AEW Has Signed Tony Schiavone
Legendary commentator signs in unspecified role.
The voice of WCW, Tony Schiavone, will lend his gorgeous, smooth baritone - and possibly his endearingly misplaced, histrionic announcements - to mainstream wrestling once more.
According to the Wrestling Observer, All Elite Wrestling "has reached a deal" with the legendary commentator, who has enjoyed a welcome renaissance in Major League Wrestling in recent years. Unbeknownst to MLW, Tony Schiavone had also acted as the face of AEW's 'Control Center' on the acclaimed Road To All Out web series. This caused some consternation between the two parties.
"Unless AEW elects to reach out, Tony Schiavone cannot proceed with AEW or any other company doing anything," said MLW founder Court Bauer in a statement released in July. A subsequent report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter confirmed that Schiavone had signed an exclusive two-year deal with MLW.
Whether AEW has "reached out", or Schiavone was free to negotiate with other companies near the expiration of that deal, is unclear - as is the nature of his new role. AEW has already amassed its announce team - to a divisive reaction - and is also well-stocked as far as backstage interviewers go.
So who knows?
Regardless, that voice is audio honey to fans of a certain age. If he simply said his own name, so phonetically perfect for his own voice, your writer would be happy.