10 Best Wrestlers Managed By Teddy Long
In the past, many pro wrestlers had onscreen managers helping guide their careers. In storyline, the managers would negotiate contracts and decide which matches they would accept on behalf of their clients. In reality, managers were mouthpieces. They would typically be paired with a performer who needed some help on the mic.
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In the late 80s and into the 90s, the former referee turned manager, Teddy Long would leave his mark on WCW. From there, Long would make his way to WWE where he would initially referee but eventually find himself again managing talents. During his time as a manager, Long had the privilege of standing beside some incredible performers.
10 Sgt. Craig Pittman
Many professional wrestlers have military backgrounds. Some performers prefer to shy away from their military service, while others incorporate it into their character. In 1994, after leaving the U.S. Marine Corps, Craig Pittman decided to train at the WCW Power Plant to become a pro wrestler. After originally debuting in early 1994, Pittman's character was tweaked a bit and he re-debuted in 1995 as a heel.
Pittman would begin a search for a manager in late 1995. Eventually, he would settle on Teddy Long. With Long at his side, Pittman would turn face and even receive an opportunity at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Pittman would then turn heel and dump Long in the fall of 1996, before leaving WCW altogether in 1997.
9 Chris Nowinski
When Teddy Long stepped back into the managing game in 2002, he slowly built a stable of competitors under him. Long would dub his stable "Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises." At one point or another, Thuggin' & Buggin' included the likes of Rodney Mack, Mark Henry, D'Lo Brown, Jazz, and Christopher Nowinski. The last name is probably the most surprising one on the list.
Believe it or not, in 2003, Nowinski would join forces with Long and his stable. Nowinski would assist Long and Rodney Mack in an ongoing feud with the Dudley Boyz. At one point, Long, Mack, and Nowinski even teamed against Bubba Ray, D-Von, and Spike Dudley. Nowinski would leave WWE in 2003 after suffering from lingering concussion issues.
8 Johnny B. Badd
Pro wrestling as a whole was going through a flamboyant stage in the early 90s. Both WWE and WCW were jam-packed with colorful and eccentric characters. In WCW, it didn't get more flamboyant than Johnny B. Badd. Badd made his WCW debut in 1991 at the very first SuperBrawl event. He was introduced as Teddy Long's newest client, indicating that he would be a heel.
Badd would go on to enjoy a strong initial push. He would repeatedly be ranked in the top 10 World Title contenders at the time. Badd would enjoy some decent success with Long. Eventually, though, Badd would turn good and part ways with his manager. Johnny B. Badd would go on to be a prominent player in WCW's mid-card scene, until he departed the company in 1996.
7 Jazz
In an era where women's wrestling was an afterthought at best, it's no surprise that a talented female performer like Jazz was overlooked. After piquing WWE's interest while in ECW, Jazz made her way to the promotion in 2001. She enjoyed a very strong push initially.
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In February of 2002, Jazz defeated Trish Stratus to win the WWE Women's Championship. She successfully defended her championship against Trish Stratus and Lita at WrestleMania X8. In 2003, Jazz would start being managed by Teddy Long. Long would lead Jazz to another reign as WWE Women's Champion. Shockingly, Jazz was released from her WWE contract in 2004, due to creative's lack of ideas for her character. She would briefly return to WWE in 2006, but that run wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as her first.
6 D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown was considered by many fans to be a hidden gem during WWE's Attitude Era. Brown was an extremely talented worker. The former WWE Intercontinental and European Champion was the first competitor to ever simultaneously hold both of WWE's mid-card titles. Despite his accomplishments, Brown was unable to find consistency in WWE.
In 2002, after arguably the lowest point in his career, Brown aligned himself with Teddy Long. The duo formed Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises together. Unfortunately for Brown, Long would quickly turn on him in favor of Rodney Mack. Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises would continue without Brown. He would be released from WWE in early 2003.
5 Norman The Lunatic
In 1989, after refereeing for the NWA for a few years, Teddy Long made the transition to managing talent. By many accounts, it was Kevin Sullivan and Eddie Gilbert who suggested to Jim Ross that Long be given an opportunity as a manager. Eventually, Long would be paired with Norman The Lunatic as his first client. In hindsight, the pairing was a bit odd but it was the opportunity Long needed, and he delivered.
Norman's character was that of a former insane asylum patient. Long would constantly dangle a key in front of Norman to control him. The implication being that if Norman didn't listen, Long would have him re-committed. In time, Norman would break away from Long and turn face, while the manager would move on to bigger and better things.
4 Rodney Mack
After ditching D'Lo Brown as one of his clients, Long would replace him with Rodney Mack in 2003.
As an intimidating heel, Mack fit better with Long. Mack and Long would repeatedly hold a "White Boy Challenge", where Mack would squash white enhancement talents. The challenges ended when Goldberg answered one and destroyed Mack. Mack would enjoy some moderate tag team success for the remainder of his run with Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises. He was released from WWE in late 2004.
3 Mark Henry
When Mark Henry first arrived in WWE, there were some lofty expectations placed on him. At first, Henry was unable to deliver everything that was asked of him. In 2003, after some time away, Henry returned to Monday Night Raw and associated himself with Teddy Long and Thuggin' & Buggin' Enterprises. The association paid immediate dividends for Henry.
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As part of Thuggin' &Buggin' Enterprises, Henry would enter a brief feud with World Heavyweight Champion, Goldberg. After that, Henry would feud with fellow future Hall Of Famers, Shawn Michaels, and Booker T. Even after his association with Long ended, Henry would carry forward his new aggressive persona and translate it into a great second half of his career.
2 The Skyscrapers
Size has always been coveted in the pro wrestling business. Vince McMahon catches a lot of heat for seemingly being size obsessed (ahem, Lars Sullivan), but WCW was plenty guilty of it too. The Skyscrapers are a prime example of that. With both Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious standing at 6'8", The Skyscrapers were initially booked to be very dominant in the WCW Tag Team Division.
Their main rivals were The Road Warriors. The two teams notoriously had some of the hardest hitting matches of their era. The Skyscrapers never brought Long any championship gold, but they certainly helped solidify him as a legitimate manager.
1 Doom
The WCW tag team scene in the early 90s remains among the most impressive ever. The Road Warriors and Steiner Brothers got the most publicity because of their backstage notoriety and ring presence, but there were plenty of teams who impressed night in and night out. One such team was Doom. Originally introduced by Woman, Doom was a set of physically imposing performers, Ron Simmons and Butch Reed, under masks.
The duo would feud with The Steiners on Woman's behalf until she moved on from them. In 1990, Teddy Long took over as Doom's manager and the team flourished. Long would help lead Doom to the NWA World Tag Team Championships. After Doom disbanded, Long would manage Ron Simmons for a bit. He was even in Simmon's corner on a few occasions, when Simmons was the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The members of Doom were undoubtedly Long's most successful clients.
