Teddy Long may have been part of the wrestling business for decades, but some of his most signature traits came from outside of the industry.
During his time as SmackDown’s General Manager, Long would often dance to his theme song which was first used by Rodney Mack, a Superstar Long once managed. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Long shared how his dance came about.
“My grandson, he’s 19 now. Well when he was two years old, we were trying to learn him how to walk. So we bought this walker that we put him in… Every time we put him in this walker, all he would do would bop up and down like that. So I went to TV one night and they’re playing my music but I was just thinking about him. So I was having fun and just started doing the dance.
“One night, I got ready to walk out, and just as I got to the curtain, Vince is standing up. He’s yelling ‘DO THAT DANCE!’ What dance? And he starts doing it! And that’s how the dance started.”
Long’s signature dance would often be accompanied by him announcing some match or telling a wrestler ‘Let me tell you something playa.’ In the interview, Long explained how it wasn’t his grandson, but his dog that inspired his signature ‘playa.’
“I had a golden retriever, his name was Boss. I got him as a puppy but as he got bigger and bigger, Boss started getting in the way. So every time, I’m like ‘Come on Playa. Get out of the way Playa.’ I’m just talking to him and one night I went to TV I started using slang, calling people playa.”
Long is no longer a regular on WWE TV but is always met with cheers during appearances on programming. Whenever he does appear, odds are you’ll hear a ‘Playa’ or two and see his dance, a testament to how popular these parts of his character have become.
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