and one night I went to TV I started using slang, calling people playa.”
Long is no longer a regular on WWE TV but is always met with cheers during appearances on programming. Whenever he does appear, odds are you’ll hear a ‘Playa’ or two and see his dance, a testament to how popular these parts of his character have become.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
John Laurinaitis’ name was featured in mainstream stories as Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE also included his name as a defendant. Now, more are speaking out about his negative influence on the pro wrestling business.
Teddy Long openly criticized Johnny Ace in response to comments made by Rousey about him. Long expressed that he no longer restrains his opinions about Laurinaitis, calling him one of the worst individuals and accusing him of racial discrimination.
Teddy Long Blasts John Laurinaitis
We previously reported how John Laurinaitis was recently buried by Ronda Rousey, as she called him a dirt bag. WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long happens to agree with Rousey, and he would also throw racist on the accusations as well.
During Wrestle Binge, Teddy Long unloaded on Johnny Ace after Rousey’s comments about him came up in the conversation. Long said that he’s not holding his words back when it comes to Laurinaitis any longer.
I don’t hold my tongue back on John Laurinaitis. One of the worst pieces of sh*t on this planet, and you can do what you want to to me, you can sue me all you want to, ain’t nothing you’re gonna get except ‘holla, holla, holla.’ He is a man who is going to stop me from making a living because of the color of my skin — not because I’m not doing my job. So, you’re gonna tell me that I did my job, the face of that TV for nine years and you’re gonna … you know what I’m saying? Lemme stop.”
In the lawsuit, McMahon is accused of instructing Grant to create “explicit content” for Laurinaitis, who was WWE head of talent relations at the time. Grant was later moved to the talent relations department, with both McMahon and Laurinaitis expecting her to engage with Laurinaitis sexually, both physically and through explicit content.
The suit also alleges that Grant was sexually assaulted by McMahon and Laurinaitis in June 2021 inside Laurinaitis’ office at WWE headquarters while colleagues were present. They allegedly cornered her, took turns restraining her, forced themselves on her, and ignored her pleas to stop.
SEScoops will continue covering this story, and so much more. Please keep checking back throughout the day for more headlines that you need.
Teddy Long believes that Cody Rhodes has the ability to outshine someone like John Cena any day.
The WWE Hall Of Famer recently took part in an interview with Sportskeeda’s Riju Dasgupta, where he was asked about Cody Rhodes and his current rise to the top of the WWE card since making his return.
Long had nothing but praise for “The American Nightmare,” going as far as saying that Rhodes could outshine WWE legend John Cena “any day.”
“In my opinion, I think Cody Rhodes can certainly outshine John Cena any day. He’s a great competitor. I’ve known Cody Rhodes since he was a little bitty boy playing on the softball team.
“His father, Dusty Rhodes, God rest his soul, gave me my first job, so I never will forget that, but Cody Rhodes, I guarantee you, will outshine John Cena any day.”
Rhodes has certainly had a tremendous run since returning to WWE. He made a surprise return to the company last year at WrestleMania, being revealed as Seth Rollins’ surprise opponent at the event.
This marked the beginning of a tremendous rivalry between the pair, which ultimately ended with a pectoral injury for Rhodes that forced him to be sidelined for the next several months.
Rhodes made his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble last month, winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match and punching his ticket to the WrestleMania 39 main event.
Now, he’s slated to headline the card against Roman Reigns, challenging for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. If he wins, he’ll be the first of his family to win a WWE World Title.
Teddy Long is best known to WWE fans as the former General Manager of SmackDown (more specifically, booking tag team matches and making people go one-on-one with the Undertaker).
Prior to his memorable role as the SmackDown GM, Long worked as a referee and also guided several wrestlers as a manager, including Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed), The Skyscrapers (Sid Vicious, “Mean” Mark Callous and Butch Reed), 2 Cold Scorpio, Marcus “Buff” Bagwell and many more.
