Road Trip After Hours w/ WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Host Mac Davis
The Fastest 30 Minute Wrestling Show with WWE Hall of Famer TEDDY LONG and MAC DAVIS! It's FAST, It's FUN and it's FREE!
Road Trip After Hours w/ WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Host Mac Davis
The TASKMASTER Wrestling Icon Kevin Sullivan! ("Best of" from 2023)
Join us for a heartfelt session of "Road Trip After Hours",from our "BEST OF" series, as wrestling legends Teddy Long and Kevin Sullivan open up about the pivotal moments and influential figures that shaped their careers. With Mac Davis steering the conversation, Teddy recalls invaluable lessons from icons like Eddie Gilbert and Dusty Rhodes, paying tribute to the mentors who fueled his journey. Meanwhile, Kevin offers a glimpse into the past, sharing how James Brown's legendary presence helped keep peace in Boston and expressing admiration for Teddy's resilience in overcoming industry discrimination. It's a tribute to the mentorship and unwavering spirit that define the wrestling world.
We also explore the fascinating evolution of wrestling heat, with Kevin Sullivan shining a light on the dynamics of the famed Dungeon of Doom and its intricate connection to Hulk Hogan. The camaraderie and loyalty among wrestling's giants take center stage, underscoring the collaborative spirit that drives the industry. As we transition to modern wrestling, the storytelling brilliance of the Bloodline is hailed as a pinnacle of creativity. Teddy highlights his own growth and creativity during collaborations in Texas, showcasing the enduring impact of teamwork and creativity in wrestling's ever-evolving narrative landscape.
Father, I have drank from the goblet of darkness and now I feel your power. Now I know why we can crush the immortal Hulk Hogan and all those Hulkamaniacs. Father, what gift do you give me next? I can't wait.
Speaker 2:Fast, master, my son, the warrior that I bring to you is a warrior that has crossed the burning sands of the Sahara Desert, of the Sahara Desert, a warrior who has slain the beasts on the shores of Mount Kilimanjaro, from the deepest, darkest part of the African continent. I bring you, all right, my son. Oh, thank you, father. All right, my son, because it is it.
Speaker 3:It's now. Hello, everybody, and welcome to an all-new episode of Road Trip After Hours. I'm your host, Mac Davis, along with my WWE Hall of Famer co-host, Mr Teddy Long. Hey, Teddy.
Speaker 4:Hey, what's up, mac? How you doing, man? I'm sorry we had to open up with Rufus barking in the background there, but you know he's got to look out for us.
Speaker 3:Teddy, we got a special guest today. This has been a great month of guests and I'm looking forward to this next interview. It's something I've been really wanting to hear from in quite a long time. Tell us who we have today, teddy.
Speaker 4:Well, I tell you what man we have, my mentor. A lot of people don't know in the wrestling business. You know that when I first broke into this business I had the opportunity to ride with a guy named Kevin Sullivan. To ride with a guy named Kevin Sullivan and at that particular time Kevin Sullivan, you know, was one of the greatest minds and brains in this business. Okay, a lot of people and I always tell people this a lot of people say about the NWO. The NWO was created by Kevin Sullivan and I had the chance to ride with him.
Speaker 4:Also another gentleman, hot stuff, Eddie Gilbert. God rest his soul. Well, these two guys, man, they taught me everything that I know. And I tell you how I got into managing. And before we introduced Kevin, I was riding with Kevin one night and so I told Kevin about I've worked for James Brown, you know, and I was also a disc jack on a radio station. So we'd get a six-pack of beer and we'd start riding. So as soon as I get two or three beers in, I turn the radio down and start DJing for them. Well, they were so impressed with that. They saw something else I didn't even think about no managing or none of that ever coming in. You know, I'm just having fun and Kevin and hot stuff.
