WWE legend Teddy Long recently recalled some of the hilarious reactions from wrestlers when he booked them in “one-on-one” matches with The Undertaker.
The former SmackDown GM’s catchphrase of “one-on-one with the Undertaker” caught on with fans when booking wrestlers in matches against The Phenom.
Although Teddy Long’s delivery of the line was hilarious, he always managed to keep a straight face while the live audience burst into laughter.
In a one-on-one interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling, Long talked about the moments when he found it hard to contain his laughter. The wrestling legend recalled that JBL’s reaction was particularly hilarious because he started yelling in rebellion when Long booked him against The Undertaker.
Furthermore, Teddy Long stated that Booker T’s reaction during a backstage segment on SmackDown almost broke his character.
“Well, the only thing that made me want to laugh was some of the reactions that came from some of the people I put him in matches with. JBL in particular, his whole expression changed, and he’s looking at me and nodding. Has gone, ‘No, you can’t do that!’ (mimics JBL). So then I had one with Booker T and Sharmell. I put him in [a match], and they were all hugging me, and then I got into a one-on-one fight with The Undertaker. , then he changed,” said Teddy Long. (3:27 – 3:51)
WWE legend Teddy Long explains how he invented the “one-on-one” catchphrase
Elsewhere in the video, Teddy Long also revealed how he came up with the line “face to face with the Undertaker”. The WWE Hall of Famer recalled that Vince McMahon wanted more “excitement” during the wrestlers’ introductions.
When Long got the chance to share a ring with The Phenom for a promo, he remembered McMahon’s advice and immediately applied it, coming up with the line.
“So, when I got to the promo with The Undertaker, what I did was do what Vince said to set him up, and then I said, ‘face to face with the Undertaker.’ And that’s how it all started,” said Teddy Long. (1:32 – 2:13)
After being released from WWE in 2014, Teddy Long was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Since then, the wrestling legend has made a handful of appearances in WWE, the last one being on the May 7, 2021 episode of SmackDown.