Tony Schiavone

***zaga_fan*** · 03-04-2015, 04:32 AM

Tony was always my favorite commentator... but I was always confused as to why he didn't get a shot at WWE at any level.

Did Vince just refuse to work with him?
Did he refuse to work with WWE?
Just tired of the gig?

***Westside*** · 03-04-2015, 05:23 AM

I was never a fan of his.

**WideRight05** · 03-04-2015, 05:27 AM

zaga_fan Wrote:Tony was always my favorite commentator... but I was always confused as to why he didn't get a shot at WWE at any level.

Did Vince just refuse to work with him?
Did he refuse to work with WWE?
Just tired of the gig?

Well said. He was also my favorite commentator. I get the instinct from various interviews that he cut a lot of throats, but he was still very good at what he did. Vince Russo recently did an interview with him that can be seen on YouTube.

Tony actually did work with the WWE for a very short time in 1989 going into 1990. I'm not sure what happened there, but he went back to WCW almost immediately. His last wrestling appearance is with TNA in the early 2000's. He mainly announces sports - I think for the Georgia Bulldogs?

**Mr. Pike Central** · 03-04-2015, 10:00 AM

Schiavone for WWE HOF!

**Pulp Fiction** · 03-04-2015, 01:44 PM

IMO..... His voice didn't fit the WWF.

He was good in WCW.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-04-2015, 04:48 PM

WideRight05 Wrote:Well said. He was also my favorite commentator. I get the instinct from various interviews that he cut a lot of throats, but he was still very good at what he did. Vince Russo recently did an interview with him that can be seen on YouTube.

Tony actually did work with the WWE for a very short time in 1989 going into 1990. I'm not sure what happened there, but he went back to WCW almost immediately. His last wrestling appearance is with TNA in the early 2000's. He mainly announces sports - I think for the Georgia Bulldogs?

Yeah - I was really referring to him post-WCW.

But I guess I shouldn't have said never lol

Tony and JR are both commentators that seemed like they made the moment bigger than it already was. You don't just remember the match... you remember their call as well.

Michael Cole doesn't do that in my opinion.

**WideRight05** · 03-04-2015, 06:34 PM

zaga_fan Wrote:Yeah - I was really referring to him post-WCW.

But I guess I shouldn't have said never lol

Tony and JR are both commentators that seemed like they made the moment bigger than it already was. You don't just remember the match... you remember their call as well.

Michael Cole doesn't do that in my opinion.

My bad! But yeah, it would have been nice to see him in the WWE post-attitude era.

One of my favorite Tony Schiavone calls came on a Monday Nitro event in 1997, I think it was the 100th Nitro. Lex Luger fought off the NWO and won the title from Hollywood Hogan. I still remember Tony going, "Luger won the title! Luger won the title! Lex Luger won the title!" Seeing that moment as a kid that badly wanted to see Hogan get beat gave me goosebumps.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-04-2015, 06:44 PM

^ I remember it vividly.

"He's gonna rack him! They're standing on their feet! He's got him in the rack!"

Ah, the good ol' days.

**Mr. Pike Central** · 03-05-2015, 03:51 AM

"....it's the ye-tay!!!"

***zaga_fan*** · 03-05-2015, 04:01 AM

Mr. Pike Central Wrote:"....it's the ye-tay!!!"

That...
Unfortunately...
Is also seered into my brain.

That was up there with Robocop and Shockmaster.

**Pulp Fiction** · 03-05-2015, 02:31 PM

Booby Heenan was better with Gorilla Monsoon.

Heenan and Schiavone didn't have a good chemistry.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-05-2015, 03:34 PM

^ Hater

**Pulp Fiction** · 03-05-2015, 04:19 PM

Pulp Fiction Wrote:Booby Heenan was better with Gorilla Monsoon.

Heenan and Schiavone didn't have a good chemistry.

zaga_fan Wrote:^ Hater

Give me the 1992 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania VIII commentary by Monsoon and Heenan over the best WCW ppv any day of the week. Not to mention their time on Prime Time Wrestling.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-05-2015, 05:48 PM

If you think one's better you have a legitimate argument.

Saying Heenan and Schiavone didn't have chemistry is not an argument.

Their stuff on Nitro and PPVs was just fine between Heenan's humor and Schiavone's over-the-top play by play.

**Stardust** · 03-22-2015, 04:01 PM

Tony had actually left WCW for short periods of time due to his summer baseball coaching duties. He removed his name as a potential WWE employee due to his unwillingness to work away from Atlanta. He will still used for WWE video's including the last Sting bio that WWE used 2 weeks ago.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-22-2015, 05:57 PM

Stardust Wrote:Tony had actually left WCW for short periods of time due to his summer baseball coaching duties. He removed his name as a potential WWE employee due to his unwillingness to work away from Atlanta. He will still used for WWE video's including the last Sting bio that WWE used 2 weeks ago.

I went and listened to an interview with Jim Ross and that's pretty much it.

He said that when he went to WWF for a short stint he hated it, moved back to Atlanta and still lives in the same house.

***zaga_fan*** · 03-22-2015, 05:59 PM

He also says he would rather do sports commentary than wrestling.

StrayBullet · 04-03-2015, 06:16 AM

Ive seen Tony multiple times calling the basketball games on the sidelines for the UGA basketball team. I always loved hearing Tony call the WCW matches back in the day. Always thought he was one of the best. JR and Tony always made me feel like I was right there witnessing history whether Hogan was in the ring or Kwee Wee was LOL