Tony Schiavone Recalls Dick Murdoch Working Five-Minute Main Event To Make a Flight

On the latest episode of What Happened When with Tony Schiavone, the AEW broadcaster discussed the challenges of autograph signings and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On challenges of autograph signings: “You know what’s difficult about going out and doing autograph signings? It’s that you go to your table, and you sit there and you get a line of people. And the lines don’t last for long, unless you’re a big star. Then they’ll wrap around, of course. But you want to go see some people that you haven’t seen in a long time. But you don’t want to leave your table, because maybe someone wants to come see you and you won’t get the money or, you know, you’ll make them stand there. And I’ve done that before. I walked around to see everybody, and I came back and there’s like, four or five people waiting. I’m thinking, ‘F**k, I’m sorry!’ That’s because you want to walk around and see everybody, and you need to stay at your table. That’s the difficult part about autograph signings.”

On his favorite Omni memory: “We were based out of Charlotte, and I was the ring announcer at the Omni for a long time. I say a long time, it seems like a long time. Probably like most of ’85 or ’86 when Jim Crockett Promotions — after Jim Crockett Promotions took over the TBS slot, I became the ring announcer for the Omni. And so I would drive down from Atlanta and ring announce, and all of our talent was based out of Atlanta because all of Jim Crockett Promotions was Charlotte-based. There was always an 11:15 PM flight, Eastern Airlines made it from Atlanta to Charlotte. And you know, guys wanted to get on it.

“So we had -— and I was telling Dustin this story the other day. That Dick Murdoch was wrestling Dusty Rhodes in the main event at the Omni in a steel cage. And I remember before the show started, I’m in the back and Murdoch says, ‘Need you to help me out here.’ I said, ‘How can I help you?’ He said, ‘Just keep things moving, because I gotta make that 11:15 flight.’ And of course, this is before all the security measures and everything. I said, ‘Well, I’ll do what I can.’ And he came out, they built the cage. Now I know he’s in the back, hopping on one foot because he wants to get that cage built so he can go. They get the cage built, and I roll into the ring. And he walks in, and I say, ‘You’re not going to make that flight.’ And he says, ‘Watch me.’ And the f**king bell rang, and they went five minutes in a cage. The fans were so f**king pissed, but he was going to make that f**king flight. And people booed him, and he did a couple of his Curly Three Stooges spots to entertain the crowd. And that’s just one of the things I don’t forget.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit What Happened When with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.