John Lauriniaitis was let go from WWE in 2022, thanks in part to his connection to the Vince McMahon scandal. Laurinaitis was initially also listed as a defendant in Janel Grant’s lawsuit, though has been removed after agreeing to aid her legal team against McMahon and WWE.
Speaking on the Road Trip After Hour podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long discussed Laurinaitis and the recent changes to Grant’s lawsuit. Long was outraged that Laurinaitis would turn on McMahon, arguing that John would not be the name he is today without Vince.
“He just turned on the man that made him somebody. He wasn’t nothing until he came to work for Vince.”
Long went further, claiming that Vince trusted Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations, a powerful role that the former Raw General Manager abuse. Long even shared that “I was one of the guys that he abused,” but did not share further details behind this claim.
When the show’s host argued that Laurinaitis was taking a deal to protect himself, Long called it the at of a “coward.” Even if Laurinaitis doesn’t face any legal repercussions for his alleged actions, Long sai that “he’s got to live with that for the rest of his life.”
Long and Laurinaitis shared the screen in 2022 when the pair of WWE General Managers battled it out for brand supremacy. Though the pair have not worked together in years, Long’s view on ‘Big Johnny’ remains crystal clear.