Road Trip After Hours w/ WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Host Mac Davis
The Fastest 30 Minute Wrestling Show with WWE Hall of Famer TEDDY LONG and MAC DAVIS! It's FAST, It's FUN and it's FREE!
Road Trip After Hours w/ WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Host Mac Davis
Damn, Long! The Hilarious Adventures of a Wrestling Manager
Ever wonder what really happens behind the curtain in professional wrestling? WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long pulls back the veil in this captivating episode of Wrestling's Road Trip After Hours, sharing stories that only a true industry veteran could tell.
The conversation kicks off with breaking news about Mick Foley's recent car accident - a crash so severe that looking at the wreckage, you'd assume the worst. Yet somehow, the Hardcore Legend walked away with minor injuries, proving once again why he earned his infamous moniker. Long and host Mac Davis marvel at Foley's resilience, a testament to a career built on surviving the impossible.
Long shares priceless memories of managing legendary tag teams like Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed), including the hilarious origin story of Simmons' iconic "Damn!" catchphrase - born when Long accidentally left him standing in the snow during a road trip. These authentic moments of camaraderie and chaos showcase the human side of wrestling rarely seen by fans.
Perhaps most fascinating is Long's perspective on how wrestling has evolved - particularly lamenting the disappearance of managers who once played crucial roles in getting talent over. "When I was managing, I had more heat than the guys," Long reveals, pinpointing what many believe is missing from today's product. His Mount Rushmore of wrestling managers (Gary Hart, Skandar Akbar, Bobby Heenan, and Lou Albano) serves as a reminder of how these personalities once shaped the industry.
Whether you're a longtime wrestling fan or new to the squared circle, these insider stories provide a rare glimpse into wrestling history from someone who truly lived it. Subscribe now and join us next Thursday for another episode packed with more unfiltered wrestling tales from the road!
Let's do this. Hello everybody, and welcome to an all-new live episode of Wrestling's Road Trip After Hours. I'm your host, Mac Davis, and, of course, that guy right next to me. There is none other than WWE Hall of Famer, mr Teddy Long. How you doing.
Speaker 2:Teddy, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's that guy that's right next to you. Yeah, okay, all right, that's the longest intro I've ever seen. I almost went to sleep getting it.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna smack. I keep trying to explain to you every time we do this. We had to have a little buffer so those who get the chance to come into the room, you know, have a chance to find us and bring us up I'll know next next week to bring a lunch. That's right. Bring a lunch, bring a snack, bring a pillow if you need to.
Speaker 2:So, teddy, what you been up to lately, my friend, Nothing much, man, you know, just staying in the gym trying to stay healthy and trying to stay alive. That's about it.
Speaker 1:Now you've been in the gym, have it for a little bit there oh, that was uh.
Speaker 2:God, you're out of town ask what it was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah you you were sitting there with denise. I know how it is. Yeah, how about that privilege? And you ever tried that?
Speaker 1:pray yeah, look here, I'll tell you straight up, honest truth. I think you may have asked me this before. I took some Prevagen years ago. As you get older, you start going man, my mind's just not as quick as it used to be. So I keep hearing the stories about Prevagen and I think you're great man. I make your mind come back. I think it was like $60 a bottle or something like that. I think it was like two bottles a month you had to take, I or something like that and you had. I think it was like two bottles a month you had to take. I was like hell. No, I'll just be stupid. You know me, teddy, I'm like you, I'm cheap, I'm not going to pay that kind of money that's ridiculous.
Speaker 2:I don't need to remember nothing that bad.
Speaker 1:No, no, no. Look here. Mick Foley, Did you hear about this? Got in a car accident recently.
Speaker 2:I recently, uh, I mean, his car was like hell I was talking to boogie man earlier today and he was telling me about the car accident. I had seen something on social media about it too, but I hadn't really got the whole story on it. But boogie was telling me, uh, how bad the car looked and stuff.
