Teddy Long Reveals His Only Major Mishap with Vince McMahon Over Randy Orton Introduction

One Big Thing

WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long shared a rare incident where he faced Vince McMahon’s displeasure after an impromptu introduction of Randy Orton in St. Louis.

The Details

• Long and Orton were smoking cannabis on Orton’s bus before a dark match in St. Louis
• The former SmackDown GM enthusiastically introduced Orton using his old nicknames “The Viper” and “The Legend Killer”
• McMahon confronted Long backstage, unhappy about using unnecessary nicknames in Orton’s hometown

Direct Quote

“I just confessed to him. I said, ‘Sir, I’ll just be straight-up and honest with you. I was playing and I promise you that’ll never happen again,'” Long revealed on “Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway.”

Why It Matters

The incident highlights:

• McMahon’s attention to detail in WWE presentations
• The importance of appropriate crowd engagement in wrestlers’ hometowns
• How Long’s honest approach to the mistake helped maintain his standing with McMahon

By the Numbers

• This was Long’s only major incident with McMahon during his WWE tenure
• Long served as SmackDown General Manager from 2004 to 2012
• He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017

The Bottom Line

Despite the mishap, Long’s immediate accountability and honesty with McMahon helped preserve their professional relationship, demonstrating the value of taking responsibility in WWE’s corporate culture.

What do you think about Vince McMahon’s reaction to Long’s mistake? Was he right to be upset about the hometown introduction? Share your thoughts in the comments below.