Tony Schiavone Recalls How He Got His Start in Wrestling, Refusing To Get Punched by Tank Abbott

AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone joined WTVR CBS 6’s Virginia This Morning yesterday to promote tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Richmond, Virginia. During the chat, Schiavone recalled his history and breaking into wrestling after getting his start in sports broadcasting through baseball.

Schiavone also recalled a time in his WCW days where he refused an idea from a writer to have then WCW talent Tank Abbott punch him in the midsection. Below are some highlights:

Tony Schiavone on How He Got Started in Wrestling in the 1980s

“I mean, it’s a long story. I wanted to be a baseball announcer. That was my dream. And when I graduated from James Madison, they hired me to do their football play-by-play out of college, and I turned it down because I wanted to do baseball, and I got a job in baseball. And just so happens that my second job in baseball happened to be with the Crockett family that ran Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, that was seen right here on Channel 6 on Saturdays, and so I got into wrestling, and I think i was very fortunate in that time that I got in because not many people wanted to be a wrestling announcer at that time.”

On the 18-Year Period Where He Left Wrestling From 2001 to 2019:

“It took off, and I was on TBS. My first job was working on the TV studios in 1985. Now. And then I just stayed with it. There was 18 years, though. I didn’t do wrestling. When the Richmond Braves left here and went to metro Atlanta became the voice of the Gwinnett Braves, their play-by-play on the radio for 11 years. Georgia football and did some morning radio, and then came back to wrestling and 2019. Everything that was part of my ambition I was able to do, so I’ve been very lucky.”

On Refusing a Writer’s Pitch To Have Tank Abbott Punch Him in the Midsection

“I’ve never been really beaten up. There was one time that one of our writers — this was years ago. This was back in the — I guess maybe — years ago. And he said, ‘I’d like this wrestler to punch you in the midsection.’ And the wrestler at that time was a wrestler named Tank Abbott, who also had been a UFC fighter, and he was known to be pretty stiff. And I said, ‘Absolutely not, no. Anybody else, but I don’t want him to hit me.'”

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite, featuring Tony Schiavone, is being held at the Siegel Center in Richmond, Virginia. The show will air live on TBS starting at 8:00 pm ET. It will also be simulcast on HBO Max.

If using any of the above quotes, please credit WTVR CBS 6, with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.