Speaker 1:He was lucky that you know he'd be alive yeah, when you look at the car, you would think that whoever was in that car was dead. I mean honest to. As I understand it, he only had some minor injuries from the accident, which is great news for Mick. But wow, I just can't imagine when you know Mick's not in the best of shape. Mick has had injuries over the years that plague him, so I'm sure this car accident was probably nothing to him when he went through it, but his body doesn't need any more bumps like that, teddy.
Speaker 2:Hey, mick Foley is hardcore man.
Speaker 1:Yes, he is, and the right kind of hardcore. John Adams popped in saying Holla player, Holla back at you, John Adams. We were just talking about Mick Foley and John was saying I can't believe he was actually standing outside the car Talking about Mick Foley. If you've seen the shot, yeah, he's right outside the car and when you look where the driver's seat is, there's this round impression in the windshield. I don't know if that was his head or what it was, but was he driving?
Speaker 1:the car I believe he was. Yeah, he was driving. I think somebody may have hit him, if I'm not mistaken, or something like that. I I really didn't read too much into it, uh, other than I just couldn't believe that he got out of that car just based on the picture well, amen, just thank god that he's alive yes, hey, bryce, good to have you back in here again this evening.
Speaker 1:This is a good evening, mac and teddy. This is a topic that recently went viral in the ring announcer community. Teddy, do you remember ring announcing the match between Batista and Undertaker at WrestleMania 23? Why did they have you announce that match? And well, we don't get the rest of it here.
Speaker 2:I don't remember it.
Speaker 1:You don't remember that. No, wow, yeah, I'm trying to remember that myself, bryce.
Speaker 2:Look, I've been hitting the head many times, so I can't. Can you send me a video of that, because I don't. I that's what I'm trying to figure out. Why would they have me announce something at wrestlemania?
Speaker 1:yeah, and it says that. Uh, it was dwayne batista and undertaker. I'm trying to remember this. Um, why did they have you announced who pitched you?
Speaker 2:the idea, I mean that's we can't answer any of those questions because you don't remember any of it not that I mean, if I saw the video or something, then I could probably come back to me, I could probably think, but I, that's just one. I don't remember. I don't. I don't see any reason why they would have me. Was I general manager or ring announcer?
Speaker 1:Hey look, you got me, brother. I definitely wasn't there during that time.
Speaker 2:I guess it had to be. I probably was general manager, maybe, and they may have had me come out and introduce it. I don't know.
Speaker 1:And Michael Steele saying they did it because Teddy is the GOAT and he is. And Michael Steele is the did it because Teddy is the GOAT and he is.
Speaker 2:And Michael Steele is the GOAT number two. He's the man man. Believe that. Michael, my man, how are you player?
Speaker 1:Look, here I'm going to put down WrestleMania 23. When we get off the air I'm going to immediately pull that up and see if I can find you doing the announcing for that match, especially if you don't remember, because I don't either. I don't either. I don't remember you ever really ring announcing. Yeah, that's kind of a boy. That's baffling me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me too because I definitely I would remember that. So I don't, I have no idea.
Speaker 1:Don't say that, teddy. Don't say you'd remember that, because he might come right back and say I would remember that.
Speaker 2:That's a big deal. Okay, something like that at WrestleMania. Man, you don't forget that Herb Simmons is checking in with us player.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, We'll see you, Herb, in St Louis coming up on May 16th and 17th for the SICW Fan Fest there. Teddy and I will be there, along with Bill. After the three amigos of Sports, Keto will be there, and we're looking forward to having a lot of fun there. By the way, if you don't have tickets for this event, Teddy will tell you. I say this every single time. This is one of my favorite events of the year. This is unlike a lot of other conventions. It's just the right size, with a lot of people. They're coming to see their heroes and it's a great atmosphere. And not only that hell. Later tonight Teddy is going to get himself a nice Lifetime Achievement Award from the SICW Fan Fest and the St Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame. Teddy, that's going to be a big night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I can't thank Herb Simmons enough. Man Can't wait. And also, you know, they've added something Instead of one night of meet and greet, it's two nights of signing. So I believe that Friday and that Saturday night the guys will be there signing autographs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like the fact, too, that this is at a hotel that's right there at the airport. I mean, we are right there, so it's going to make it so much easier when it comes to travel for this event, because you and I would have to leave the hotel about an hour or two hours ahead of time to get to the airport.