Speaker 4:Eddie Gilbert was certainly responsible for, you know, for me getting my first job. You know starting first job. You know, starting in managing. Well, my first job was gave to me by Dusty Rose. He gave me my first job, god rest his soul. So I thank Dusty, and right now we're going to keep talking about it, but I just wanted to let people know. Kevin is the reason that and God is the reason I where I am today and the reason I've been so creative. I learned so much from him and I'm going to say this and I'm going to get, we're going to bring him in, but me and him had a chance to work in Texas and I had a chance to display some of my creativeness and I think it surprised Kevin. He didn't know, but I want him to know now. If it hadn't been for him, I would have never been able to do none of that. So, ladies and gentlemen, everybody, let's give a big round of applause and show your love for my man, the Taskmaster, kevin Sullivan. Kevin welcome, all of it, kevin welcome.
Speaker 6:Thank you very much Thank you, mark.
Speaker 3:I don't know if you've ever heard Teddy talk that way about you, but, teddy, ever since we started this show a year ago, teddy has put you over on damn near every show I think we've ever had. He really credits a lot of his performance and what he's been able to do in the wrestling world to you.
Speaker 6:Well, Mark, I'm still not going to pay him the money I owe him.
Speaker 4:Well, Kevin, what I learned from you? You don't owe me a dime, you can keep that money.
Speaker 6:Let me tell you something, sure, sure when he did. First of all, james brown was one of my favorite singers of all times. He wasn't just a singer, he's an entertainer, a complete act. He was fabulous. He actually stopped boston from burning down. There's a, there's a uh, there's a documentary about it. I was there. It was the night Dr King was assassinated.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 6:They were going to burn that down, but he had a concert in Boston and they let everybody in free and because of that the city didn't burn down.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's very cool. That's a story I've never known.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've seen that. Kevin's right. I've seen that documentary too. He called out he was performing there and he stopped everything and he started talking to the audience and he told them you know, don't be violent and stop. And they all listened to him too. So Kevin is exactly right. He stopped those people from burning Boston down.
Speaker 6:It was one of the only major cities that didn't have a riot in it Wow. And so when Teddy started talking, that really poked my interest. Okay, talking that really poked my interest. And Teddy and I are brothers from a different mother. We just got along. The first time we met each other I had seen the slights that Teddy had at the door with a bunch of redneck. Can I swear?
Speaker 3:Whatever you feel like saying, feel free.
Speaker 6:Redneck motherfuckers. Okay, it was ridiculous. They went out of their way to embarrass him, to hurt him, but he fucking succeeded. They went out out of their way to embarrass him, to hurt him, but he fucking succeeded. Yes, he's in the hall of fame.
Speaker 1:They ain't brother, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha. He won, brother.
Speaker 3:Kevin, do you remember one of the first times you ever met Teddy?
Speaker 6:uh, yeah, we were probably. Kevin, do you remember one of the first times you ever met Teddy? Yeah, we were probably.
Speaker 5:I probably grabbed Teddy and said hey, can we go down the hood?
Speaker 6:Let's find some coloring books or something. Yeah, exactly what they're looking for. So Teddy and I became very, very. But Teddy was so smart because he didn't waste time, he didn't make things ridiculous, ridiculous, he didn't do things where you could sit back and say, oh, five minutes from now, teddy's going to turn, or he's going to get a chair, or he's going to do this. You didn't know who was coming. He did a hell of a job. He went and became the general manager for Vince McMahon. So all those people that not Teddy but are they as smart as Vince McMahon? I don't think so. I do not think so. I think it shows how perseverance, how smart he was.
Speaker 3:I mean you stood up for Teddy quite a bit, kevin. I don't mean to cut you off. I was just going to say, though, that you stood up for Teddy quite a bit, and you still speak very highly of him. When you saw get that success, did you feel like a proud dad, or or a proud brother?
Speaker 6:well, I felt like a proud brother because I felt that he was going to make it I I might get. All I did was give him the chance. I didn't do anything special. I saw something in him that he saw in himself. There was no me giving him a Cosmo cookie and saying, hey, take a bite of this. It wasn't one of those things. I knew he had it. He knew he had it. He had just needed to be given a chance. And when he got it, at the dome, you know the Astrodome.
Speaker 4:When we did the big turn there on the Road Warriors.
