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The "Tony Schiavone is ace" thread


Vamp

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It’s been two years and I still think about the way Big Tone called the finish of Darby Allin vs. Moxley on one of those early episodes of Dynamite.

Excitedly screaming, “HE’S BROKEN HIS NECK!” after Mox hits the DDT off the top rope and then repeating over and over again, “what a match…what an ass-kicking match…” after the three-count.

The Wednesday Night War was won there and then. Triple H and Road Dogg could never compete with that authentic, genuine, in-the-moment joy and amazement. It was the antithesis of everything WWE had trained their commentators and talent to be. They should have moved to Tuesdays the following week to save time and embarrassment.

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He was pretty burned out by the end of WCW and obviously phoning it in. I don't know how he was in MLW, but he certainly found his passion for the business again.

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I adore Schiavone’s on-screen (and presumably off-screen) friendship with Britt Baker. Who else could pull off something like that? Male, babyface commentator in his sixties is somehow mates with a thirty year old female heel wrestler and at no point whatsoever does it ever feel creepy or weird.

It goes against everything you’d ever expect on a pro-wrestling TV show. This tiny, understated, wholesome friendship that doesn’t go anywhere or particularly have an end goal, yet gives you an interesting, fun dynamic to follow. Tone being disappointed when Britt does something dastardly, or struggling to justify it because he has a soft spot for her. Britt giving Tone a big hug when she won the Championship. I fucking love it.

In any other company at any other time Tony would come across as a creepy Jerry Lawler figure trying to shag Britt, or it would be implied that Britt is an evil manipulator exploiting Tony’s innocence. It’s lovely that it’s neither. Sometimes people are just friends despite of what you would ever expect. Brilliant.

Edited by Supremo
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To be fair the Tony/Britt thing started off a bit wonky with Britt basically bullying the fuck out of him as part of her heel turn. 

Remember a fair few shitting on the early "lol you worked at Starbucks" stuff. 

Felt like they realised that they had pretty good chemistry and just rolled with it. 

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The Tony/Britt thing is one of those odd organic natural relationships that just evolved without anything weird or approaching an angle. Tony saw Britt as this super determined character and while Baker bullied Uncle Tone a bit, she's just grown to really like him. There little moment at Double or Nothing just had this nice feel of a proud mate who always knew. It's oddly very pleasant and somehow in wrestling works. Weird and nice. 

Forgot to add. They did a very early segment where Britt tells him off mic 'stand up straight' and the whole sequence is wonderful. Just a very fun chemistry. There was a period pre pandemic where he was nailing every ep of Dynamite, doing these with Baker and this brilliant ad break bit where Orange Cassidy gave his glasses and his did the thumb. He was a character to the show himself. A mad hybrid of announcer, interviewer and semi relevant on screen character. 

I watched Dynamite in the pandemic with a non fan who ended up just liking AEW. She loved Schiavone, just found him a a fun aloof presence. 

 

 

Edited by Chili
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It's Suuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeee!! 

 

I've said it before but very few commentators can take the piss out themselves on TV and not make it sound weird or stupid but just a genuine 'let's have fun' moment. That's what makes him so good in AEW is that he is allowed to be himself and just has that ability to draw people in and say what we're all thinking with a 'I don't give a shit' attitude but in a friendly wholesome way.

 

More Tone please!

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Another one; for all the talk about MJF’s contract coming in up in 2024, how there’s going to be this huge bidding war, and how MJF has got to weigh everything up, it’s absolutely criminal how little people are factoring Tony Schiavone into this discussion. MJF owes half his career to this man.

The way Tony sells everything MJF does as disgusting and forever puts him over as the worst person who’s ever lived, it can’t be overstated how much he’s added to the act. It genuinely feels like we’re always moments away from Tony just shouting, “oh, for fuck’s sake!” when Max’s music hits. It’s incredible. Again, it doesn’t particularly go anywhere or appear to have any type of end goal, but Tony’s contribution is immeasurable. Them bickering at the desk this week, with MJF calling him a double chinned prick, was fucking amazing. I hope Wardlow gives Tony a fist bump after he murders Max.

But yeah, imagine Michael Cole or Corey Graves calling or interacting with Max. Dickheads would probably try and argue that what he was doing was legal, so he’s within his rights to do it. He’d die a death. There isn’t a figure WWE could put on a contract that would make it worth him jumping.

Tony is the fucking man.

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