Speaker 2:Why do you want to worry about going home? You hate home.
Speaker 1:You're so happy when you leave home. No, no, that's a story. My wife's trying to cry. He's lying. I promise he hates his home.
Speaker 2:When he leaves his house, he's just like a kid in a candy store. I'm telling you, I've been with him.
Speaker 1:ladies and gentlemen, we got some questions popping in here. Let's see John Adams. What do you guys think of John Cena's turning heel?
Speaker 2:I think it's a great, I think it's the best thing he could have ever done. I mean, he can you know be himself now.
Speaker 1:This is one thing I will say about the heel turn. There've been a lot of mistakes, in my opinion. I still don't understand why we don't see the Rock. Why is the Rock, as we're leading to WrestleMania, still not a part of the storyline, when the storyline originated with the Rock? So it makes no sense to me. That does drive me crazy.
Speaker 2:They're taking their time with this. They're not rushing it. There may be something that Rock's going to do. That's going to be real big, and they may save it for WrestleMania. I don't know, but WrestleMania's right around the corner.
Speaker 1:You know, and I thought maybe it was just me and those of you who are watching. Let me know down in the comments here how you feel. But I still say that the lead-in to this WrestleMania is it's not that big of a deal. I've seen, like I say, last year, man, I was waiting for WrestleMania, I was looking forward to that show. This year, I just, I just really don't care that much, and I don't I mean here here's a good test for you. You want to find out how much you care about this WrestleMania. Name three matches you want to see at WrestleMania right now. I mean a lot of. You can't, yeah, name three. Most people can name just one, maybe two, and neither one of those in most cases is Jey Uso, teddy, and that's something I do want to ask you about. Jey Uso won the Royal Rumble with the opportunity to go to main event WrestleMania and now, after all the cards have been played, he's not in the main event at WrestleMania. What the hell?
Speaker 2:Listen, man, like I told you, nothing surprises me anymore. You know, I think it's really good the way that they're doing things, because sometimes they got the smart marks that already know you know what happens. So right now the smart marks can't even figure it out. So I, I like that, that's.
Speaker 1:That's called k-fade all right, let's see uh bryce popping back in here. Mac, I'm gonna send you that link. Teddy was the announcer. He even said this match is one fall. And as for the world heavyweight championship, oh, teddy, we're gonna have some fun with this when I get this pulled up, because we'll talk about this. Yeah, for for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to see that because I definitely don't remember it. And why would Vince have me do that? I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bryce, make sure you tune in next week. We'll pull that up and we'll look at it and we'll respond to it next week. That'll be fun actually. All right, let's see we do. Popping back in, teddy, the Lifetime Achievement Award well-deserved.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir. Thank you again, herb, and thanks to Nick Rittenaugh, a guy that I've known over 20 years, and him and Herb you know doing a great job with this SIDW Fan Fest and Hall of Fame. Man, I mean, these guys are really putting it all out there and they do a great job every year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, off the air, Steve Morris. I love y'all show. Teddy, let's see a picture of that old truck of yours. You probably don't have one nearby, do you?
Speaker 2:No, I've got one on the phone here so I don't want to cut us off here. But yeah, the old truck I was in it today, it's sitting outside right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that truck, Teddy will tell you. When I first saw that truck I like wow, I mean, it's just he takes very good care of this truck I've had that truck over 20 years, man.
Speaker 2:That truck has been great man.
Speaker 1:It's a 64 uh chevy stepside would that be considered a classic teddy? I mean, is that something that a lot of uh people, would you know, want to get and buy?