Speaker 6:Was the Road Warriors.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was the Road Warriors and the Varsity Club.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and I thought afterwards boy, how stupid was I to decide to put my ass out there where I could have got chopped up into meat liver. When he turned them, they got so much heat and continued. It wasn't just one night, that thing went for the longest time. He did an incredible job. He did an incredible job against all kinds of adversity. People didn't want to see him do well. I knew he'd do well because he loves the business. Yes, he's like. I listen to you. I know you love the business. Yes, I mean, I love the business to this day. So Teddy and I have been up and down the roads. We've had some wonderful times together.
Speaker 3:He brings up Eddie Gilbert quite a bit. Tell me a little bit about Eddie Gilbert, because I know that was somebody else of the trio that he talks about all the time.
Speaker 6:It's you, eddie, gilbert and teddy eddie gilbert and I saw the same. If you had a house of brains in your head, uh, you would see what eddie gilbert had. The difference was Eddie Gilbert was from Tennessee and he had seen referees turn a lot and he knew how they got over, got over. I worked with the companies I had worked for before we got into a position to be able to push. Teddy was kind of companies that were straight up, 80 gram, no referee turned. I worked for Vince Senior no referee turned. I worked for Vince Senior no referee turned. I worked for Roy Shires no referee turned. Well, we were in Tennessee, there was a lot of turning. So Eddie had seen how good it had done and he mentioned it to me and I said with this guy's and he had seen how good it had done and he mentioned it to me and I said with this guy's whole rap that he can do and throwing the robes on top of guys. This is a no-miss situation. And it turned out to be the honest to god truth.
Speaker 3:It was a no miss situation let me ask you, uh, kevin, when it comes to, uh, the dungeon of doom a lot of people remember the dungeon of doom. Can you explain how that came about, because that was kind of a different thing at the time when it came around, and it seems like maybe you were producing the Dungeon of Doom solely for Hulk Hogan.
Speaker 6:You're absolutely. That's why I said I know you're a wrestling fan. If you were promised a filet mignon at the end of the night at a seven-course meal but you had to eat a going sour, quickly rotten tomato, but you only had to eat it one time, not five times. Was that the way to do it? Because I they were his friends, I'm gonna have to use them all. Would you rather just swallow it one time or would you rather swallow it five times because they?
Speaker 6:were all his friends. They got jobs. I was going to have them in one group.
Speaker 3:So was that kind of like, were you having to babysit that group, basically, and give them? Give them some kind of uh, I had I.
Speaker 6:He gave them jobs. They had drawn money in new york he killed. He felt comfortable with them. Yes, and the reason why I did it was twofold I wanted the business was changing and we're going into more serious stuff, getting away from that crazy ding-dongs and the hunchbacks and all that stuff to wrestling and still appeasing Hulk that he would turn heel, because it was time for him to turn heel. I mean, everybody that builds a hero up in this country they like to tear it down, just be a hero. And I knew it was time to make him a heel and I knew that I had to get his faith in me. That's why I put them all together?
Speaker 3:Who was the most difficult in the Dungeon of Doom to work with?
Speaker 6:None of them really were, because they understood and Teddy can tell you this they understood. They were there because of Hogan.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 6:You know, and we can talk for days on end. Did he do the right thing? I think? Well, if you look back, every one of those people that he had in the dungeon had helped him out when he was starving, when he couldn't get a job, when he couldn't get booked, he had quit the wrestling business. I mean, they in Tampa. They were so silly they broke his leg on purpose. So, I can't find anything wrong with his friends sticking up for him.
Speaker 3:No, and I agree with that. I love the fact that there are guys out there who remember who also was there with him. No, and I agree with that. I love the fact that there are guys out there who remember who also was there with them in the beginning and never forgets. I think they usually make somebody a lot more legendary when they're that way. Go ahead, teddy, I'm sorry.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm just saying that what you guys are talking about, we just need more guys like that. We just don't have that. You have a guy that'll butter up to you and just as soon as you get a little push of the power, next thing you know he don't even know you. So it's really you know, like I said, it's getting a lot better now. I guess I don't know, I'm not involved as much, you know, but, like I said, we just need more people like that to look out for each other.
Speaker 3:Kevin, do you still watch the product? Yeah, I watch the product.
Speaker 6:I watched the product. What are your thoughts on where we?
