WWE Legend explains why Freddie Prinze's stint as writer didn't work out (Exclusive)

Hollywood actor Freddie Prinze Jr spent a few months on WWE books as part of the creative team for SmackDown, between 2008 and 2009. The actor had been a fan of the product since he was a child and tried to make a career in the promotion.

The writer didn't stay for long in the promotion and left the company just one year into his contract. WWE legend Teddy Long recently revealed why Prinze Jr.'s stint with WWE did not last long while speaking on an episode of The Wrestling Time Machine on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge.

Teddy revealed that a lot of the time, it felt like Prinze wasn't writing for wrestling, but instead, he was writing for Hollywood. The former SmackDown general manager said that while he doesn't blame Prinze for it, he can't say for sure whether someone sat down with him and explained how things worked in WWE.

"I don't know either, but I mean, from what, like some of the writers I was cool with and they talked to me, Freddie just didn't understand the wrestling business. He went into our business like he was writing a Hollywood script or a Hollywood movie. And that's all he knows. So what I'm saying is, I don't know whether they did or not, but I don't think anybody ever sat Freddie Prinze down and talk to him and told him, Hey, this is how our business works. This is how this is done." Long said.

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Prinze Jr left the global juggernaut in 2009 and has since made a couple of sporadic appearances for the company. He even returned in 2010 as a producer and director for RAW, but didn't stay on in that role for a long time, as he left once again two years later.

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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 Faiz Ahmed