Speaker 2:well, that one would the one I got, because it has the spare on the side and it's the step side, so so it's kind of considered like the Cadillac, like the Eldorado.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's a fine looking truck. So I mean, if that ever comes up for sale, teddy, I'll let y'all know.
Speaker 2:Hey, what's up?
Speaker 1:No it ain't going to happen Is it, I've had. I hear you. Hey, what's up? Gents, Teddy, which two members do you think made the best formation of the Skyscrapers? And that's from Dave Ruby.
Speaker 2:Well, I think Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious were the first two in God Rest His Soul and they did a great job at the Skyscrapers. Just the problem was, I think Sid was doing some other things or something and he just didn't make every event. And then that's when they brought Undertaker in, brought Mark in and Mark worked with Danny for a while, but Mark and Danny did a hell of a job man with the Road Warriors, corpus Christi, texas. I don't remember what year that was, but I think it was maybe the first night that Mark became a skyscraper man and what a hell of a match those guys had. So I think it was Mark and Spivey.
Speaker 1:You know, thinking back to that time of wrestling, Teddy, you managed two really great teams when it came to those tag teams, that being with the Skyscrapers being one and, of course, Doom being the other Did you ever feel like they were putting you with a team that maybe they didn't think would work and they were just throwing you with them and it ended up blowing everything out the water?
Speaker 2:Well, I don't know. You know. You never know back then. You know things, how things work. You know they could have been doing that you. Maybe a lot of people want you to fail, you know, but you know, but I don't. I didn't ever understand that part about it. So I just went out and gave it 100% and went out and did my job. So, whatever they tried to stop me from making it work, I made it work and didn't even know I was making it work.
Speaker 1:And that's why he's getting the Lifetime Achievement Award for those very types of things. John Adams, I think they're going to have John Cena win for the title and then Cena face Orton for the title and Orton win, and then Cody face Orton. Teddy, what do you think?
Speaker 2:I don't see that happening. No kind of way, not at all.
Speaker 1:No, I kind of wonder if we would. It's a little bit too complicated, and sometimes too complicated is too much. Teddy, let's get into the mailbag here. You ready? Yeah, I'm ready, blair. By the way, those of you who are watching right now, leave your comments down below. We'll bring them up on the screen as well. We got some letters that come in during the week.
Speaker 2:We'll get to those right here Letters.
Speaker 1:Oh, we get letters, we get your letters every day Mailman, mailman mail.
Speaker 2:today, reach my hand and pull one out those letters. I love those letters.
Speaker 1:Let's find out what you've got to say. Mailman mail today. All right, teddy from the mailbag Don in Idaho. Do you think and this kind of goes back to our last question do you think John Cena should win at WrestleMania against Cody Rhodes?
Speaker 2:No, I do not. I think John Cena is really interested in becoming a Hollywood star now. I think that's where his career is headed. I don't know, I'm just saying from seeing him doing commercials and the different movies and stuff that he's been in, I think that I mean to me, that would be the thing for me to do. You ain't taking no bumps and you're making a lot of money. So, John, I think his goal is to go into Hollywood and become a big star. You know what I mean. Like I said, that's how I feel about it. So I think that's how it's going to go down. I don't think he's going to win there.
Speaker 1:So you don't think he'll beat Ric Flair's record so far of the 16-time world champion and become the 17th? Here's the one thing I do question, though, teddy After WrestleMania, he still has until the end of the year that he's employed with WWE, supposedly under his current contract, so he does have some more time afterwards, so he could, may you know, very possibly take that belt, don't you think?
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, like I said, we just don't know. You know, with the way our business is now, what you think that's not going to happen is what does happen. So I would, you know who knows. I mean, that would be a big accomplishment for Cena to break Flair's record. You know what I mean. For Cena to break Flair's record, that's something I'm pretty sure he would like to do and gain that priority there. I don't know, We'll just have to wait and see.
