Teddy Long Opens Up on His WWE Release, Says It is Not His Choice Not to Be Involved in Wrestling

WWE Hall Of Famer Teddy LongĀ appeared on Busted Open Radio this week to discuss the problems with his Twitter account as well as some amusing road stories.

On Tommy Dreamer complimenting Long staying in shape at the age of 75:

“Well, let me explain something to you,” Long said. I heard you guys made a comment at my age, right? You know, I don’t worry about age. And I don’t worry about numbers. If you continue to live, the numbers are going to come. If you live the next year, you’re going to be another year older. So whatever age I am, that doesn’t bother me because that don’t mean I have to look like that. And that don’t mean I have to feel like that. So I’m not worried about my age. I think a lot of people in the wrestling business are worried about it. Maybe that’s why I don’t have a job now because they feel that I’m too old. But there are a lot of people that are still working in this business that are just as old as I am.”

Dave Lagreca told Long that it’s a shame he’s not in professional wrestling because he still has a lot to offer. Long responded:

“Well, you know, that’s not my decision. That’s not left up to me, you know, that’s left up to the powers to be you know whether they want to be involved with me or not, but it don’t bother me. I don’t worry. Brother listen, let me tell you something. Mark Henry can tell you this. On that road each and every day, that is the most stressful sh*t in the world. So I’ll tell you something brother, on the road over 20 years I was. So I came home. And after I was home for about three or four months, I didn’t want to leave, I’m so happy to be sleeping in my own bed every night. I’ll get out on track. But I’ll get out now and go make appearances but I come back home and I’m able to sleep in my own bed, I’m not stressed. So they’re not really hurting me, they really did me a favor. I got a chance to get out and get myself back together before I left WWE.”

On why he was released by WWE:

“I was stressed a little bit. I put on some weight. So I think that had a lot to do with it. I’m not blaming WWE, I’m blaming myself, because I got low stress. And I put on this weight and stuff. And then Vince always took care of me. And they have a drug policy there about smoking the marijuana. So I quit smoking weed, because I didn’t want to let Vince down and I didn’t want to fail no drug test because I’ve respected him enough that he gave me this opportunity, and I’m not gonna f**k it up. So that’s why I quit smoking the weed. And then after a while being stressed out after four or five years I started riding with certain people. I won’t call their name, because I don’t want to put them out there. But anyway, I started back to smoking weed and I mess around and failed one of the drug tests and put that weight on. And I know Vince hates that. He hates the weight and Mark and tell you about that. So I blamed myself. I was the cause of my release. But you know, they were gonna do it anyway. But I think I helped them.”

You can listen to the podcast below:


(h/t to Wrestling News for the transcription)