Teddy Long & The Street Profits
During a recent interview with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda for WrestleBinge, Long was asked a hypothetical question about current WWE act(s) he’d want to manage.
Long said, if he were to manage anybody, he thinks he’d probably choose a tag team. He then named multi-time tag team champions, The Street Profits.
“I like them, I watch them,” he said. “You know they are good, they are good in the ring. Their mic skills are good. You know they are a couple of nice guys. I had a chance to meet them. So Street Profits are the guys I’d like to be with.”
WWE’s roster is loaded with talented performers, but the Street Profits are a great pick. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are one of the biggest success stories to come out of NXT over the past several years. Ford in particular is seen as having tremendous upside and will likely branch out on his own as a singles act in the future. He had an impressive showing over the weekend in the men’s Elimination Chamber match.
Has Randy Orton’s incredible professional wrestling career come to an unfortunate end?
That’s certainly what some people believe, with the Viper spending most of this year out with a back injury suffered in May.
Orton’s most recent match saw him and Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos in the title-unification match with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Listen to the Experts
When Orton was moved to SmackDown in 2005, he worked with Teddy Long, the on-screen general manager of the blue brand.
Orton would work with Long again when he was redrafted to SmackDown in 2011.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Long discussed Orton’s future, calling the former WWE World Champion a good friend of his.
“Randy Orton, a great friend of mine, too, had a lot of great times with him there. I just hope Randy makes the right decision, you know. There are people like Edge, Kurt Angle, that said [sic] they wouldn’t come back once they found out they had injuries and the doctors told them it’d be dangerous for them to return to the ring.”
Later in the interview, Long again expressed the importance of listening to medical experts.
“I just hope Randy does the right thing. If the doctors tell you to stay out of the ring, I suggest you stay out of the ring.”
Teddy Long.
Original Plans
Orton’s injury is much worse than what WWE had first feared, and there had been plans for the Legend Killer to have returned by now.
In June, it was reported that the company’s plan for Summerslam would have seen Orton challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Of course, that didn’t happen, and Reigns instead faced Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match, promoted as the final collision between the two.
WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long seemingly went on a blocking spree this weekend that included some of today’s most popular wrestlers.
It went viral, with AEW and WWE stars tweeting out images of being blocked by the 75-year-old. Today, the former SmackDown GM let everyone know that his account was hacked and he did not go on a blocking spree on Twitter.
Teddy stated that his account may have been hacked by someone he actually did block recently. The WWE legend added that he will be appearing on a couple of podcasts in the near future to discuss what happened in more detail.
Here are Teddy’s comments and you can check them out in the video below.
“Hey what’s up playas, It is WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long. I just wanted to get on here this morning and let everybody know, I’m right here at LA Fitness, my second home. Somebody hacked my Twitter account and I have no idea who it was.
I think it was somebody that I blocked that was mad that I blocked them. And then they wanted to hack my sh*t and block everybody else. Well I want to thank them because the first thing they did was to get me trending.
This is like the third time I’ve ever been trending so that tells me ‘Teddy Long, you still got it.’ But let me explain this to you playas, I didn’t block anybody. That person that hacked me, I might have blocked him and you can see why I blocked him.
My Twitter is verified, I didn’t block anybody. So I don’t want you all mad at me and maybe next week we will talk further about this. I’ll be doing maybe a couple of podcasts and we will be talking more about it. But I didn’t block anybody, just letting you all know my Twitter was hacked. Playas, I love all of y’all.”
Teddy Long has apparently gone on a blocking spree on Twitter that involves some of today’s most popular stars in WWE & AEW.
Teddy Long debuted in WWF in 1998 as a referee before becoming a manager for the promotion. In 2004, Teddy replaced Kurt Angle as the general manager of SmackDown and held that role until 2012. Long was made “senior advisor” to SmackDown GM Booker T before being released from the company in 2014. He has made occasion cameos for the company and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
Former WWE personality Renee Young (Renee Paquette) posted a screen shot of her being blocked on social media and a bunch of other stars noticed they suffered the same on Twitter.
