Teddy Long Was Not Invited To Big WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

When The Undertaker was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last April, it was widely seen as the crowning achievement of an extraordinary career in wrestling. However, another Hall of Famer who played a role in The Undertaker's continued popularity was omitted from the ceremony to honor the iconic wrestler.

In an exclusive interview with Wrestling Inc., Teddy Long, who played an on-air authority figure for years in WWE and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, pointed out that he was not invited by WWE to the induction.

"I managed Undertaker before he was ever Undertaker," Long said. "He was Mean Mark Callous."

Long also noted that he created the catchphrase "you will go one on one with The Undertaker" – a declaration he would make to the WWE roster members that inevitably generated expressions of shock, anxiety, and dismay over the prospect of facing that fearsome opponent.

Long acknowledged his exclusion from the ceremony but insisted there was no bitterness from being left out.

"I'm just saying to you, like I said, didn't bother me," he told Wrestling Inc. "I don't care. Because I know this business and I know that there are people that didn't want me there, and know who those people are. So, I'm just saying to you, how do you miss that?"

Although Long was denied an official invitation, he admitted receiving and turning down the offer to come as a guest of Wrestling Inc. to the induction.

"Yeah, but I didn't feel right," he said. "You know what I mean? I just didn't feel right doing that. I didn't want to look like I'm sucking up to Undertaker."