Speaker 1:Dave Ruby popping in saying Doom was dominant in their time. Awesome team yeah, it was. If you've never seen Doom in person, I got to see Doom many times in person Since we're talking about Doom 2, I was going to see Doom many times in person.
Speaker 2:Well, my thing is, since we're talking about Doom too, I was going to mention this too. You know, some of the fans I don't know how they feel about it, but maybe you could write in the WWE and see about getting Butch and Run in the Hall of Fame. Yes, you know, I mean they certainly deserve it. They were the first black world tag team champion and Butch worked a long time in the WWF as the natural. So you know, I mean I just see it, but, like I said, I'd like to see that.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you a question. You know, I know Ron, and Ron's a sweetheart at heart, but Butch, on the other hand, he maybe had a little wire that didn't cross the right way. Sometimes he looked like he could legitimately lose his shit.
Speaker 2:Well, he did. Butch was no joke.
Speaker 1:now he wasn't nothing to mess with. Do you have any stories about people messing with him?
Speaker 2:No, didn't, nobody mess with Butch. Okay, they knew better.
Speaker 1:I think I told the story one time. I went to a match. You were the manager and I was ringside and he came by and there was a guy in the crowd, a major redneck, yelling words and using the N-word and Butch brother. He looked like there was no longer any type of performing taking place. He was ready to kill this guy and Ron was holding him back from going over the rail. And I get that it could have been a work, but I'm telling you, as close as I was and what was being said and his response I think Butch would have killed him if he had got his hands on him. I really do.
Speaker 2:Well, and then, like I said, butch probably would have done that, because Butch wasn't no guy, he didn't take no mess.
Speaker 1:No, and the good thing too is, like Herb says here, butch Reed is going into the St Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame at the same time that Teddy will be getting the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaker 2:Very good, that's good man. That's good. Congratulations to Butch man.
Speaker 1:Dave Ruby. Starrcade 90 was my first ever pay-per-view live Watching the street fight between Doom facing Arn and Barry Windham was a major melee.
Speaker 2:Well, anytime you saw Butch and Ron, you know it's a melee. Okay, that's because that's all they were. They were street fighters, man. I mean, they kept it in the ring, but, boy, once they got you on the outside they really laid it into you. So always watching them was great for me too, because I learned a lot from both of them.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you something while I see Barry Windham's name up on the screen here. Barry Windham, to me there were different versions of the Four Horsemen. Barry Windham was a member of the Four Horsemen at one time. I really thought he fit that group perfectly. Did you have favorites when it came to the Four Horsemen? The four that you think were the best group of all?
Speaker 2:Well, no, not really. I didn't have any favorites, I liked them all, you know. Back then, you know you don't have favorites, I'm too busy thinking about my stuff. You know what. Back then, you know you don't have favorites, I'm too busy thinking about my stuff. You know what I mean. So, but like I said, I enjoyed Barry Brer, Arne Tully, all those guys, Legs was good.
Speaker 1:I'll say this too Legs, I thought, fit the Four Horsemen too.
Speaker 2:You know, I know a lot of people may not have cared for him in there, but I thought he fit the group very well.
Speaker 1:Well, I was going to mention next too, because let's help it out, because he was the arrogant one, he was perfect for it. Yeah, and he, and that was legit at that time he was that way all was real brother. Yeah, uh, nick on facebook. Uh asking with gail kim being let go at TNA, where should she go? Wwe or AEW?
Speaker 2:I don't know man. Gail Kim was a great competitor. I had the opportunity to work with her. She has a great mind for the business. So I think whatever happened with her TNA or whatever is that where she was To me, I think they lost a good hand. That's all I can say.
