WWE legend reveals reason why he isn't working in wrestling currently (Exclusive)

Working in WWE gives a lot of credibility in the professional wrestling circuit, as it's arguably the biggest company in the business. Many former WWE names tend to use that experience to help land jobs in other promotions.

However, one popular personality who isn't working in the pro wrestling business currently is former SmackDown General Manager and WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long. The 77-year-old became a fan favorite during his time as an on-screen authority figure in the 2000s, and fans still love him.

However, since exiting the promotion, Long hasn't worked in any notable roles in other companies. During a recent chat on The Wrestling Time Machine with Bill Apter, Mac Davis, and former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas, Long revealed the real reason behind it.

"That's why a lot of guys like myself and maybe other guys don't have a job right now in WWE or AEW because the talent, and that's all they've been taught all this time, is that, 'Well, that guy, no, he can still talk, but he's too old.' So what does that have to do with anything? If you're able to talk and function and do everything else like anybody else, then if you're able to maintain a job, you want to talk about being old, you know what I mean?" Long said. [6:02 onwards]

Teddy Long is a veteran of the professional wrestling industry, having started his career back in 1985. Like Korderas, Long started his career as a referee before transitioning into a heel manager. He debuted in the global juggernaut in 1998 as a referee and eventually went on to become SmackDown's GM in the mid-2000s.

He was released from the Stamford-based promotion in 2014 and has since made sporadic appearances for the company. Korderas, who was released from World Wrestling Entertainment in 2009, retired as a match official back in 2012 after a short stint with ROH. He has since been enjoying his time off with his family. The veteran also has an active YouTube channel.

To check out Jimmy Korderas' content, visit his YouTube channel, Refin It Up.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video if you use quotes from this article.

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 Yash Mittal