One-half of AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed, Anthony Bowens, also revealed that he’s no longer welcome on the former SmackDown GM’s profile. His teammate, Max Caster, is not blocked by Teddy.
Former WWE and Impact referee Brian Hebner responded to Brandi Lauren and said that the 75-year-old was indeed hacked because he is blocked despite being his “homie”.
Guys relax. His shot got hacked. I’m blocked too. And he is my Homie.
Guys relax. His shot got hacked. I’m blocked too. And he is my Homie. https://t.co/F5OeBRw4Kr
Long was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics, including the time he got taken to wrestler’s court.
The former GM notes he was taken to court for selling viagra to the boys. For those unfamiliar with wrestler’s court, it was how the locker room would police each other when mistakes were made behind-the-scenes.
The Undertaker served as the judge, and those accused would get lawyers. In this case, Long’s lawyer was none other than Mae Young.
Long was ultimately found guilty and his punishment was to buy buckets of chicken and beer for Undertaker, Bradshaw (JBL), and some of the other boys for two weeks.
“They took me to Wrestler’s Court for selling viagra, so I had to get a lawyer” Long said. “So the lawyer I got was Mae Young. I tell Mae Young the whole story.
“We went into wrestler’s court and the first thing she said everybody popped. She said, ‘Well, I want you guys to know Teddy Long is not guilty of selling that Niagra.’
“She couldn’t say it right, so she called it Niagra! That was a great day, but I still was found guilty, so I had to buy buckets of chicken and beer for about two weeks for Bradshaw, ‘Taker, and some more of the boys.”
The concept of wrestler’s court has been pretty hit or miss with talents over the years. For example, CM Punk once called it “the most insecure small dick energy average white man embarrassment to the wrestling business s–t of all time.”
However, Teddy Long did not share those sentiments. Long said he loved wrestlers court and believes the locker room needed something like that to keep things in line and entertain themselves.
“I loved it,” Long said. ‘Taker was the judge … we needed stuff like that, we needed our own thing to do. We entertained the people all the time, so now let’s entertain ourselves!
“So I loved Wrestler’s Court, especially when I wasn’t the guy on trial … It didn’t bother me at all, but that was just something that we did and all the boys loved it.”
Long-time WWE on-screen personality Teddy Long has said he was told by a drunk representative of Jakks Pacific that there would be no more action figures for him.
Despite not being a wrestler, Long would be immortalized in plastic multiple times, including in a two-pack with Rey Mysterio in the Jakks Pacific ‘Adrenaline 13’ wave of toys.
Speaking to Wrestling Inc, Long recalled being told that no more figures would be made of him by Jakks Pacific.
“One night at one of the WrestleMania parties, the guy from Jakks Pacific, he comes up to me, he’d been drinking a while and he said, ‘Well, won’t be seeing no more action figures of you, Teddy Long, we’ve been told not to make any more action figures.’ I guess the alcohol told him to tell me that.”
WWE’s working relationship with Jakks ended in late 2009 and veteran-toy manufacturer Mattel has been making WWE action figures ever since.
Teddy Long in WWE
Joining the then-WWF in 1998 after over a decade with Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW, Long was originally a referee but became a manager years later.
In 2004, Teddy was announced as the General Manager of SmackDown and would also serve as General Manager of ECW from 2008 to 2009.
Long last appeared in WWE in May 2021 during a throwback edition of SmackDown.
The Chris Benoit tragedy shook the whole wrestling world and it also forced WWE to change their planned storylines for the weeks after the incident. One such thing that the company had planned was the funeral of Vince McMahon after the Boss was involved in a limo accident the previous week on Raw.
