WWE Hall of Famer blasts AEW for strange hiring policy : "I'm not looking for no job" (Exclusive)

AEW has grown rapidly since coming into existence in 2019. The promotion is competing toe-to-toe with WWE in various aspects despite being relatively new to the industry. One of the major things that has helped the company grow is hiring experienced in-ring performers and backstage executives.

All Elite Wrestling has various former WWE wrestlers in its ranks, like Adam Copeland, Bryan Danielson, Mercedes Mone, and many others. The company's roster even has prominent legends like Jim Ross, Taz, and Dean Malenko in non-wrestling roles. Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently commented on the organization's seemingly strange hiring policy.

On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, Teddy Long blasted the Tony Khan-led company for 'rejecting' him on the account of being too old. Long also claimed he never looked for a job there.

"They use that to say that you're too old. You know, that's that was the message that I got from AEW that they weren't hiring any old people. I'm not looking for no job. I never called AEW asking them for no job. And then you send me a message like that and half of the guys over there old as me," Long said. [From 6:55 onwards]

Teddy Long has long been a fan favorite and gets the crowd popping every time he makes an appearance. The former WWE authority figure has had a long and storied career, performing as a referee and the general manager of SmackDown.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Pratik Singh