"You couldn't have a better friend" - WWE Hall of Famer on his relationship with The Undertaker (Exclusive)
Teddy Long thinks The Undertaker is one of the nicest guys in the wrestling business and discussed how he saw him find his footing in the industry.
The Phenom is enjoying his retirement after entertaining fans for over three decades through his Undertaker avatar. Right from his WWE debut in 1990 to his last match at WrestleMania in 2020, The Deadman remained at the top, delivering one great performance after another for fans.
Even behind the scenes, the WWE Hall of Famer was a beloved personality, with his colleagues having nothing but good things to say about him.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's One on One, Teddy Long, who worked with The Undertaker extensively on SmackDown, praised him.
The Hall of Famer recalled how The Phenom struggled a lot and was rejected by many promoters, who believed he could never be a big draw in the business.
"One of the nicest guys you ever want to meet. To me, I kind of watched him when he started out in Texas and from there to Memphis. He's one guy that really put in his time, paid his dues, and really went through the struggle to get where he is today and to be denied by some promoters in wrestling who said he would never be nothing and never draw a dime. That's just a shame," said Teddy Long.
The former SmackDown General Manager added that he was pleased to see The Undertaker finally being rewarded for his hard work when WWE hired him. In closing, Long mentioned The Phenom was 'super nice" and a cherished friend.
"So I'm just glad he was able to go to WWE and get with Vince and show him all and prove them all wrong. He was somebody, and that was just great for me. Like I said, just a super nice guy man. You couldn't have a better friend." (29:34 - 30:15)
Check out the full video below:
Teddy Long on not being invited to The Undertaker's WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
A few weeks ago on One on One, Teddy Long looked back at not being invited to The Undertaker's Hall of Fame ceremony, despite working closely on SmackDown in the mid-2000s.
Long stated that though he failed to understand why he wasn't invited to the event, it didn't bother him too much.
"Well, that's not my call, you know. I don't know who was in charge of all that. I'm pretty sure at that time, Laurinaitis was there for sure. Like I said, not my call. I couldn't understand it either, but like I said, that belongs to them, and I don't worry about if they don't want me, then they don't want me. It's just that simple," said Teddy Long.
The Undertaker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last night after over 30 years with the company 🐐
It took 'Taker six minutes to get a single word out due to the fans' chants and emotions getting the better of him 😢 https://t.co/Px8lqa7cra
The Deadman's Hall of Fame induction ceremony was one of the most emotional ones in recent memory, where he finally broke character to address fans.
What do you make of Teddy Long's thoughts on The Undertaker? Sound off in the comments section below.
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