Former SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long, who was present backstage for the episode when the news broke, talked about the night during his recent interview with WrestlingInc. Long first discussed being backstage at the show and recalling the change of plans that night, the former WWE referee said that it was unreal:
“We were in Corpus Christi, Texas and were getting ready to do TV. That Corpus Christi TV was the day we were gonna have Vince McMahon’s funeral. They had the coffin and everything there and that’s when Vince came and broke the news to us and that’s why we weren’t able to do the Vince McMahon funeral. That was unreal man.”
Long also talked about Chris and said that he was such a nice guy that you would never believe something like that would have went down. According to the former WWE employee, Chris was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back and his wife Nancy was the same.
Apart from this, Teddy Long talked about things like his first introduction to Chris Benoit and Nancy, Nancy’s early days in the wrestling world when she managed Butch Reed and Ron Simmons and more. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.
Former SmackDown Live General Manager Teddy Long recently spoke to WrestlingInc and discussed a number of wrestling-related topics.
Long originally joined WWE as a referee and he also managed a number of superstars during his run with the promotion. However probably his most notable role with the company was being the General Manager of SmackDown Live.
During the interview, Long talked about the Blue Branded Show moving to Fox Network and said that it’s a great move which is going to expand SmackDown Live:
“It’s huge; it’s a great move for SmackDown. It’s
certainly gonna expand the SmackDown brand and it’s gonna do a lot for the WWE.
I’m real excited about it and I can’t wait and I know the WWE Universe can’t wait
to tune into the FOX Network for SmackDown Live playa.”
The former SmackDown General Manager also talked about the competition between the upstart promotion AEW and WWE saying that WWE will always be his home.
However, he went on to claim that it’s always good to have
competition and so he wishes much love and success to AEW, ROH and all the
other guys out there.
Apart from this, Teddy Long also explained what it takes to become a good manager and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
While Teddy Long played a number of roles in his long career
such as a referee and manager, the casual WWE fans remember him for his 2
reigns as the General Manager of SmackDown Live.
During a recent interview with WrestlingInc over the WrestleMania weekend, Long talked about a number of things including being around for the Show of Shows and more.
While talking about his role as the General Manager for one
of WWE’s two top shows, the former WCW Star claimed that the most challenging
part of it was to make the fans happy:
“Well, the challenging part is to make sure the fans
are happy, that’s what I did, regardless of whether the wrestlers liked it or
not, if that fans wanted it then that’s how it gonna be. So, the challenging
part is for me to have all that power and I’d never been in a position like
that, never in my life.”
Continuing on the topic, Teddy said that it was a blessing from God and Vince McMahon that they believed in him. He said to himself that he can’t let this man down and more importantly he can’t let the fans down.
So he gave them what they wanted and he is going to keep on giving what the fans want as long as he is standing. You can check out the full interview of Teddy Long in the video below:
On Tuesday’s edition of SmackDown Live, WWE confirmed several more legends that will be appearing at the upcoming RAW 25th Anniversary special on January 22nd:
The Godfather
Brother Love
Teddy Long
The Boogeyman
Ted DiBiase Sr.
Sgt. Slaughter
John Laurinaitis
These names are in addition to the previously announced:
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
The Undertaker
Scott Hall and Kevin Nash
DX: Shawn Michaels, Triple H and The New Age Outlaws
Ric Flair
Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler
Free agent John Cena
WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar
The Bella Twins
JBL and Ron Simmons
The Dudley Boyz
SEScoops can also confirm that former RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff will be on hand for the RAW 25th Anniversary special.
The WWE has posted a new video of 2017 Hall of Famers Teddy Long, Beth Phoenix, Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Diamond Dallas Page and Kurt Angle receiving their rings from Triple H and Vince McMahon. Rick Rude’s family also received a Hall of Fame ring.
The WWE also uploaded a new 360 interview with Daniel Bryan and Kurt Angle. Bryan and Angle debated what would happen if a dream match were to take place between the two.
Bayley posted a photo of her and Scott Hall earlier today. Bayley was wearing a classic Razor Ramon jacket.
