10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Teddy Long
The longest serving SmackDown GM had a lengthy career before joining WWE...
Played for laughs, Teddy Long's surprise return on this week's episode of Monday Night Raw naturally raised some giggles. Crashing onto the scene, the former SmackDown General Manager put his name into the hat to be in charge when the show relaunches in July, and appeared in various other skits. This was the first time Long had been seen on WWE television since 2013.
Released in June 2014 following a protracted period away from the camera, Long is remembered as a referee, manager, and authority figure in the promotion. His funny little dance (said to be for his grandson) is just one of the quirks Teddy became known for during his WWE career.
There are numerous memes related to other traits, such as constantly making tag-team matches on SmackDown, or insisting that heels went 'one-on-one' with either The Undertaker or Randy Orton.
Since leaving WWE, Long has been very candid in interviews about his time with the organisation. This fact has led to many interesting stories surfacing, but he's also been involved in some questionable storylines and matches on screen that WWE would likely want fans to forget...
10. He Managed The Undertaker Years Before WWE
Before the character of The Undertaker was created, there was 'Mean' Mark Callous. Working in the NWA, Callous regularly teamed with Dan Spivey as The Skyscrapers. Originally, Sid Vicious had been in the tandem, but Theodore Long - the manager of the team - called the shots and Callous entered the fold when Sid was out with injuries.
Long's job was to cut promos for the team, acting as the diminutive mouthpiece next to their impressive size. Callous didn't do much speaking, a trend that would continue into the WWF when he started playing the role of The Undertaker.
As one of the most legendary figures in WWE history, the promotion love waxing lyrical about how The Undertaker has always been a company man. Whilst that's true, he did work for others before signing up to Vince McMahon's organisation, and Teddy Long was the one who managed him.
Years later, Long would be a lowly referee in the WWF, whereas Undertaker became one of the biggest stars in the entire industry. Aside from Paul Bearer, WWE likely don't enjoy revealing that 'Taker ever needed a manager.