Speaker 3:are with wrestling today.
Speaker 6:The most amazing thing to me is the bloodline.
Speaker 3:Yes, one of the best stories right now.
Speaker 6:That's the greatest angle I've ever seen in 50 years and I'll tell you why. Teddy was an instrumental part and when I was given finishes to slaughter the baby faces with New World.
Speaker 3:Order. Oh, the New World Order. Yes, sir.
Speaker 6:Yeah, when I was talking to Nash or Hall, they were against two baby faces, hall, they were against two babyfaces, invariably National. Hall would say after I gave them the finish well, teddy, what do you think? Well, why? What do you think's wrong? Do you think we're taking too much from these guys? He said, no, the ratings are going up. I think if you keep on putting the heat on them, it's going to continue to go up. See, teddy, after a while the guys that knew that were smart, knew Teddy was smart, so they would ask him questions. So they would ask him questions. So it helped us along, without a doubt. And Teddy could help guys in the ring too. When I would say that they got to fight back and we all have an ego and they're fighting back a little too much teddy would say hey brother, maybe you need, uh, better take a big bump and let you get laid out for a while you know that's because he learned from under the learning tree of you.
Speaker 3:If you listen to teddy, everything he's learned mainly came from Kevin Sullivan, which is something that you know. That's the reason I was looking so forward to having you on the show, kevin, is that I know how much Teddy thinks of you and it was just something that eventually we had to get you on the air and get you two together again, because I think and Teddy even says this all the time you probably are one of the best minds in this business, especially in those early years through the Nitro times and with the NWO. A lot of that was you. It was your input that made that successful.
Speaker 6:Yeah, but I'm going to say something too. When we were driving down the road, you know when I wasn't saying, hey, pass it over here.
Speaker 3:I totally understand.
Speaker 6:Believe me, I'd have to say it more than once. We talked about wrestling.
Speaker 6:Yes sir, even though we're music freaks, and you know Teddy being where he was with James Brown, I'd ask him questions like a straight out Mark or fan, and he would give me the exact put me on a train of thought that him and I would bounce things off of one another. Yep, do you know what I mean, where I'm saying what do you think about this? You know. And they'd say, well, how are we going to get there? And I'd give them an idea and he said, yeah, but can't we get there doing it a different way, maybe let's think about how we're going to get there. I like what you said, how we're going to get there, but let's think about how we're really going to get there to keep the heat on, not just a month still. So Teddy was an instrumental part too.
Speaker 4:Well, and the thing I wanted to say this too back before we let Kevin go, my dream came true. My dream was I wanted to show Kevin just what I had learned and how creative I was. So I had a chance to go to work for this company out in Texas and the guy asked me about. You know, who did I? You know, did I need some help? I said yeah. I said Kevin Sullivan. Ok, bring it. I said Kevin and Kevin come in, and all I wanted to do I just wanted Kevin to just sit back and watch me, and that's what he done. I think I really impressed Kevin. I don't think Kevin knew that I had learned all this stuff and I was creative as I was. But, man, like I said, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 6:Well, no, thank you, because that's all I needed to do was the easiest job I had Watch what he created. And he created some great stuff. And he created stuff with some people that had kind of been shunned. He created an entrance with the Boogie Woogie man. To this day I still pop when I watch it. I mean he's a creative, creative guy and it was my pleasure to see his and my pleasure. In case I ever get any kind of little job, I could say hey, do this with the Boogie Woogie man, steal another.
Speaker 4:Kevin, it's the Boogie man, not the Boogie Woogie man. The Boogie man.
Speaker 6:Yeah, Boogie.
Speaker 3:Man, there's a little bit of a difference between the two, isn't there? Kevin when it comes to today's wrestling and I know you're old school, but you also stay up with what's happening now is there something in today's wrestling and I know you're old school, but you also stay up with what's happening now Is there something in today's wrestling that is missing?
Speaker 6:Heat, real serious heat, and that's why the bloodline got so hard, don't you think, teddy Well, Kevin, I said this way before you mentioned it.
