Teddy Long Reveals What Vince McMahon Said To Him When He First Discovered Him

Teddy Long says he hopes the current WWE product “gets a little better,” saying that there are some things about it that turn him off. The WWE star has had a long association with the company, and confirmed in a recent interview on TMZ Inside the Ring that he is still under a Legends deal with the company. During the conversation, he noted that he doesn’t necessarily vibe with the current product as it’s “not like the Attitude Era” where he came up.

Long, who recently shot down a rumor he would be returning as Smackdown GM, also talked about working under Vince McMahon. You can see the highlights below:

On the Current Product:

“Well, I still have a deal with them. You know, I have the Legends deal. So, I still watch their product. I’ll go to TV every — if they call me and they want me to do something, but I don’t think that’ll be happening. But anyway like I said, I’m still part of that company, and I’m just hoping and praying that it gets a little better than what it is.

I got to tell you — I don’t watch a lot of it now, but I do watch it. And sometimes I see things that kind of turn me off. I’m like, ‘Well, that’s good.’ And then I look up and they’re done with it, so you didn’t accomplish anything. So, it’s just not like the Attitude Era, you know, and that’s a part of that’s what I came up in.”

On Working With Vince McMahon:

“Like I said, I’ve been in this over 40-some years. I started with the people that invented this. So I had a chance, and I was blessed by God to work closely with Vince. When Vince McMahon discovered me, he told me to my face. He said, ‘Teddy Long, they wasted you down south.’ And the next thing he told me to my face was, ‘Teddy Long, I can’t believe I’ve had you right here under my nose all this time.’ Those were words that came out of his mouth.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.