Across the two nights of the 2023 WWE Draft, a number of Hall of Famers made surprise appearances including Rob Van Dam, Road Dogg, Teddy Long, and Molly Holly.
Of course, Teddy Long knows a thing or two about WWE Drafts having enjoyed more than one popular spell as the SmackDown General Manager.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nick Hausman for Inside The Ropes, Long reflected on his most recent return to WWE, and one particular moment of relaxation with Rob Van Dam. The former referee has never hidden his love of marijuana — this is the man who smoked with Snoop Dogg despite knowing he’s be fined $1000 — so naturally he crossed paths with Van Dam.
When asked whether he had the chance to “sneak out back” with the former ECW star, Long joked that the pair had “one hell of a conversation.”
“Of course we did. You know we did. [laughs]
We did had one hell of a conversation. That’s all I can tell you. [laughs]”
“It Was An Honour To Be Out There With Him” – Teddy Long On JBL
On both Raw and SmackDown, Long appeared with JBL and the pair presided over round three of the Draft. The two men have a long friendship going all the way back to the late 1990s, and JBL was on hand to induct Long into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
Reflecting on the appearance, Long said that it was an honour to be on stage with his fellow Hall of Famer once again.
“Well, you know, me and JBL we’ve been friends ever since I started in WWE in 1998. Man, and so just a great honor to be out there with him. If we can go back, you know, he gave me one of the greatest Hall of Fame speeches that I think anybody could ever do, because he told the truth. He said exactly like it was and so you know, I love JBL he cares a lot about me and we’re just, you know, we’re a team together, man. What a great guy.”
One of the biggest headlines surrounding the WWE Draft is the introduction of a new World Heavyweight Championship. With Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns drafted to SmackDown, the new championship will be exclusive to Raw. The first champion will be crowned at Night of Champions on May 27th.
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