– This past Monday on Raw, Teddy Long made a surprise return and threw his name in the running for taking control of SmackDown when it goes live on July 19. Long, however, was turned away by Stephanie McMahon and eventually escorted out of the building by security.
This was only a guest appearance by Long. According to PWInsider.com, WWE has no creative plans for him going forward.
– Sheamus joked about John Cena’s fashion sense during an interview promoting his role as Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
Former WWE referee and on-air personality Teddy Long says he’s happy to be away from the wrestling business following his release from WWE. Long, whose WWE contract expired back in June of 2014, said in an interview with Pro Wrestling 24/7 that he understands where Ryback is coming from with his thoughts on pay equality. On Tuesday, Ryback wrote a blog post challenging WWE’s pay scale.
“There are certain guys who receive a certain amount of pay and certain guys another amount, it determines where you are on the card,” Long said of Ryback’s issue. “Sometimes you feel like you’re put into a position where you’re at the top of the card, or even midcard. And then you go to one of these big pay per views. And you expect to get more and you don’t get that, it kind of makes you feel, especially after you bust your butt, like you’re not appreciated.”
Long said he agrees with Ryback’s stance, and he’s seen other talent with similar issues.
“I’ve seen that happen to a lot of guys. Even myself,” Long said. “I’ve worked shows, like Wrestlemania and thought I was in a good spot for a good payday and then it didn’t happen, it came to be something else.”
The former SmackDown General Manager also talked about how WWE has achieved mainstream success, and that TNA isn’t really competitor for them. You can listen to the full interview here.
Former WWE SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long recently spoke with the folks at The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling podcast. Below are some of the highlights from the interview.
On making his last appearance on WWE TV at the Smackdown 15th Anniversary:
“For me there was no prepping that day. Sometimes there is usually a rehearsal as to what we are going to do or go over things and make sure everybody is right. Vince always knew that I’ve had rehearsals but he always knew that he didn’t have to give them to me he only had to give me what he wanted done and I would always be able to get out there and do it. I had been gone for a year and when I went out there it was like I never left. I always took my job real serious and when I think back to that 15th Anniversary I knew exactly where I was and I was back in the hands of Vince McMahon and you don’t play around up there, you do your work, do your job and you keep Vince happy and that’s what I did.”
On being the face of Smackdown as the GM for nearly 6 years straight:
“It meant a lot to me because I had been in Professional Wrestling for over 30 years and basically the longer you stay in this business the more you learn and the more experience you get. When I was in the NWA and WCW I had a few guys like Butch Reed and Ron Simmons (who were the first Afro-American tag team champions) and when you are always trying to get a break it looks like there is always something somewhere that just kind of stops you. That’s what happened with me in the NWA and WCW, every time we would get something good somebody would try to break it up or wanted to do something else or break the team up. I was able to go to New York and work for Vince and once he found out what I could do then he was real pleased with me. He was the only person that ever gave me a break and I wanted to reward him for giving me that because I always wanted to show people that said I didn’t have any talent, that I had talent and Vince McMahon helped me prove that. My thing up there with him is that I am going to make this work and whatever he wants me to do I am going to do that and I am going to portray myself.”
On the origin of the word “playa” and the Teddy Long “dance”:
“My character was basically just me. The word “playa” I just started saying it around the house. I had this big dog and I used to call him all the time, his name was Balls but I started calling him “Playa” around the house and I just took that to TV and started using it. Another example is the dance that I do. A lot of people think that is something big, well it’s big to me because of my Grandson. We bought him this little walker and every time he would get in that he would just bounce up and down kind of like the dance so I started doing the dance on TV because I wanted my Grandson to watch it and let him know I was doing his dance. So that’s the inside secret about how the dance came about. When you can be yourself you can be more relaxed when you are out there trying to portray a character and you are trying to get somebody over, well I wasn’t trying to get anyone over but me. I was able to adapt and I was able to learn Vince McMahon’s way. That’s another thing, if you learn Vince McMahon’s way you will be there for a long time. I was able to do all of that with the help of God.”
