Tony Schiavone Born Again Christian Wiki

Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone (November seven, 1957) is an American professional wrestling announcer, interviewer and commentator. He has worked for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), X Wrestling Federation (XWF), Major League Wrestling (MLW) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). WWE (formerly the WWF) remarked, "At the height of the Monday Night State of war, veteran broadcaster Tony Schiavone'southward voice was as vital to the onscreen production of Earth Title Wrestling as Jim Ross' Oklahoma growl was to [the WWF]."

Career

Early life and career

Schiavone attended Buffalo Gap High Schoolhouse in Swoope, Virginia and James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. At that place, he served in a play-by-play office for the school's women's college basketball team before starting his radio and goggle box career calling high school football game and basketball games in the Southeast. He too worked five years in small-scale league baseball with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles' modest league franchises in the mid-Atlantic, nearly notably the Charlotte O's, which was partly owned by Jim Crockett, Jr.

Mid-Atlantic Title Wrestling

While affiliated with the Charlotte O's, he began as a wrestling announcer with another Crockett venture, Jim Crockett Promotions, (the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling or WCW) in the early 1980s. In 1984, Schiavone was seen as a ring announcer on the syndicated "Pro Wrestling USA" television show. When Jim Crockett Promotions got national television set exposure on TBS Superstation in 1985, he was a regular host of the wrestling program. He worked alongside David Crockett in the announce booth, playing more than of a straight color commentator, while Crockett did the play-past-play. Schiavone would also interview wrestlers about upcoming firm show matches they would have.

World Wrestling Federation

He was signed past Vince McMahon's WWF for a stint in 1989 and early on 1990, doing backstage interviews with various wrestlers at Wrestlemania V. In the WWF he was most notable as existence the chief play-past-play announcer for their SummerSlam 1989 and Royal Rumble 1990 pay-per-views aslope Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Schiavone returned shortly afterward to WCW, the old Crockett promotion by so endemic by media mogul Ted Turner.

World Championship Wrestling

Schiavone became the atomic number 82 voice for WCW's flagship programme, Mon Nitro. He besides served every bit the lead journalist of Thunder, typically working aslope Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko, and later with Mark Madden. Earlier the advent of Nitro and Thunder, Schiavone hosted WCW Saturday Night and WCW WorldWide. He made an advent in the picture show Ready to Rumble. When WCW'south primary assets were bought past the Globe Wrestling Federation (WWF/now WWE) in 2001, Schiavone left.

Total Nonstop Activity Wrestling

In 2003, Schiavone made an appearance on NWA TNA during one of their weekly pay-per-views. Schiavone, unrecognizable with bleach blonde hair and a beard, interrupted an interview with Goldylocks and Percy Pringle and proceeded to cut a worked shoot promo. He started by insulting Pringle's weight, telling him to stand well-nigh him because he "needed to look sparse". He then insulted Goldylocks past claiming she only got her task with sexual favors. Mike Tenay, TNA'south lead broadcaster and Schiavone's former WCW colleague, then entered the ring and the two got into a storyline argument over their careers and what happened during the last days of WCW, where both men lost their jobs.

Dorsum to the Diamond

Schiavone now is in the rare position of being the forenoon sports ballast for both WDUN in Gainesville and WSB-AM in Atlanta simultaneously, even though the 2 stations have different owners (WDUN has a partnership with Cox Communications, which owns WSB-TV and WSB-AM). Schiavone likewise has washed morn sports reports for Cox sister stations WHIO AM/FM in Dayton, Ohio. Additionally, Schiavone is a writer for the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network and produced the Best of the Bulldogs, which won the AP Award for Best Sports Program in 2004. Schiavone owns his own radio product company, Blind Dog Sports.

Later on a few years of piece of work with the Braves organization including pre-game and mail service-game radio coverage, and as well spot duty as an official scorer for games, Schiavone returned to play-by-play duties on radio when the Gwinnett Braves began their first season in Lawrenceville, Georgia equally Atlanta's AAA-level affiliate for the 2009-10 flavor.

