Tony Schiavone on Favorite Announcer, Brief WWE Career, Biggest Regret

Recent episode of the Wrestling Inc. Podcast show had former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone as the guest discussing topics including his favorite announcing partner, differences between Jim Crockett Promotions and WWE, his brief career in the WWE, and his biggest regret of his career.

On the topic of his favorite announcing partner, Schiavone stated Jim Ross was his favorite partner to work with during his career. He also mentioned Bobby Heenan, Scott Hudson, Lord Alfred Hayes as others he enjoyed working with during his career as a wrestling commentator.

“When I go back and look at some of the stuff that I did, I believe that my best work was when JR first joined us in 1987, and we did some pay-per-views together. We did Clash of the Champions together. I think that was my best work overall.”

While discussing his early career, Schiavone revealed how big the difference was working for the WWE compared to Jim Crockett Promotions. Stated it wasn’t till he worked for the WWE that he felt he really reached the big time for his career.

“It was really exciting for me Raj, because I came from Jim Crockett Promotions, which was a very small company, a ‘Mom and Pops’ company. We did our interviews in the back of this we makeshift office; it was an office but they had this garage in the back, so that was where we did our interviews. Suddenly I am being transported into Stanford, CT, not only am I doing their announcing, but I am also producing their Coliseum Home Videos, the VHS videos back then. This is a big set up; a gigantic studio with all types of bells and whistles with everything at our disposal. I really thought that I had, in many ways I did, but I felt that I had really reached the big time. It was a big deal for me to move into that.”

Later in the interview, Schiavone discussed more of his time in the WWE which included working in the company during the Hulkamania era and the lasting impression it left on his career.

“Then I got a chance to see Hulkamania. That was back when Hulk Hogan was wrestling ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage at WrestleMania 5, and he had his match. The last event I did for WWF back then was WrestleMania 6 with Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior at Skydome, and now Rogers Center. I was part of all of that and was really an exciting time for me to see what I did back then.”

Schiavone also revealed one of his biggest regrets in his career was leaving WWE after his contract expired in 1990. Said the main reason for his regret was Jim Crockett Promotions not being around when he returned and WCW at the time being led by people he felt were not as passionate towards pro wrestling.

“I was immediately second guessing myself, thinking what I had done to my career,” Schiavone remembered. “Now I moved back to ‘Mom and Pops Wrestling’ once again, only this time, the Crockett’s weren’t around except for David Crockett, but I wasn’t answering to him, I was answering to Jim Herd, and Jim Barnett and am with a company that I knew didn’t give a damn about Professional Wrestling, and I was right—they just rode it out as long as they could and then they threw it to the curb and I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

Schiavone stated he tried to get a job back in the WWE during this time but Vince declined mainly due to not liking the idea of Schiavone moving his family again after already doing it several times before in a short period. Told him to wait a few years and then try again with a job offer if he still felt like leaving WCW.

“I called Vince McMahon back immediately,” Schiavone said, “Never spoke to him, only to his Secretary, and she finally called me back and said that Vince said you moved your family now twice up and back from Charlotte, NC to Stamford, CT, back to Atlanta in the span of a few years; don’t move your family again; stay where you are, and maybe down the road you can possibly come back later on, so I toughed it out. During that time it was a bad decision because I was back in ‘Small Time Wrestling’ I thought.”