On the running “tag team match” joke with him on Smackdown:
“I never really thought about it and there was never any thought behind it. I was told what to do, I was told we were going to turn this into a tag team match and I just started doing it on my own in giving the emphasis on “tag team match” and doing my thing. But it actually got over and is all over YouTube. Everybody wants to see me make that tag team match.”
On finding the scenario comical after a while and WWE saving the singles matches for RAW:
“Whatever you are told to do is serious. It’s strictly serious with Vince, you don’t laugh or play around so whenever they said tag team match I said well I am going out there and making this the best tag team match and better than the other ones I made. That’s the way I always thought about it just being better than the last time. Stuff like that was probably discussed in a production meeting and don’t get me wrong I had been invited to some of the production meetings but that is voluntarily if you wanted to go. I didn’t really want to go to those because I didn’t really want to know what was happening.”
– NXT Women’s Champion Bayley is getting prepared for her upcoming 30-minute Ironwoman Match against Sasha Banks at the NXT Takeover special in October. Below is a photo of Bayley studying the Rick Rude vs. Dustin Rhodes 30-minute Ironman Match from 1993.
Former WWE performer Teddy Long recently spoke with the folks at AL.com to promote his appearance at AWF’s show outside the Golden Corral restaurant in Tillman’s Corner. Below are some highlights from the interview.
On being a General Manager in WWE: “I had a great experience with that. It was the first time ever (a babyface played the general manager role). They talked to me a couple of times about turning me (into a heel, or bad guy) and Vince said, ‘No.’ He saw that people liked me. If the people like you, why turn? That’s what Vince is all about. He’s about money. My character was definitely me. Vince was the guy behind a lot of it, but I made the character me. That’s how I got over. I wasn’t being someone else.”
On his favorite SmackDown memory: ” I think it was the wedding. I had the wedding with Kristal Marshall and had the heart attack as I said, ‘I do.’ That was some good stuff. But I had so many memories. I had an opportunity to put Rey Mysterio in a big position one night so he could qualify for the world title. John Laurinaitis and Vickie Guerrero … we had some good times. (Guerrero) was a sweet woman.”
On managing The Undertaker early in his career before he came to WWE: “Mark was one of the nicest guys you ever would meet. ‘Taker is a business man. He’s a lot like Vince. When you can, yourself, get involved in storylines with Undertaker and people like that, you don’t let that go to your head. I never did that.”
On racism in wrestling and Ron Simmons becoming the first black World Champion in WCW: “I thought it was a significant achievement. There had never been a black world championship before. Back in the day, there was a little racism in our industry. You saw black guys get beat and they never thought they would be able to get to the top. But Ron Simmons was a brand. He was a former Florida State University (All-American) football player. Putting the belt on him was no racism thing. They put the belt on him because (the company felt that Simmons could represent the company as champion).”
The following is the latest Mick Foley Facebook blog:
A LONG RUN FOR TEDDY
Thank you Teddy Long. Thank you for being so good, for so long, at so many things. I’ve known Teddy for 25 years. He was a very good referree, and an even better heel referee before I arrived in WCW in 1989. He was an excellent heel manager….and a pretty good babyface manager too – no easy feat in the world of sports-entertainment. I enjoyed his color commentary, and was inpired by his motivational speaking and charitable work.
Thank you WWE for the long run you gave Teddy – as a referree, and long-running GM of Smackdown. I know all good things must eventually come to an end, and Teddy Long’s run in WWE was a very good thing. I hope he’ll be brought back for Wrestlemanias and will lend his expertise to some projects with the company dpwn the road. A good man, a consumate professional, a friend.
Let me know about your favorite Teddy Long memory…without using the phrase “tag-team match”…just kidding; that would be almost impossible. But let’s see if some of you more seasoned fans can dig deep and hit us with a blast from Teddy’s long and distinguished career.
