Tony Schiavone
| Noah Anthony Schiavone | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Tony Schiavone |
| Billed height | ft in ( m) |
| Billed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Born | November 7 1957 Craigsville, Virginia  |
| Debut | 1983 |
| Retired | March 26, 2001 |
Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone (born on November 7, 1957) is a sports radio host and former professional wrestling announcer known for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Wrestling Federation, and World Championship Wrestling.
Career
Early life and career
He attended James Madison University in Virginia and served in a play-by-play role for the school's women's college basketball team before starting his radio and television career calling high school football and basketball games in the Southeast. He also worked five years in minor league baseball with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles' minor league franchises in the mid-Atlantic, most notably the Charlotte O's, which was partly owned by Jim Crockett, Jr.
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
While affiliated with the Charlotte O's, he began as a wrestling announcer with Crockett's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (later known as Jim Crockett Promotions, the precursor to World Championship Wrestling or WCW) in the early 1980s. When Jim Crockett Promotions got national television exposure on TBS Superstation in 1985, he was a regular host of the wrestling program.
World Wrestling Federation
He was signed by Vince McMahon's WWF for a stint in 1989 and early 1990, but soon returned to Jim Crockett Promotions, which had been renamed WCW and was owned by media mogul Ted Turner. In 2003, there were rumors that Schiavone would be brought in to the WWE to replace Jim Ross as co-host of Monday Night Raw. This idea was apparently nixed by WWE producer Kevin Dunn.
World Championship Wrestling
Schiavone became the lead voice for WCW's flagship program, WCW Monday Nitro and was apart of many signature moments in WCW history. When WCW was bought by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001, Schiavone was let go.
Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling
He made a short appearance on TNA during its start-up period. He played a heel and had a confrontation with former WCW partner, Mike Tenay.[1] They argued about Tenay's opposition to progress in wrestling and Vince Russo involved himself in the argument.
Post-wrestling career
While greatly missed as a voice of professional wrestling, Schiavone is now a
Championships and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 1999 Greatest Ever Television Announcer
- 2000 Greatest Ever Television Announcer
- 2001 John Madden Broadcasting Award
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- 1995 Best Announcer
- 1997 Best Announcer
- 1998 Best Announcer (Runner Up)
- World Championship Wrestling
- Vice President of Broadcasting for WCW (1995-2001)
References
- ^ OWoW.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
- ^ wsbradio.com: Inside wsbradio.com Tony Schiavone. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
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