WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long broke down WrestleMania 42 weekend on the latest episode of Road Trip After Hours with co-host Mac Davis, sharing his takes on Brock Lesnar’s retirement tease, the two-night format, the state of WWE’s creative team under TKO leadership, and what it was like being in Las Vegas for the weekend.
Teddy Long On Brock Lesnar Leaving His Boots In The Ring
Long’s reaction to Lesnar’s tease after losing to Oba Femi was one of the most detailed takes he gave during the segment.
“I thought that it was great. Brock, you did business, and that’s the way things should be. And at the end, the way they did it, for him, I guess he’s retiring. I’m not sure about that, because you see so many guys retire and go away, and next thing you know, here they are again. But I think that the way Brock did it was outstanding. Everything was great.”
Long believes WWE was in on the moment.
“I think they knew. I don’t think you just go in business for yourself out there. So if he did that, that’s what he would have done. So I think they knew.”
When Davis asked Long if he had any personal Brock Lesnar memories he could share, Long spoke warmly about Lesnar as a person.
“He’s just always been a nice guy. I’ve known him for a real long time. Always been a nice guy to work with. Great attitude. That’s all I can say.”
Teddy Long On The Two-Night WrestleMania Format
Long said he would have preferred to keep WrestleMania as a one-night event but framed the two-night expansion as a business decision he understands.
“I would have certainly kept it at one day,” Long said. “But like I said, time changes, Mac, and we just have to understand, as time changes, marketing changes. A whole lot of stuff changes. So you have to figure out, well, here’s an extra day here, if you’re the businessman of this. Let me try this. Let’s see if I can make money with two days of WrestleMania. Let’s try it. If it works, it works. If it don’t, we don’t do it no more. So that’s what I think they did. They gambled with it. And when Vince did it at first, it did real good. So hey, let’s roll with it.”
Teddy Long On The TKO Creative Structure
Long expressed concern about TKO leadership publicly asserting control over WWE creative.
“With TKO getting involved with wrestling, this is the first time they’ve been involved with this. I just can’t see some of them without Triple H’s help to do creative work. You got to have somebody that knows this business to be in creative.”
When Davis asked whether a flat-looking WrestleMania stage was a sign of that creative disconnect, Long agreed directly.
“Like I just said, you can’t have people that don’t know anything about our business being in creative. If that’s what they created for a stage or for their big grand entrance, that just didn’t get it.”
Teddy Long Blames WrestleMania’s Issues On Creative, Not The Wrestlers
When Davis suggested that the wrestlers in undercard matches were being given filler spots because of weaker storytelling, Long was clear where he thought the fault lies.
“It’s not their fault. It’s the fault of the creative. It is what it is.”
Teddy Long On Hanging Out At WrestleCon
Long also shared who he caught up with during the weekend, including catching the final Sandman match and running into Mick Foley.
“I seen Sandman at WrestleCon, him and Mick Foley both. I got a chance to holler at both of them.”
He also made a point of stopping by to see the newly inducted Demolition.
“I stopped by and spoke to both of those guys. Two great guys.”
What Mac Davis Said
Davis used his time on the segment to make a broader argument that WrestleMania has lost the scale and aura that once defined it.
“Even the stage at WrestleMania wasn’t that impressive. It looked like an average stage for any average show. There was nothing spectacular about WrestleMania when, back in the day, Vince McMahon would never have had a WrestleMania that felt that flat. It looked like just an everyday SmackDown show.”
Davis said the broader issue is that the two-night format has thinned the card out beyond what the current storylines can support.
“Take the best of the best, represent them in one night, like they used to do. Give us one night at WrestleMania and make us want more. Don’t make it get to the point where you get so tired of all the leftovers that are still sitting on the table. And that’s what I feel like we get at WrestleMania now.”
Davis also pointed to circulating graphics that estimated commercials and entrances took up more screen time than the matches themselves, and criticized WWE for expecting fans to pay for both an ESPN Unlimited subscription and sit through outside advertising during the broadcast.
“You have to buy that little app from ESPN, then buy through the Disney app. You got to pay extra money for something that should be commercial-free. Outside advertising should not be a part of an event like WrestleMania.”
Davis noted the reported decline in ticket sales compared to last year.
“They didn’t sell as many tickets as they normally sell. They sold, I think it’s 40,000 fewer tickets. But whatever the amount was, still they made more than they made last year. So it all come down to the money.”
If you use quotes from this article, please credit the source and include a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
