The resurgence of Tony Schiavone in AEW has reminded fans just how great he is in the commentary role. AEW added Schiavone to the broadcast team shortly before starting the weekly television deal of Dynamite on TNT. The background Schiavone had in WCW and WWE didn’t get the love he deserves for his overall contributions to the business.
WCW’s final few years hurt everyone involved, but Tony’s reputation took a hit for being a bit over the top trying to sell the show. That led to many fans and wrestlers overlooking the better work of Schiavone in helping WCW become a better overall product. Each chapter of Schiavone’s career should get a glance when breaking down his argument for the best commentator in wrestling history.
Schiavone Was The Voice Of WCW
The importance of WCW’s success during the ‘90s made them one of the two most important wrestling promotions ever. WCW changed the landscape by going in different directions than WWE and it led to them creating a legacy. Tony Schiavone deserves to be a bigger part of that legacy for his impact as the lead voice in WCW during their best years.
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The early ‘90s saw Schiavone using his sports background to call the action in the ring. However, it was the Monday Night Wars era of WCW that saw Schiavone making his biggest run in wrestling. Fans started tuning into WCW over WWE following the start of the New World Order.
WCW drastically improved when Schiavone took over the lead play-by-play commentator role from Eric Bischoff. Many fans loved the character work of Bischoff as a heel when joining the nWo, but he was never the best commentator. Schiavone was needed to lead various personalities like Bobby Heenan, Mike Tenay, Dusty Rhodes and Larry Zbyszko to their best without harming the show. No other WCW commentator should be mentioned above Tony when breaking down their impact.
He Has Been Of Great Importance To AEW
The end of WCW made fans take Tony Schiavone for granted due to how little anyone cared at the time. Schiavone trying to call some of the worst storylines during WCW’s final few years led to him being removed and placed into new teams at different times. Wrestling would see Schiavone leave the sport afterwards as a weak TNA appearance convinced him to move to baseball broadcasting full-time.
A short run in MLW was enough for AEW to realize that Schiavone was ready to be a fixture in wrestling again. The start of Dynamite featured Schiavone serving as the perfect middle man between Jim Ross and Excalibur. A third man was needed to provide some middle ground between the legendary WWE commentator and brilliant new-age voice.
Schiavone instantly added a lot to the product by his general desire to be there. The excitement of Tony is felt since he was new to most of the talent after a long time away from the business. Schiavone is tremendous at getting the right points across to better stories. Heels like Adam Cole and MJF benefit from his anger towards them. Even Britt Baker may not be as successful if Schiavone wasn’t the perfect comedic fodder for her segments while injured in 2020.
Schiavone's Case For Being The G.O.A.T.
Jim Ross and Gordon Solie are the typical names mentioned when discussing the greatest commentator in wrestling. Tony Schiavone not even being discussed would be disrespectful when looking back at his overall success. Even though the final years of WCW may be a negative mark on his legacy, it wasn’t his fault for having to call horrible action.
WCW and AEW both tasked Schiavone with having to work with drastically different personalities from himself. Schiavone was the perfect man at getting his points across in a way that enhanced his partners. Everyone working with Tony was lucky to have someone put them in a position to succeed. Sports may be another passion for Schiavone, but he was meant to be in the wrestling business.
AEW would not be as enjoyable as it is without Schiavone flat out showing how much he loves the business. The excitement of Schiavone represents how the avid AEW viewer feels with the product, and it leads to them having a deeper connection with him. WCW, AEW, and even an underrated WWE stint showed how Tony can contribute to the bigger picture. The combination of his emotional calls for big moments, unselfish nature, and the instinctive ability to call wrestling matches could make Schiavone the best to ever do it.