Speaker 1:You know, and I've heard people say, that the reason for it was that she pushed back quite a bit against management when she believed in something she felt very strong about, something she would let it be known. Is that a negative in wrestling Teddy?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, you know you got so many people that are involved in this sport, that have been involved in it almost since the beginning of time, so they ain't going to change and that's the way it was. You know, you didn't. You know whatever you was said, then that's how it is. You leave it at that. You don't say nothing about nothing. So some people think that it's supposed to continue to work that way, but it's a different time and era. Now we're in the 20th century and people are now not going to just let you talk to them any kind of way. They're not going to let you just tell them especially if they know that they're right about something they're going to speak up. Back in the day, if you spoke up, you were fired, or either you got heat or just you weren't the one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of times, like you say, bringing something up is only going to bring you heat. It brings you nothing in return. And there are times when I appreciate somebody having a strong opinion about something, but you've got to know when to leave that opinion alone and walk away and choose those fights when you go in. What have we got here? We've got somebody. Okay, I didn't mean to block somebody if I did, but hopefully I didn't if I tried this again. Here there we go. John Adams. Teddy, are you going to River City Wrestling Con?
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, I will definitely be there. Mac Davis, he'll definitely be there. We'll be there together and we'll be going to be doing some live stuff with Road Trip at the hour, so we'll be talking to the fans there at River City Wrestling Con. So we hope to see you all there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as a matter of fact, if you missed the last year's a river city wrestling con when Teddy and I were there, it was earlier in the day, one of the two days that we were doing throwbacks, you know so you can see what was happening in there. Teddy went by Godfather's table. He ended up maybe catching a whiff of something or two, and he came out to cut a promo, and this is the direction Teddy looked at when he was facing the camera. All we saw was the back of Teddy's head, so I had to turn him around. You cannot visit Godfather before going live. This year I was stuck in the moment. Yeah, you were stuck. You were a freaking zombie. No, you can't go back and see.
Speaker 2:Godfather. I'm telling in the moment yeah, you were stuck in it, you were a freaking zombie. No, you can't go by and see Godfather, I'm telling you right now. That's not a bad mistake, but if you're going to continue to function the rest of the day, don't go where he is.
Speaker 1:No, no, but I do love you some bear. He's hilarious yeah that's my man. Yeah, man, zach Burton. So, Teddy, how mad was Ron Simmons when you left him out in the snow driving from town to town.
Speaker 2:Well, we did that. We were leaving Syracuse, new York, going to Albany. So he was really mad. And this is when he said damn, before he started saying damn on TV, after we discovered that he wasn't in the truck. Then I had to back up about a half a mile in order to pick him back up. So he was standing there in the snow and as soon as we opened the door to the truck, I look out and he looks right in and he said damn Long, you know, and this was before he started saying it. So that was really. That was hilarious, but it was also a big mistake.
Speaker 1:I think the funny part too is and I've yet to get a straight answer, but John Bradshaw Layfield was in that car. He's the one that said Teddy, what are you doing? Why are you pulling off? Of course he didn't say that until Teddy had already started driving. He let Teddy dig a hole a little bit deeper so that ron could be a little bit more pissed oh, he got me and then he didn't.
Speaker 2:And then he was the first one to yell out of the car. Ron, I told him when he was driving off to stop, you were back there just throwing you right under the damn bus oh, I was done oh, let's say he was laughing at that thing.
Speaker 1:You get a lot of people cracking up laughing about that. Let's hear Flow on X. Since going after, since going over, I'm sorry, to Netflix, wwe Raw hasn't really changed. No real Attitude Era stuff, just the same old stuff. Would you like to see them get edgier Teddy?
Speaker 2:Well, that's what I thought the Netflix move was for for them to get a little edgier, you know, I thought that you know. So, yeah, I'd like to see them do some stuff that you know, they don't have to go too far over the top, but just, just, excuse me, just a little bit where something that they can do that they may get away with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, and it doesn't need to be all the time, although I do think that the product I'm still not sure how Netflix works compared to how TV works but if you're trying to maintain viewers on the show, you got to maintain interest and that means, like you and I talked about recently, teddy, you got to have enough content to draw people through the show and back in the Attitude Era and ruth, wilson gireshan almost everybody was over. That's not the case anymore. So you get like friday night smackdown. It's three hours long, but how much real talent do you have in three hours? That's where the problem lies right now, when I think, when it comes to wwe, they're trying to fill a lot of time but with not enough big stars. Would you agree with that?
