"He kept everything together" - Former WWE personality hopes the company survives without Vince McMahon
WWE Hall of Famer Theodore Long (aka Teddy Long) has given his thoughts on his former boss Vince McMahon's retirement from the promotion.
Long had a lengthy stint as the general manager of SmackDown between 2004 and 2012. Since then, he has made sporadic appearances for the company and also on the independent circuit.
After McMahon announced his retirement last month, Long praised the former WWE Chairman for his incredible business acumen. Speaking to MuscleManMalcolm, he said:
“Vince has been there a real long time. He’s very creative, very smart. I hope the company survives without him, because Vince was the rock right there. He kept everything together. He’s going to be missed, that’s all I can say. He’s the reason that I’m where I am today. He really took care of my career. I owe it to nobody but Vince McMahon.” [H/T - EWrestling]
In 2017, Long was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by JBL for his remarkable contributions to the sports entertainment juggernaut.
Teddy Long recalls how serious Vince McMahon was about WWE Superstars' presentations
Vince McMahon has seemingly always been protective of his company's product. He is often credited for transforming professional wrestling into an international spectacle.
While speaking in the same interview, Teddy Long recalled how McMahon took care of minute details about various superstars' presentations:
“One time I was sitting down and we were talking to Vince. And Vince wasn’t really talking to me, he was talking to someone else. And they went out and they introduced somebody. Well Vince stopped them and said ‘No, no. You have to make my stars mean something. So when you introduce them, give them some razzle dazzle.’ And I heard that, and that’s all I needed. I just went and gave that for The Undertaker. I brought that game. That came from me.” [H/T - EWrerstling]
Teddy Long also highlighted how he took cues from McMahon for the former's iconic introduction of The Undertaker. It would be interesting to see how WWE will shape without the McMahon family patriarch.
Do you think Teddy Long should return as general manager of RAW or SmackDown? Sound off in the comment section.