Georgia Bulldogs Football Radio Prove

Along with beingness a writer for the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network, Schiavone also works one of the mail game talk shows on the Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network for dwelling house and abroad games alongside sometime University of Georgia quarterback David Greene.

Major League Wrestling

In October 2017, Tony joined Major League Wrestling equally office of the promotion's commentary squad aslope Rich Brennan.

All Elite Wrestling

Criticism

Announcing manner

During his tenure with WCW, Schiavone developed a reputation for his over-the-top announcing fashion, proclaiming many Nitro broadcasts to exist "the greatest", or "about explosive", telecast "in the history of our sport." However, when this hyperbole was repeated on a weekly basis throughout the Monday Dark Wars, the phrase lost meaning. Schiavone has conceded that in that location was "too much" of him and he was "overexposed". He claims to have been uncomfortable with his shilling of the WCW product.

Mick Foley incident

One infamous incident happened on the January 4, 1999, Nitro. Nitro was airing alive against the pre-taped WWF Raw is War on Usa Network and was to feature a rematch between WCW Globe Heavyweight Champion Kevin Nash and Goldberg from Starrcade, where Nash had concluded Goldberg's undefeated streak and taken his title under controversial circumstances, also equally the kickoff appearance of Hollywood Hogan since he appear his "retirement" from professional wrestling on the Thanksgiving 1998 edition of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Meanwhile, Raw was to characteristic Mick Foley, who was wrestling every bit Mankind at the fourth dimension and had previously for WCW as Cactus Jack, win his first WWF Championship in a rematch confronting The Stone. However, Raw was taped and Nitro was alive, and it was a practice for WCW and executive producer Eric Bischoff to spoil pre-taped Raw episodes, by telling the WCW audience the results of the Raw show, and not give fans reasons to modify the aqueduct.

According to Foley, who wrote about the incident in the first affiliate of his volume Foley Is Good (and the Existent World is Faker than Wrestling), this was to be a pivotal night for WCW as people believed that WCW, whose tape streak of 84 sequent wins in the ratings had been snapped by Raw in April 1998 and had only eight head-to-head wins later on that, would turn the ratings tide back to them and potentially take over the lead in the Monday Night Wars. During the show Schiavone spoiled the result of Raw's main event by maxim that Foley would win, sarcastically remarking "That'll put a lot of butts in seats".

Foley was genuinely upset by what he had heard and telephoned Schiavone to talk about it. When Schiavone called Foley back, he told Foley that Bischoff had ordered Schiavone to reveal his title win over the air. The strategy, however, backfired on Bischoff . Almost immediately after Schiavone spoiled Foley's title win, 600,000 households switched from Nitro to Raw, to watch Foley win the title. This was plenty to give the WWF the ratings win for the night, with a 5.vii terminal rating to Nitro's 5.0. WCW's ratings never saw more than a 5.0 going head-to-head with Raw again and Nitro'southward rating sank below 5.0 and by the terminate of the year was struggling to stay higher up 3.0.

Bobby Heenan rivalry

In an RF Video shoot interview, Schiavone was criticized by Bobby Heenan who claimed that Schiavone would allegedly hide finishes and angles from him and Mike Tenay during broadcasts, challenge Schiavone'due south key to life is "knowledge is power". This was an opinion shared past long-time wrestling broadcaster "Hateful Gene" Okerlund who claimed that, while he liked Schiavone and did not take many bug with him, "Tony was the complete pol" and "Tony watched out for Tony and in doing so, had a tendency to coffin people along the way". One tense incident happened on the Nitro following the death of Heenan's longtime best friend Gorilla Monsoon. Heenan was allowed to say a give-and-take of honor for Monsoon admitting only a small statement. Later on in the prove when Schiavone asked for Heenan's opinion on an upcoming tag team lucifer Heenan responded, "I tin't hear you from fashion down here", in tears, before the camera cut away. Appearing on The Ross Report in 2014, Schiavone accepted responsibility for the collapse of his human relationship with Heenan, and said of Heenan's criticism of him: "I deserve it".

