WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long was asked about what WWE Superstars back in the day truly thought about Shane McMahon. On the latest episode of The Wrestling Time Machine, he disclosed the truth about how most people felt.
Teddy Long spoke to co-host Mac Davis and wrestling legend Bill Apter about Vince McMahon, after which he was asked about his son Shane. The question to him was whether superstars who didn't get pushed felt resentful of The Prodigal Son.
Teddy Long said that Shane McMahon worked his butt off and that he earned the respect of everyone backstage:
"It was never like that. You got to understand one thing - this is the boss' son, one. And the other thing is that Shane McMahon worked his butt off, I'm telling you. He got in there, he took bumps, got injuries, and everything. Backstage, he was one of the boys. Great to hang out with, and he just had fun. I don't think anybody had a problem with Shane. He knew how to present himself to everybody, so they all liked him," said Long. (4:54-5:21)
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Bill Apter added to this by stating that even Stephanie McMahon was considered one of the boys:
"Stephanie [McMahon] was too. She would come up and talk to everyone. Stephanie was always nice to me," said Apter. (5:37-5:45)
Being called "one of the boys" is among the biggest honors a superstar in WWE can have, regardless of gender.
You can watch the full video below:
Shane McMahon's last two WWE outings have ended in the worst way imaginable
Shane McMahon's last two WWE outings have been forgettable, to say the least. The first of two appearances saw him return at the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble match, but he reportedly caused chaos backstage as he wanted the match to revolve around him.
It got so bad that even Vince McMahon had to step in, and after rubbing many people the wrong way, it seemed like Shane's tenure as an in-ring performer was done.
SmackDown Tag Team Champion did finally return at WrestleMania 39 over a year later alongside Snoop Dogg and collided with The Miz in an impromptu match, but it ended before it began as he took a leap and suffered a legitimate knee injury.
Nobody knows if or when he will ever return to the WWE ring.
If you take any quotes from the article, please embed the YouTube video and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.