Teddy Long is a beloved member of WWE and one of the greatest SmackDown General Managers of all time. Best known for creating tag team matches and putting together his iconic dance at the top of the stage, Long had a fantastic career which was wrapped up when he was inducted into WWE's Hall Of Fame.
However, while Long is a popular person within wrestling and is somebody that fans certainly know a lot about, there are still a lot of things many members of the WWE Universe do not know when it comes to Long, both on and off the screen.
10 He Was A Referee
A lot of wrestling fans only know Teddy Long for his work as either a manager or a General Manager. While that ended up being the biggest part of his career, it wasn't the only thing he did with WWE, as he started as a referee.
He took on this role for a while with the company, being in the ring for many great moments from 1998 - 2002, which then led to him taking on a different position. However, it just goes to show how simply being involved in the industry can lead to different things.
9 He Worked For WCW
Something else a lot of fans aren't aware of is the fact that Teddy Long worked for WCW at the start of his career. While he has gone down in history as a great WWE legend, he kicked everything off by working for the opposition.
This is due to the fact he started his journey into wrestling with Jim Crockett Promotions, which led him into WCW. He worked with the company as both a referee and manager, showcasing his personality within the industry.
8 DJing Opened Doors
Teddy Long originally started his life in wrestling as a referee, but he was quickly put into a management role by Jim Ross. This was long before he worked for WWE and went back to the stripes, but it was his ability as a DJ that saw him catch the attention of people.
Long would DJ on the road to keep the wrestlers entertained and this is where his microphone skills were first picked up. JR heard of Long's ability to talk and that saw him go from being an official to being a manager.
7 He Wrestled At Survivor Series
Whenever somebody gets put into the position of an authority figure by WWE, the chances are always high that they will end up stepping into the ring to wrestle. That is what happened to Teddy Long during his time as SmackDown General Manager.
He got the chance to compete at one of WWE's biggest shows, Survivor Series, where he went one on one with Eric Bischoff. Teddy got the win during this match due to help from The Boogeyman, in what was quite a poor encounter.
6 Reality Of Wrestling
Teddy Long was a fantastic General Manager in WWE, bringing great promos and a lot of energy to everything that he did. However, it isn't just for that company where he has worked as a GM, as he took on the role for Reality Of Wrestling as well.
This promotion is run by Booker T, with the legendary wrestler bringing Teddy in as a favor. Long was an established name that fans enjoyed seeing, but because ROW isn't one of the major promotions, a lot of fans will be unaware of this role.
5 Original GM Opportunity
Teddy Long is the most iconic SmackDown General Manager of all time, but he had his first role as a GM on the red brand. Long was brought in for one night only in 2004 and he was a heel in this role, which led to tension with Steve Austin throughout the night.
This led to a confrontation between the two during the show, with him eventually eating a Stunner to pop the crowd. However, considering he would end up as the SmackDown GM, he did enough at this time to impress.
4 Giving Out Merchandise
Teddy Long was involved with WCW when the company was bought out by WWE and during this time he took it upon himself to provide a great gesture to fans. With WCW having a lot of merchandise that wouldn't be used, Long drove to the warehouse to get as much as possible.
He then went and gave that out for free to fans and younger children from poor backgrounds. Despite the fact his career was in a period of turmoil, Long was busy thinking about other people.
3 Wrestler's Court
Wrestler's Court is something that fans are all aware of, with this being the way that the talent used to police issues behind the scenes. Sometimes it was petty and done for entertainment and other times it was more serious, but on one occasion, Teddy Long himself ended up on trial.
This was done because Long was selling viagra to the wrestlers. The issue that was taken up was because Long didn't pay for them himself, so he was making money from the talent and The Undertaker found him guilty.
2 He Managed The Undertaker
When people think about Teddy Long, The Undertaker isn't far behind. He would often tell people they were "going one on one with The Undertaker," during his tenure as SmackDown boss. However, a lot of people do not realize that he once managed The Deadman.
However, this partnership came long before The Undertaker character was born, as Long managed him in WCW. This was when 'Taker teamed with Sid Vicious and Long was a key part of the group, adding plenty of personality to the duo.
1 Incredible Weight Loss
Something that a lot of fans might not be aware of is the fact that Teddy Long underwent an incredible weight loss journey throughout his career in wrestling. When Long began in the industry he was much larger than he is today.
Long put in the work away from his television role to improve upon his health, which is a credit to him. The benefits were clear to see as well, with Long losing a lot of weight during this period.