Personal life

Tony has been married to Lois since 1981, and together they have v children: Matt, Laurie, Chris, Jon Michael and Tim. They also have 3 grandchildren.

External links

Tony Schiavone profile at CAGEMATCH.cyberspace

All Elite Wrestling
Roster
Abadon • Adam Cole • Adam Page • Allie • Andrade El Idolo • Angélico • Anna Jayy • Anthony Ogogo • AQA • Austin Gunn • Bear Boulder • Bear Bronson • Baton • Brandon Cutler • Brian Cage • Britt Baker • Brody King • Bryan Danielson • Buddy Matthews • Cash Wheeler • Cezar Bononi • Chris Jericho • Christian Cage • Christopher Daniels • Chuck Taylor • CM Punk • Filly Cabana • Danhausen • Daniel Garcia • Darby Allin • Darius Martin • Daunte Martin • Dax Harwood • Dustin Rhodes • Eddie Kingston • Ethan Page • Evil Uno • 5 • Frankie Kazarian • Fuego Del Sol • Hikaru Shida • Claw • Isiah Kassidy • Jade Cargill • Jake Hager • Jamie Hayter • Jay Lethal • Jeff Hardy • John Silver • Jon Moxley • Julia Hart • Jungle Boy • Keith Lee • Kenny Omega • Kip Sabian • Kris Statlander • Kyle O'Reilly • Lance Archer • Lee Johnson • Leva Bates • Leyla Hirsch • Luchasaurus • Luther • Marq Quen • Matt Hardy • Matt Jackson • Matt Sydal • Max Caster • MJF • Mercedes Martinez • Michael Nakazawa • Miro • Nick Jackson • Nyla Rose • PAC • Penelope Ford • Penta El Zero One thousand • Q.T. Marshall • Rebel • Red Velvett • Rey Fénix • Ricky Starks • Riho • Cerise Soho • Sammy Guevara • Samoa Joe • Scorpio Heaven • Serena Deeb • Serpentico • Shawn Spears • Sonny Osculation • Sting • Swerve Strickland‎ • Tay Conti • 10 • The Blade • The Butcher • Thunder Rosa • Toni Tempest • Tony Nese • Trent • Wardlow • Wheeler Yuta • Volition Hobbs
Tag Teams & Stables
2point0 • American Top Team • Andrade Family unit Office • Acquit Country • Best Friends • Blackpool Combat Club • Chaos Projection • Dark Order • Decease Triangle • The Factory • FTR • Jurassic Express • Lucha Brothers • Private Party • Team Taz • The Acclaimed • The Butcher And The Bract • The Elite • The Hybrid 2 • The Gunn Club • The Lucha Brothers • The Pinnacle • The Varsity Blonds • The Immature Bucks • Top Flying
Broadcasters
Alex Abrahantes • Dasha Gonzalez • Excalibur • Jim Ross • Mark Henry • Paul Wight • Tony Schiavone • Taz
Referees
Aubrey Edwards • Bryce Remsburg • Frank Gastineau • Mike Posey • Paul Turner • Rick Knox
Ring Announcers
Justin Roberts
Interviewers
Alex Marvez • Jenn Decker • Lexy Nair
Staff
Arn Anderson Trainer • Billy Gunn (Road Agent, Trainer) • B.J. Whitmer (Coach) • Dean Malenko (Charabanc) • Hikaru Shida (Trainer) • Jerry Lynn (Road Agent, Trainer) • Jim Ross (Route Agent, Booker, Backstage Helper) • QT Marshall (Trainer) • Tully Blanchard (Trainer) • William Regal
Current Champions
AEW World Championship
Hangman Adam Page
AEW Women's World Championship
Thunder Rosa
AEW World Tag Squad Championship
Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus)
AEW TNT Championship
Scorpio Sky
AEW TBS Championship
Jade Cargill