Speaker 2:Well, in a way I would. You know what I mean. I mean, these people know exactly what they got and what they don't have, but they'll you know they're going to make it work some kind of way, okay, and then, like I said, if it don't, then they'll move on to something else, because that's a lot of TV time. Three hours, man, that's a long time.
Speaker 2:And I mean you've got to be able to entertain them or to hold them there for that three hours. Man, You've got to have something on that TV that's going to make them stick.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, and two hours on Raw. When you watch two hours Raw it's not as hard to watch. But three hours of SmackDown, brother hoo-wee, they got to do something.
Speaker 2:Well, if you had some excitement going for them three hours, it wouldn't be hard to watch you got to keep stuff going.
Speaker 1:You got to keep doing stuff man, you got to have stories and you got to have characters, and right now there's only a few of those that are truly uh, you know watchable and must see tv, and that's what the difference is from years ago to now. I don't feel like it's still must see tv now you can just pull it up whenever you need it and you know, here's a clip here, here's a clip there, and that's about it. I think that if it's a tv product, you want them there all the time. You want them there live watching the show, not in bits and pieces, but not the hell. See Terrell hopping in here. Which role did Teddy prefer more SmackDown? General manager or referee? Also, which role did Teddy think suited his skills and abilities more?
Speaker 2:Well, I would always give credit to refereeing. If I hadn't have never become a referee, I would never be in the position that I would have never been able to become general manager. So referee I'll never forget that. That's how it all started for me. Gm, you know what I mean, because once I learned doing that and I learned what Vince wanted and exactly how that's supposed to work, after I got that in my brain and I learned, then I was rolling man. I was ready to go because I understood my position, I understood what I was supposed to do and I understood what Vince wanted. So I had a ball doing that man. I didn't have no problem being the GM. That was really good for me. I enjoyed that.
Speaker 1:You know I'm thinking back too, Teddy, During your times at the NWA and WCW, when things are like rock concerts, when you're going everywhere. Was that a different good time for you? It seems to me like there would be two points in your life that time when you got to live that particular kind of life and then the life you lived when you got to WWE. Are they two separate great times for you? They're two separate great times WCW.
Speaker 2:I had a great time there, you know, managing Butch and Ron and different people that I manage and stuff. But you know, I remember what Vince said to me one time is how they held me back and then after a while I understood that too. So there was so much other stuff that I could have done. You know that probably would have been good but, like I said, I wasn't able to do it. But the role I had managing which, running those guys back in WCW I enjoyed every moment of it. I went to New York. I was able to go to work for Vince. He put me in a good position there. So I enjoyed my work each and every day.
Speaker 1:Zach popping in again as one of the best GMs in WWE history.
Speaker 2:Who is the GM that is standing out to you today? I like them both. Adam Pearce does a good job, nick August does a great job. They just like I said, I don't think they're real comical. You know, I was kind of funny with stuff that I did. I'd make you laugh and then I'd come right back and be serious. So they just don't have too much entertainment in their delivery.
Speaker 1:But other than that, I think yeah, you're right, they're more straightforward, they're not a playful GM, but that's why I think, teddy, that your GM time in WWE lasted so long because you weren't just the GM, you were a character of the program, you were one of those that everybody wanted to see and they knew that something was going to happen when you came on TV. And that again goes back to what is missing today.
Speaker 2:And what I was telling you and always say to you. You know, I wasn't a character, I was me.
Speaker 1:That's how.
Speaker 2:I got over it because I do the same thing. You've been with me, man I'm the same guy in person that I, that I was on tv. I say player to the people there, I do everything you see me do on tv, I do it in person. So it wasn't a character, it was me. That role was, was was made for me all right, final boss engaged.
