WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently spoke with Wrestling Inc. about a wide range of topics, including his thoughts on Vince McMahon retiring, how the pro-wrestling industry was McMhaon’s life, and what he thinks about the allegations made against John Laurinaitis. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
His thoughts on Vince McMahon finally hanging them up:
“I’ve never experienced none of that. When this came out about Vince and stuff, it was really a shock to me. To know him — and I guess I didn’t know him — but, I mean, to be around him as long as I was and to just see how professional and how business he was, I’m saying I just would have never thought that.”
Says the wrestling industry was Vince McMahon’s life:
“I never will forget that [WWE commentator] Michael Cole told me one time that wrestling was Vince’s life. I was on Vince’s plane at the time and Michael Cole told me that Vince will talk about wrestling when we take off and he will talk about it until we land. And that’s exactly what he did. We talked about wrestling that whole flight. So, that’s why I think him being away is, like I said, he’s been doing this for so many years, so to step away like that it’s got to take a lot out of it.”
How he feels about John Laurinaitis:
“With John Laurinaitis, it’s karma. Karma will come back to get you. Laurinaitis was never a big fan of mine. He was laughing and grinning in my face, but he hated my guts.”