Theodore Long

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Theodore Long
Statistics
Ring name(s) Teddy Long

Theodore R. Long

"Sugar Ray" Long

T Lo

Theodore Long
Billed height 5'9 (175 cm)
Billed weight 160lbs
Born September 15, 1955
Birmingham, Alabama
Resides Atlanta, Georgia
Debut 1988

Theodore Robert Long, also referred to as Teddy Long, and T Lo (born September 15, 1955) is a former Professional wrestling referee and manager, and is currently working on World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown! brand as its General Manager.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] National Wrestling Alliance/World Championship Wrestling

Long started out as an errand boy for wrestlers Tommy Rich and Abdullah the Butcher. He eventually became a member of the ringcrew and was promoted to referee in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 as Teddy Long. He was a good referee until 1989 when he started to bend the rules for the heels. At the Chi-Town Rumble event, Teddy Long ran in and counted three, making Ricky Steamboat the NWA World Champion. On April 2, 1989 at the Clash of Champions in New Orleans, Long blatantly made a fast count allowing Mike Rotunda & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to defeat the Road Warriors for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After this match, the National Wrestling Alliance relieved Long of his refereeing duties.

Long became the manager of Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed) and led them to the World Tag Team Titles. He also managed Chris Jericho, Johnny B. Badd, One Man Gang, Norman the Lunatic, "The Skyscrapers" (Sid Vicious, Dan Spivey & Mark Callaway), Marcus Bagwell, 2 Cold Scorpio, Joey Maggs, Craig Pittman, Jim Powers, Ice Train and Bobby Eaton while in Jim Crockett Promotions and WCW.

[edit] World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment

Long performed as a referee in WWF from the late 1990s until September 2002, when he was taken off the road.

He was re-packaged as a Manager and perhaps his most notable managing stint in this period came when managing D'Lo Brown, Rodney Mack, Christopher Nowinski, Rosey, Mark Henry and Jazz at different times, telling fans to get "Down wit' da Brown" and to "Back da Mack." He played a stereotypical "held-down" minority, using ebonics (such as, "Don't be drinkin' that Hate-orade." and "You know I'd look good on the dolla dolla bill.") His stable would be referred to by fans as "Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises." When he was drafted to SmackDown!, he managed his second white wrestler, Mark Jindrak.

After Kurt Angle was fired from the General Manager position in July 2004, Long became the new General Manager of SmackDown! His new position saw him as a face, giving the fans what they wanted and making matches that put heels at disadvantages, notably John "Bradshaw" Layfield. At first, he continued use of his "Hate-orade" talk, but less aggressively, and with humor. One example was when he stripped heel Booker T of the US Championship for "drinkin' Hate-orade." Long is the first ever African American to become a GM in the WWE. Long is also the longest lasting General Manager in the WWE today.

As part of the RAW vs. SmackDown! feud, Long defeated then RAW GM Eric Bischoff at Survivor Series 2005 with the help of The Boogeyman. Shortly after, Bischoff was fired from RAW, and to date Vince McMahon is running the show himself, lately through "executive assistant" Jonathan Coachman.

However, Theodore Long still had problems with Booker T and his defense of the United States title. Booker T attempted to get out of title defenses on a number of occasions by pretending to be injured, and having other wrestlers fight on his behalf. Eventually, Long got tired of these shenanigans, and at No Way Out 2006, Booker was told to face Benoit or be stripped of the US title. Chris Benoit won the match and was congratulated by Theodore Long.

At Judgment Day 2006 Long fired Melina & Johnny Nitro from SmackDown! On the following SmackDown!, JBL suffered the same fate after losing the WWE United States Championship to Bobby Lashley, and then losing a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match to Rey Mysterio in his Judgment Day rematch.

On the September 4th, 2006 episode of Raw, Long appeared to a tremendous ovation in his hometown. During a six-person, intergender tag match between Randy Orton, Edge, and Lita against Trish Stratus, Carlito, and John Cena, some fans chanted Theodore's name.

[edit] Wrestlers managed by Theodore Long

[edit] Quotes

  • "Holla, holla, holla!"
  • "Ya feel me?"
  • "Ya dig?"
  • "Hold on a minute, playa'!"
  • "Wait a second playa!!!"
  • "Lemmie holla at cha playa!!!"
  • "Ya know what playa?"
  • "It will be ________ vs.........THE UUUUUUUUUNNNNDAAAAAAATTTTAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKAHHH!!!!
  • "Are you feelin' dat playa?"

[edit] Championships and accomplishments/Trivia

  • Long won the 1990 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Manager of the Year Award.
  • First person to ever serve as a general manager for both RAW and SmackDown!. (Long was named Raw GM for one night by then-GM Eric Bischoff) in January 2004
  • Longest reigning General Manager of SmackDown!
  • Theodore Long is left-handed.
  • Theodore Long's theme song is "MacMilitant," which used to be Rodney Mack's theme song.

[edit] External links

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