Speaker 1:Hey, final boss. Uh, good to see you in here. Hi, mac, hi, teddy. I'd love to hear teddy's thoughts on why we don't have managers, like we did back in the day, especially for wrestlers who struggle with mic skills you know, that's a great question, man, and uh, yeah, I really just I I don't know why.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. All I know, we know we have paul hayman. I think he's the only manager that they got there for his managing wrestlers. Uh, I don't know. I don't know why. You know what I mean. All I know we have Paul Heyman. I think he's the only manager that they got there for his managing wrestlers. I don't watch AEW, so I don't know really who the managers are there, but I'm with you on that. I don't know why they don't have managers like they did do, because, like he said, some guys that have trouble with the mic. You know what I mean. They need managers to talk for them. But I guess we've got to wait from that now. You know, like you know, that's old school, now old news, so you don't really have to have it anymore, I guess.
Speaker 1:But I hate that because, again, if you're looking at it as just an average viewer who's watching wrestling, it's another character, that's you know, in the story that you're watching on TV. It adds a little extra flavor that you don't get. Back in the day. The managers really worked extremely important in getting certain guys over and they can still do that now.
Speaker 2:When I was managing, I had more heat than the guys.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you had to be careful about that too.
Speaker 2:And they were mad at me about that I can't help it if the people if I'm making them don't like me? Why are you being mad at me?
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's see. Zach Teddy is my number one GM out Rushmore.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, zach. Appreciate it player.
Speaker 1:It's kind of a curious thing when it comes to general managers, we've had a few that I can think of over the years Teddy, who would be four, that you think would go up on Mount Rushmore, who are the top four you think?
Speaker 2:Gary Hart, Skandar Akbar, Bobby Heenan, Lou Albano.
Speaker 1:Well, that's some good ones right there. Yeah, wow, there are certain ones. I think that for for me would be Paul E Dangerously back in that time when he was there. And Paul Heyman the same guy. Bobby Heenan, captain Lou Albano oh boy. Freddie Blassie. Gary Hart yeah, gary, there's so many good ones. Yeah, you know, these Mount Rushmores are really difficult, hart, there's so many good ones. These Mount Rushmore's are really difficult because there's so many good names. You could go up on that and nobody would blink an eye and say, yeah, they belong on there. But then there's somebody else that we're forgetting. Teddy, we're out of time, we're actually over time. But man, I've enjoyed this and thank you so much for popping in here and asking tons of questions. This makes the show a lot more interesting for me and fun when Teddy and I can just answer your questions instead of the ones that we bring up and use and everything else. So hopefully you'll join us again next week, that's next Thursday night. Teddy, you'll be available next Thursday, still right?
Speaker 2:What is next Thursday?
Speaker 1:I'm trying to think the, but it's next thursday. I'm trying to think, uh, the 10th, oh yeah, okay, okay, yeah, because I know we're getting close to uh wrestlemania, and you might, we might be on the 17th, okay, okay, but uh, in the meantime, you'll find us on thursday nights, live, right here. You can join us and your questions will get thrown up on the screen and Teddy will answer each and every one of them as we have time, and then he picks one of those questions to win a Road Trip After Hours t-shirt.
Speaker 2:So, teddy, who is that going to be? And the one I'm going to pick tonight is the just one that we just talked about Just before this. We were just talking about it. He asked a hell of a question.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're talking about why we don't have managers and that is Final Boss Engaged. I'll get in contact with you after the show as well and make sure we get your address to send that t-shirt out to you. All right, guys? That's it, teddy, anything you need to talk about before we go?
Speaker 2:No, I'll be seeing everybody tomorrow night at Westminster, south Carolina. At the Westminster High School. There, big wrestling show, big Minister of South Carolina. At the Westminster High School there, big wrestling show, big meet and greet.
Speaker 1:I'll be there hollering at all the players Alright, and we'll see you again next Thursday. Live right here. Let's do this.
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