Teddy Long Loves This New WWE On-Screen Pairing
Some things just go together perfectly, like peanut butter and jelly or gin and tonic. In wrestling, having two personalities balance in a symmetrical style – whether in a manager/wrestler relationship or as a tag team – can lead to classic moments inside and outside of the ring.
In an exclusive interview with Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, WWE Hall of Famer and former "WWE SmackDown" General Manager Teddy Long believed that a perfect union has been achieved in pairing Baron Corbin with John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
"Yes, I do," said Long. "And I think with Baron Corbin, I think they missed the boat with him. They put him in different storylines, and they didn't seem to work. But I think now with him being with JBL, this thing is going to be great because he's got somebody now that can teach him and show him the way as they communicate together. So JBL, what a great team, man. I don't know whose idea that was, but that was fantastic."
The Corbin/JBL storyline began after Corbin's loss in September to Nakamura, with the wrestler disappearing into the legendary manager's limousine. JBL introduced Corbin the following month as his client.
Long was particularly amused with a "Raw" segment where the two men played poker while allegedly drunk.
"Well, that reminds you about the old APA," Long said. "You remember that they sat around the tables playing cards and drinking tequila. So that's reality, and people want to see what's going on. So, reality is always going to come out."