Teddy Long on WWE making big change for financial reasons (Exclusive)

Teddy Long often performed at untelevised live events during his 16 years in WWE between 1998 and 2014. The Hall of Famer recently provided his take on why the company has significantly reduced its live event schedule over the last year.

Many WWE Superstars used to be on the road 300+ days a year due to the high number of tours and untelevised shows throughout the week. These days, the company prioritizes television programming over smaller events without cameras present.

Long explained to host Mac Davis on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine why live events used to be important to wrestlers:

"I think the WWE is concerned about the smaller towns just as much as they are the big towns, but the small towns are not drawing. Back in the day what they really used to run the house shows [untelevised live events] for was to pay the boys. That's how the boys got paid, off the house shows, so that way WWE didn't have to mess with any other money." [1:25 – 1:45]

Teddy Long believes finances likely played a major role in WWE management's decision to cut back on live events:

"I thought the house shows were good, especially going into WrestleMania, you'd have a good house show that night before, you know what I mean? Hype that WrestleMania up and you go right into that for a real big show. I think what it is now they've become so big money-wise and TV-wise, they just don't need those little biddy markets anymore." [1:46 – 2:05]

Watch the video above to find out Long's opinion on Jey Uso winning the Intercontinental Championship from Bron Breakker on RAW.

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How Teddy Long would take advantage of WWE's schedule

After leaving WWE in 2014, Teddy Long worked with independent promotion Southeast Wrestling Entertainment (SWE) in Texas.

The 77-year-old thinks another independent company should capitalize on WWE's lack of live events by running more shows in one specific territory:

"Right now's the perfect time for some indie group that has some money that can put into their product and do it right, you gotta do it right, just like when I went to Texas and we did SWE out there," Long said. "We did it right. That's why we started selling out. I think right now if there's a good indie somewhere in Georgia, especially Georgia, Alabama, where the good indie shows are. I think if somebody started now it would really be good for the smaller territories." [2:28 – 2:56]

Long also pitched a possible storyline idea involving Roman Reigns and two RAW stars.

What are your thoughts on WWE reducing its live event schedule? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine and embed the video if you use Teddy Long's quotes from this article.