Theodore Long facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theodore Long |
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Long in 2018
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| Birth name | Theodore Robert Rufus Long |
| Born | September 15, 1947 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Tasha Long
(m. 1982; died 2022) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Teddy Long Theodore Long Theodore R. Long |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Billed weight | 173 lb (78 kg) |
| Billed from | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Debut | 1985 |
Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional wrestling referee, manager, and authority figure. He is best known for his time in NWA, WCW, and WWE.
Long started his career in the National Wrestling Alliance in 1985. He joined WWE (then called the World Wrestling Federation) in 1998 as a referee. In 2003, he became a manager on TV. Later, he served as the General Manager of SmackDown for two periods, totaling six years. He also worked as the General Manager for ECW for one year.
In 2017, he was honored by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Contents
Teddy Long's Wrestling Journey
Early Career in NWA and WCW (1985–1996)
Teddy Long began helping out backstage for wrestlers like Tommy Rich. He soon became a referee in the NWA in 1985. At first, he was a fair referee.
However, in 1989, Long started to act like a "bad guy" (heel) referee. He would bend the rules to help certain wrestlers win. For example, he made a very fast count to help Mike Rotunda and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Because of these actions, the NWA stopped him from being a referee.
After this, Long became a manager for wrestlers. He managed many famous teams and individuals. Some of the wrestlers he managed included Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed), Johnny B. Badd, and One Man Gang. He helped Doom win the World Tag Team Titles.
Joining WWE: Referee and Manager (1998–2004)
Long joined the WWF (now WWE) as a referee in 1998. He worked as a referee until 2002. During this time, he was a referee in some very important matches. He was present during a sad event at the Over The Edge 1999 pay-per-view. He was also a referee when Darren Drozdov suffered a serious injury.
In 2003, Long changed his role and became a "bad guy" manager again. He managed wrestlers like D'Lo Brown, Rodney Mack, and Mark Henry. He was known for his catchphrases like "Get down wit' da Brown!"
Becoming General Manager of SmackDown and ECW (2004–2012)
In July 2004, Teddy Long became the new General Manager of SmackDown. He was the first African-American to hold this important position. When he became GM, he changed from a "bad guy" to a "good guy" (face). He started making matches that fans wanted to see. He often put "bad guy" wrestlers at a disadvantage, which fans loved.
Long also started the New Talent Initiative. This program helped new wrestlers like Bobby Lashley and Mr. Kennedy debut in WWE. He continued this program when he moved to ECW in 2008, helping stars like Sheamus and Kofi Kingston get their start.
At Survivor Series 2005, Long even wrestled! He defeated the General Manager of Raw, Eric Bischoff, with help from The Boogeyman.
Long often had to deal with wrestlers trying to cheat. For example, Booker T tried to avoid defending his United States Championship. Long made sure Booker T had to face Chris Benoit or lose his title.
He also made big decisions for championship matches. When Randy Orton cheated to get Rey Mysterio's title shot at WrestleMania 22, Long put Mysterio back in the match. He made it a Triple Threat match, warning Orton to behave.
In 2007, Long had a storyline where he was dating Kristal Marshall. They even planned a wedding on SmackDown!, but it was interrupted when Long had a storyline "heart attack." He later returned as Assistant General Manager.
In June 2008, Long became the General Manager of the ECW brand. Then, in April 2009, he returned to SmackDown as General Manager again. This made him the first person to have a second term as a General Manager in WWE history.
Long was involved in a famous storyline called the "Montreal Screwjob" recreation. At the Breaking Point event, he restarted a championship match between CM Punk and The Undertaker. This led to The Undertaker "kidnapping" Long in a limousine and bringing him to the arena in a coffin the next week!
He also had a long feud with Drew McIntyre. Long even fired McIntyre at one point, but Mr. McMahon made him rehire him. Long then made McIntyre compete in a match where he had to let Long pin him. Eventually, Long found a way to get McIntyre carried out of the arena by security.
In 2011, Long was found unconscious in his office in a storyline. He later revealed that Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler had attacked him. He then fired Ziggler and Guerrero.
Long continued to make important matches and decisions, like setting up a World Heavyweight Championship match between Randy Orton and Christian at Money in the Bank.
Hall of Fame and Special Appearances (2014–Present)
After his time as General Manager, Teddy Long made many special appearances in WWE.
In 2014, he appeared on the 15th Anniversary of SmackDown. He got into an argument with John Laurinaitis, which led to a big 16-man Tag Team match. Team Teddy won this match!
In 2016, he returned to Raw, asking to be the General Manager of SmackDown again, but Stephanie McMahon turned him down. He tried to set up a tag team match but was escorted out.
On February 13, 2017, it was announced that Teddy Long would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He made an appearance on Raw thinking he would be the new General Manager, but the job went to Kurt Angle.
Long has continued to make brief appearances on special WWE shows, like Raw 25 Years in 2018, Raw Legends Night in 2021, and Raw is XXX in 2023. He even booked a six-man tag match on Raw is XXX. In April 2024, he was seen backstage during the WWE Draft.
Independent Wrestling (2014–Present)
Outside of WWE, Teddy Long has also worked in other wrestling promotions. In 2014, he was the General Manager for Booker T's Reality of Wrestling show. He also worked as General Manager for SWE Fury and as a commissioner for independent promotions in Alabama.
Match Innovations
As the SmackDown General Manager, Teddy Long brought back and created several unique match types:
- Last Ride Match: At No Mercy 2004, he put JBL and The Undertaker in the first-ever Last Ride Match. To win, one wrestler had to put their opponent into the back of a hearse and drive it out of the arena.
- Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match: At No Way Out 2005, he made JBL defend his title in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match. This match had barbed wire around the top of the cage to prevent anyone from escaping or interfering.
- King of the Ring Tournament: Long brought back the King of the Ring tournament in 2006 as a SmackDown-only event.
- Inferno Match: At Armageddon 2006, he brought back the Inferno match, where the ring ropes are set on fire.
- Stretcher Match: On SmackDown in 2009, he announced the first stretcher match in SmackDown history between the Hardys. To win, a wrestler had to put their opponent on a stretcher and wheel them past a finish line.
Famous Sayings
Teddy Long is well-known for his many catchphrases when he was an authority figure. Some of his most famous ones include:
- Telling "bad guy" wrestlers to go “one on one with The Undertaker!”
- His trademark “Holla, holla, holla!”
- His way of stopping arguments: “(Now) hold on just a minute playa!”
- His love for putting wrestlers in a “tag team match!”
Awards and Honors
- Combat Sport Pro
- Hall of Fame (Class of 2015)
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Manager of the Year (1990)
- WWE
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2017)
Images for kids
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Long in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Theodore Long para niños
