WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long believes professional wrestling is still Vince McMahon’s true passion and says he isn’t convinced the former WWE Chairman’s story in the industry is finished.
Speaking on TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast, Long shared his thoughts on the wrestling business in 2026, discussing everything from creative direction and talent development to the possibility of McMahon becoming involved in wrestling again.
Long acknowledged that there is no shortage of talent across the industry today but argued that a wrestler’s success often depends on the creative decisions being made behind the scenes. “A lot of talent is out there now. Some guys are doing great, and some guys are not. And it’s based on the creative people, the people that are in charge of what you do out on that TV. That’s how your career is based.”
According to Long, one poorly conceived creative decision can have lasting consequences for a performer’s momentum and standing. “You can go out there and do something one night and it will kill you. That’ll kill your whole career. And they know how to do that to people.”
The longtime manager and authority figure also suggested that some decision-makers throughout wrestling history have used their positions of power in ways that negatively affected talent. “A lot of guys that are in charge don’t do it because you can do the job. They’ll mess with you because they got the power. They know that they can.”
While Long believes some aspects of the business are improving, he expressed a desire to see Vince McMahon involved in wrestling again. “So, it’s changing a little bit now, but I think what we got to do, we got to get Vince [McMahon] back so we can do this thing right and get the fans back on board, man.”
Long was also asked whether he believes McMahon’s chapter in professional wrestling has truly come to an end. “I don’t think the chapter has ever closed with him.”
While making it clear he was not commenting on the controversies surrounding McMahon, Long said his opinion is based on knowing how deeply invested McMahon has always been in the wrestling industry. “Like I said, I don’t know what happened or any of that stuff, but in my knowing him, this [wrestling] was his life. He loved this. This was his life.”
Long recalled traveling with McMahon and witnessing firsthand how consumed he was by the wrestling business. “I had a chance to ride on the plane with him one night, and as soon as we took off, he talked about wrestling until we landed.”
The WWE Hall of Famer also shared a more recent story from McMahon’s 80th birthday celebration, where he observed the former WWE Chairman instinctively slipping back into production mode during rehearsal preparations. “And so, he loves this. This is his life. I watched him at his [80th] birthday party during the rehearsal. They had a band and some singers there, a choir, and they were rehearsing before they got ready to go.”
According to Long, McMahon immediately began directing activity around him much like he had done throughout his decades running WWE. “I saw him, and he had his headset on, and Kevin Dunn was there. Kevin has always been his right-hand man. He’s looking at Kevin: ‘Kevin, get him over there.’ You know what I mean? He’s doing his thing. He’s at home.”
For Long, the scene reinforced the idea that producing and organizing live entertainment is simply part of who McMahon is. “I looked at him and I’m like, this is him. This is what he does.”
McMahon has remained largely out of the public wrestling spotlight since his departure from WWE leadership, but Long’s comments suggest he believes the former chairman’s passion for the industry remains as strong as ever.
Whether McMahon ever returns to a meaningful role in professional wrestling remains unknown, but according to Teddy Long, wrestling is something Vince McMahon has never truly been able to walk away from.