Speaker 4:I told Mac this long time ago the only thing they had was the bloodline and the reason why that was so over, because it is real. It's real, that happens every day in families all over the world and I think the thing that you know they broke it up, I guess I mean they know what they're doing, but they missed the ball, I believe, by not at the end involving Rikishi. That's the way I would have broke it up.
Speaker 6:You know what else I would have done, ted? You know, fattu, jacob Fatu, yes, if you got Jacob Fatu, the younger brother of Jacob, or Kishi and one more, and them saying you guys are talking through your ass now because you're big time, you all got the sport cars. How you grew up, brother, you know.
Speaker 4:Kevin, you know, the bottom line is they all let it went to the head.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 6:And they could have done that and it was a great, great promos. And hey, here's something how many years ago was when they were chanting Rocky sucks, rocky sucks, and then it was Roman sucks, roman sucks. If this match takes place, this will be the biggest thing in the history of wrestling.
Speaker 3:Now you're talking about the Rock versus Roman, correct?
Speaker 6:Yes, yes, Well over 125,000 people Well over.
Speaker 4:And I said that to him too. Kevin, we were talking about it some weeks back on the show and I said that to him too. Because they brought up Cody Rhodes, because he came in working with Roman, I said, yeah, nothing against Cody Rhodes, I'm looking. Because he came in, you know, working with Roman. I said, yeah, nothing against Cody Rhodes, I'm looking at the business side. The business and the money side is the rock and Roman.
Speaker 6:Yeah, and here's the other thing. I love Cody, but here's what I think would have happened if he won. But here's what I think would have happened if he won If he had won, don't you think when he went out to wrestle?
Speaker 3:Roman and they sang his entrance for 22 minutes.
Speaker 6:for 22 minutes that if he lost like he did and then Cody had beaten Roman, he would have got so much heat on himself from his people. I mean because here's a guy that a year ago was in a comedy match at WrestleMania getting slapped by a big hand with Johnny Knoxville, right, Yep, I think it would have got a lot of heat on him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, kevin, I wish we could talk all day and we can't because unfortunately we've got four minutes left before we're out of time here and it will cut us off completely. But let me ask you, when it comes to AEW, have you had a chance to eyeball that product?
Speaker 6:Yeah, I have your thoughts, my thoughts. He's taking this.
Speaker 3:in my opinion, he's taking this thing too personal. I mean, you know I just told Teddy and Bill after that on another show recently that one of the biggest problems I see in AEW is the inability of Tony Khan to take constructive criticism, and that would be the major fault of AEW in my eyes.
Speaker 6:And I think you're absolutely right. It makes you look like a crybaby. I mean, this kid is a smart kid. I mean this kid is a smart kid. Tony has grown up around the wrestling business. He loves the wrestling business. He can make this thing work.
Speaker 3:You know, here's a thing I always say Would Vince McMahon respond like that he never would have touched Twitter, he never would have said a single word.
Speaker 6:Nothing. And Tony has to realize there's going to be ups and downs, there's going to be peaks and valleys, and Vince Teddy will tell you this. There were times we were here they were taking the water out of their office because they were so close to going out of business, and yet he never blinked an eye.
Speaker 3:And now he's a multi-billionaire.
Speaker 4:Well, and it's like I tell everybody Vince McMahon invented this. He invented this, so you ain't going to never beat him. Okay, you'll never outsmart him. You know, I love him to death.
Speaker 3:Guys, I'm sorry and I hate to cut us off, but they are going to cut us off in just a minute here. All right, we got to go, kevin, I'm sorry, brother, I enjoyed it. It was so great to have a chance to speak with you. I've seen you at conventions but just never had a chance to talk to you, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Speaker 6:It was great for me to finally put your face to a name Next time I see the two of you guys. Let's get in some trouble. I'm sure we can. I'm sure we can.
Speaker 4:Kevin, thank you so very much for coming on.
Speaker 1:Thank you man, yes sir.
Speaker 6:Ask Teddy about Palo Duro Canyon.
Speaker 3:That's coming up, Teddy Talk to you later. Thank you all very much. I'm Mac Davis, that is WWE hall of famer, teddy long and, of course, our guest Kevin Sullivan. We'll see you next week ¶¶ no-transcript.
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