WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently opened up about scrapped plans for him to turn heel and feud with Booker T on SmackDown.
Back in 2012, after Team Teddy lost to Team John Laurinaitis at WrestleMania 28, Long lost his position as SmackDown's General Manager. A few months later, Booker T assumed power and appointed Teddy Long as his Senior Adviser. The duo shared great chemistry, with them getting along well initially. However, cracks began forming between them a few months down the line.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's One on One, Teddy Long revealed that the original idea was for him to turn heel. He stated that despite seeds being laid for the duo to engage in a heated feud, those plans didn't result in anything concrete.
Just when Booker T and Long's differences were coming to a boil, the former sustained an injury, thus ending his tenure as WWE SmackDown's GM abruptly. This also ended their budding rivalry before it could pick up any momentum.
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"Booker was going to come in and become the General Manager, and they were getting ready to turn me heel, and that's why he started giving me trouble because, you know, one time I did commentary with Michael Cole and Booker. I'm putting Booker over, and all of a sudden, Michael Cole said something like, 'He doesn't think you were doing good' and so I paused a minute, and I'm like, 'Oh, okay, so Booker said that? Okay, all right, so that's how Booker feels.' So, that's I'm letting you know now that I'm getting a little frustrated here, something may happen, but you know, it never happened, "said Teddy Long. (27:25 - 27:57)
Check out the full video below:
Teddy Long loved working with Booker T in WWE
Furthermore, Long mentioned how much he enjoyed working with Booker T, praising his sense of humor. Teddy Long also recalled the time when the former WCW Champion started calling him Thaddies instead of Teddy out of nowhere.
"Oh god, man, you can't work with Booker T; you can work with nobody. He's gonna keep you laughing, and I do stuff that, you know, made him laugh. One day he changed my name! He started calling me not Teddy but Thaddies," said Teddy Long. (27:59 - 28:18)
Booker T recently joined NXT's broadcast team and is thriving in the role. As for Teddy Long, the former SmackDown GM was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 for his immense contributions to the company.
Did you enjoy Booker T and Teddy Long's short-lived association on WWE SmackDown? Sound off in the comments section below.
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