The Tony Schiavone thread

[Some Guy]

Tony used to call the guard rail arounf the ring the "safety rail". That really irritated me. "Oh he dropped him throat first across the safety rail." It just annoyed me.

 

I remember when Tony could spout out some much WCW history before a big match that it made JR's patented football notes look paltry. I don't think he just started to suck, I think he was told to do his job a different way when Hogan came in. IE, put Hogan over at any all expense during the whole show and WCW didn't exist before I got here brother, so forget about history. WCW actually made Tony put over WWF history when Hogan showed up. Mr. T, WM 3, Beefcake, Savage, etc...

[Internet Warfare]

I liked Tony, He wasnt half as bad as some other annaouncers I've heard. Although he wasnt too good.

[Guest Repo Man Reborn]

I remember when Tony could spout out some much WCW history before a big match that it made JR's patented football notes look paltry. I don't think he just started to suck, I think he was told to do his job a different way when Hogan came in. IE, put Hogan over at any all expense during the whole show and WCW didn't exist before I got here brother, so forget about history. WCW actually made Tony put over WWF history when Hogan showed up. Mr. T, WM 3, Beefcake, Savage, etc...

I tend to agree with this opinion.

 

Tony was good while I watching the NWA, but after "WCW-bruther" happened, he became Shilly McShillington.

 

 

And I just saw him call the frog splash a sidewalk slam.

[Guest theoldxpac]

Oh and my all time favourite Schiavone saying: "He picked Him Up!"

[deancoles]

Tony used to call the guard rail arounf the ring the "safety rail". That really irritated me. "Oh he dropped him throat first across the safety rail." It just annoyed me.

I've heard him use "safety rail of pain" a few times

[Guest MikeSC]

Tony used to call the guard rail arounf the ring the "safety rail".  That really irritated me.  "Oh he dropped him throat first across the safety rail."  It just annoyed me.

I've heard him use "safety rail of pain" a few times

Of course, if you want comedy, when Ross was forced to call "foreign objects" "international objects" --- that was a directive for ALL Turner employees.

 

It took a while for the suits to realize that international can be a piss-poor substitute for "foreign".

-=Mike

...And, yes, the coming of Hogan killed Tony as an announcer

[Guest Stunt Granny]

One of my favorite annoucing teams were Schavone and Ventura in WCW in 93, after Ventura no longer really gave a damn about wrestling and spent 2 hours giving politcal commentaries. Just Schavonie as a wrestling dork and Ventura going off on random rants and staring at his his watch was pretty amusing.

 

Starcade 93

 

Ventura: Tony do ya think The Boss is gonna beat Rude down with that nightstick like they do on Cops?

 

Tony: I'm afriad I'm not familiar with that program Jess.

 

Ventura: Come on Schavonie, Cops!! Don't you ever watch TV?

 

Tony: Not really Jess.

 

Ventura: What DO you watch then?

 

Tony: I watch video tapes.....of me and you.

 

(akward silence)

[Papacita]

^ LOL.

 

I always found this one kinda funny.

 

In the build up to the DDP/Dave Sullivan match for BATB 95, DDP threatened to cook Dave's rabbit, Ralph, saying something along the lines of "I hope you like your rabbit stew". So during the match, Dave (I think...for obvious reasons, I haven't watched it in ages) hits DDP in the face with a bouquet of roses...which leads Tony to ask, "How do you like you ROSES stew?!"

[MillenniumMan831]

One of my favorite annoucing teams were Schavone and Ventura in WCW in 93, after Ventura no longer really gave a damn about wrestling and spent 2 hours giving politcal commentaries. Just Schavonie as a wrestling dork and Ventura going off on random rants and staring at his his watch was pretty amusing.

 

Starcade 93

 

Ventura: Tony do ya think The Boss is gonna beat Rude down with that nightstick like they do on Cops?

 

Tony: I'm afriad I'm not familiar with that program Jess.

 

Ventura: Come on Schavonie, Cops!! Don't you ever watch TV?

 

Tony: Not really Jess.

 

Ventura: What DO you watch then?

 

Tony: I watch video tapes.....of me and you.

 

(akward silence)

HA! That was a great exchange. Good call about Ventura. It seemed the only guys he truly enjoyed watching from that era were Austin/Pillman. Then, they split up in under a year.

[JoeDirt]

^ LOL.

 

I always found this one kinda funny.

 

In the build up to the DDP/Dave Sullivan match for BATB 95, DDP threatened to cook Dave's rabbit, Ralph, saying something along the lines of "I hope you like your rabbit stew". So during the match, Dave (I think...for obvious reasons, I haven't watched it in ages) hits DDP in the face with a bouquet of roses...which leads Tony to ask, "How do you like you ROSES stew?!"

Tony was always funny when trying to give "attitude" to the heels. Like the first quote I posted in this thread:

 

"We talked so much about it. What if Savage wins the title?

What if Hogan wins the title? Whats gonna happen? Who's going

to have the power in the NWO? But I'm gonna be honest with

you. I don't give a darn!"

[MillenniumMan831]

And I HATED it whenever Heenan would make a witty pro-heel comment in 1996-98, Schiavone would accuse him of being w/ the nWo. That had to be a big thing that helped kill Heenan's motivation in WCW.

[TheBigSwigg]

I used to love Schiavone when I was a kid, before Hogan came to WCW. When Sting and Flair were two of their biggest names. He was horrible later on, though. I can't really blame him, though. It was WCW.

Don West reminds me of him in the later years. Not all the time, but sometimes. When he goes into "Home Shopping Network" mode.

[Enigma]

If you think Tony Schiavone sucks, watch Starrcade '95. Then, proceed to crawl in a hole.

[Si82]

Here's some Schiavone quotes:

 

"Back in Jacksonville with four words, I want a Nitro Girl." - WCW Nitro (07/09/99)

 

"This is a first time ever in pro wrestling, in any type of wrestling, that a man has been told that he will wrestle, not one, not two, but three times in one night." - WCW Nitro (12/27/99)

 

"Tank Abbott can dance, I don't think there's any question about that." - WCW Nitro (07/18/00)

 

"Every fan around the world wants to see the Harris Twins go up against KroniK" - WCW Nitro (09/04/00)

 

"Do you believe everything you see on this program?" - WCW Nitro (09/18/00)

Didn't get them from Power Slam magazine, by any chance?

 

UYI

Damn, my secret is out!

 

Indeed I did. Although I only typed up the ones I could remember Tony saying himself. There were a ton more.

[Guest Hot Ticket]

Schiavonne was never as bad as Joey Styles

[TheBigSwigg]

Schiavonne was never as bad as Joey Styles

Early on, I would agree. But after around 95-97, you'll need to switch that around.

[SteakGrowsOnUecker]

I HATED Schiavone, especially around the Mondy Night Wars era because he came across as nothing but a shill who didn't give a damn about the show. But looking back on it now I don't hate him like that since I realize he was just doing his job and that anyone of us would've done the same. It's actually amusing now looking back on those shows and just listening to his speaking as if his brain was in another universe. But his blantant no-selling of the Brains one liners is still something that saddens me, since it just shows how much of Heenan's career was wasted in WCW.