Teddy Long: What would you do with him?

[Jstrike]

Teddy Long has been the best smackdown gm of all time, years ago it would be hard to imagine a smackdown without him. but now its hard to imagine a smackdown with him, i don't understand why wwe keeps teddy under contract when teddy has no point what so ever. the least wwe could do is give him a manager role and try to get someone over? i mean at least make the money worth while, i don't get it why wwe would just throw away money on teddy long, when long has no role in the wwe?s
So would you fire teddy? and what does teddy have to offer for the next years to come?

 

[HereComesThePain420]

I Think they should FIRE teddy long nothing left for him to do in WWE

 

[Jack-Hammer]

In all honesty, the only role I can think of for Teddy Long that holds any degree of interest for me would be as a manager. There's obviously no room on commentary for him, not that I think he'd bring anything particularly special to the table even if a spot was open. We've seen him in the role of an on air authority figure several times already, so there's no new ground to be broken there. I suppose WWE could always put him in the role of a referee, though I'm sure it'd be viewed as a huge step down for him.

I could see Teddy Long as a manager for a few singles wrestlers, maybe a tag team or even a small stable. If WWE had a mind to, I'm sure they could come up with a storyline in which Teddy Long takes some guys on the roster who haven't broken up to that "next level" yet. Teddy could take up the position in which he's noticed that there are a lot of young studs on the roster who have been held back for one reason or another, who haven't had the opportunities as some others due to politics backstage, personal animosity, etc. Maybe casting him in the role of a tweener rather than a straight heel would work, especially if they portrayed him as having a chip on his shoulder but not as someone that's crying & whining all the time. I could see Teddy Long managing The Prime Time Players, Kofi Kingston, maybe Antonio Cesaro and/or a few others as examples of guys who "show promise" and have been "held back" for whatever reason. I'd be leery of going the route in which Teddy manages a stable of all black wrestlers as there'd be obvious references or references that some would interpret as racial overtones. Even if it's not something WWE intended, you'd still have people making the claim just like you had people accusing WWE of being anti-immigration, racist or inciting political controversy aimed at the Republican & Tea Parties because of Zeb Coulter & Jack Swagger's characters early on.

 

[Broski_of_the_week]

I think he should probably be 'future endeavoured' as his gimmick is beyond stale and his ability is no better than others who are much more over and interesting to the fans. However, as been as WWE are still paying him a weekly wage, why not have him manage the Prime Time Players? Their gimmick most suits him and PTP aren't given much mic time as it seems WWE don't have much faith in their mic skills (despite Pancake Patterson being one of the most interesting WWE characters of all time ).

Should they wish to have the PTP be face you've got interesting feuds with the Wyatts, SHIELD and Real Americans available where Long can help create interest in the tag division by battling on the mic with the likes of Bray Wyatt, Ambrose and Zeb Colter and should they wish to make them heel again then you've got a potentially awful (but good in the eyes of creative) feud with either Los Matadores (cue silly angles involving PTP and Long chasing El Torito) or with Santino and Khali (cue silly angles involving PTP and Long chasing Hornswoggle). Please... Please... WWE, keep them face!

 

[Uncle]

Teddy seems to be on a television legends contract. That being said I would love to see him manage a wrestler or 2. But it seems like the WWE doesn't want to have managers in general. Maybe let him have a shot at the announce table instead of JBL. If all else seams to fail Teddy has alot of knowledge that he could pass on down in the NXT training center. He would be a very good mic skill/Ref/Manager trainer. Sure im forgetting some of his skills but you all get the point.

 

[MCMG]

Teddy as a general manager cannot be revisited. It was becoming awful and repetitive by the end of his reign. I don't think he was even that popular compared to someone like Booker T who can be a face manager and still be a strong on screen personality.

I wouldn't go as far to say that Teddy should be fired because I think he could have some use. Managing a superstar is an option but I can't think of an obvious name. To be honest, Teddy is unlucky that we have Triple H, Vince, Vicke and Maddox all very good heel authority figures in their own right. He is nowhere near their level at what he does and even as a manager he may struggle.

 

[Apexpredatorofwrestling]

Give him another role. Forget him filling the role of a face general manager anymore, he's had his time. I'd like to see him become a heel manager and try push a team see if he's any good with it - we all know he loves tag team matches, HOLLA HOLLA HOLLA!

 

[Jerichoholic8894]

They need to have him manage Big E Langston. Teddy is a good manager, and they need to get Langston into a feud!

I say stick him with Langston, maybe PTP or just let him go IMO.

 

[GeneralKarim]

I would have him be a manager , a heel manager. I think he could be a good manager for PTP if they were heels for example. Or maybe Langston as Jerichoholic mentioned.

His GM stick is old as hell and even if they make him a heel GM i think people are kinda tired of him overall. We need some fresh blood. We have maddox for raw. We need someone for Smackdown also. But until they find that new blood I would have William Regal as GM, that dude is pure gold. A shame they dont use him more.

 

[Slash-LN]

The only thing I could think of and other people have mentioned it is make him a manager again. I like the idea that Jerichoholic mentioned of having him managing Big E.

I'm not sure if he also holds another title in the company or not but a few years ago him and some of the wrestlers were staying at a hotel I worked at and he was in charge of making sure everyone knew what time they needed to be at the arena, he was the one who took care of getting a day pass to the local gym for everyone and for some of the wrestlers who didn't stay at our hotel they came by to talk to him about plans for the day.
If he is still the one in charge of that kind of stuff then it makes sense for them to keep him around.

 

[Kris Benwa]

They need to have him manage Big E Langston. Teddy is a good manager, and they need to get Langston into a feud!

I say stick him with Langston, maybe PTP or just let him go IMO.

I agree with this totally and would love for that to happen. However, if I do anything else with him I would make him like a GM of tag team matches which basically gives him the role he has now of coming out when there are even number of superstars in the ring and saying "This match is now...a tag team match! Playa!" And then walking to the back

 

[Pedigree1]

I agree with JH as to the role Teddy Long should hold. He was very viable as a manager,back in the day. But to suggest he manages wrestlers who have been held back,the WWE is going to have be extremely careful on how they portray that card if they go that rout. I think while he could do okay as an announcer his best fit at this point is as a manager.

We all have been wanting Kofi to go heel. The Jolly Kofi gimmick needs to go he has shown in the past aggression and someone to take serious. Teddy Long IMO,could bring that out in him. Like I said the WWE is gonna have to be careful on how if they handle this but this angle shows promise.