Felix Upton on November 29, 2023
Tony Khan excited AEW fans all over then it was revealed that AEW signed Tony Schiavone to a deal. Not only did that mean AEW pulled Schiavone from his pro wrestling retirement, and out of baseball commentary, but it also reunited him with Jim Ross. Years later, JR is not on the commentary team full-time like he once was, but Tony Schiavone is still on top of his game.
Tony Schiavone recently opened up about his time in AEW, and what is in the future for him during his What Happened When podcast. At this point in his career, Tony doesn’t see himself slowing down at all.
The former voice of WCW also revealed that he believes he has one more contract left in him with AEW. He did not specify when he will retire, but at 66-years-old, he still feels very good about his performance level, and the trust that Tony Khan has placed in him. This all came about when co-host Conrad Thompson stated that Tony Schiavone may die in the commentary seat during a live broadcast.
“I would say, ‘Hi everybody, welcome to another episode of [makes croaking sound]. Yeah. That doesn’t mean I’m gonna be 80 when I do it. I don’t think I’m slowing down. I just don’t think I’m slowing down. I’m really honored that Tony would allow me to do play-by-play again at this stage in my life. Right now, I’m 66. I turned 66 on November 7th. I still got…realistically, I think I’ve got one more contract in me, if Tony will go with that, and then we’ll see what happens.”
“I just don’t envision myself retiring. That’s why, when we started doing [AEW Collision], and this is before Tony put me on the broadcast team, Tony told me, he said, ‘We’re gonna start doing a Saturday show.’ He said, ‘You don’t have to come.’ He said, ‘We’re can have two different crews. I’m the only one who’s gotta come.’ I said, ‘Tony, I’m going to be here every day for you. I’ll be here on Wednesdays, and I’ll be here on Saturdays.’ It’s a case of just being away two nights out of the week. He said, ‘Okay.’ But then I got to thinking, it’s like, if I’m not doing it, what am I gonna do? Just sit at home and do nothing? That’s not me at all.”
Tony Schiavone started his pro wrestling career in the late 1970s, working for various wrestling promotions, including Jim Crockett Promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance. He gained recognition as a play-by-play commentator and became the voice of WCW during its heyday in the 1990s. He also had some legendary broadcast partners in Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Larry Zbyszko during that time.
Following WCW closing down, Tony Schiavone stepped away from pro wrestling. During that time, he pursued a career in sports radio and minor league baseball. Then, in 2019, he returned to pro wrestling as announcer for AEW, a job he’s not done with by a long shot.
Throughout his career, Tony Schiavone has been celebrated for his passion for wrestling and his ability to enhance the viewing experience for fans through his commentary. His journey from WCW to AEW was quite an interesting one in the pro wrestling industry, and fans should expect a lot more from him down the line.
What’s your take on Tony Schiavone sticking around AEW for another contract cycle? Let us know what you think about this in the comments section!
November 29, 2023 10:24 am
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