Reason For Tony Schiavone’s Absence on 3/30 AEW Collision Revealed

Tony Schiavone has been a key figure in Tony Khan’s company from its inception, primarily serving as a commentator and occasional announcer. However, Schiavone has interests beyond the world of professional wrestling. His absence from AEW Collision this week raised eyebrows among fans, but the reason for his non-appearance has now been revealed.

In case you were not aware, Tony Schiavone recently announced that his beloved dog Buggity had passed away and it clearly was a deep and personal loss for him.

During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shed light on the recent changes to AEW Collision, explaining that Ian Riccaboni’s appearance on the show was not a permanent move.

The reason behind the alteration was Tony Schiavone’s personal loss as his dog passed away. Despite dealing with this difficult situation, Schiavone still attended Collision, although it wasn’t initially known if he would be able to. As a precaution, Riccaboni was brought in just in case Schiavone needed to take the day off to grieve.

“So, Ian Riccaboni was there. It’s not a permanent move for him to be there. What happened was, Tony Schiavone’s dog died, and best wishes to Tony Schiavone, really, really hard day for him, but he came, he was there. They didn’t know, but he was there. Tony could have certainly taken the day off and, you know, there would have been no heat. Because of that, they brought Ian up there.”

”If Tony didn’t want to work, then Ian would be there, and lead the show.”

Ian Riccaboni stepping in for Tony Schiavone on AEW programming isn’t unprecedented, as he previously filled in during the January 17 episode of AEW Dynamite when Schiavone was sick. However, given the recent circumstances surrounding Schiavone’s personal loss, it remains uncertain if he will be ready to resume commentary duties next week. Fans will have to wait for further updates regarding Schiavone’s availability for future shows.

Do you feel sad about what happened to Tony Schiavone? Let us know in the comments section below!