Craigsville native Tony Schiavone pumped for wresting return to Roanoke in AEW Collision
A native of Craigsville, Schiavone is an announcer with All Elite Wrestling. He's the lead announcer on AEW Collision, which is coming to Roanoke's Berglund Center Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the event are still available on the AEW website, but it will also be broadcast live on TNT and stream on HBO Max.
"I'll be doing the commentary with Nigel McGuinness, a former wrestling star, and we'll have some of our big stars there," Schiavone said. "We're really thrilled about being part of this, and I'm personally thrilled about being here."
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Less than two hours away from where he grew up, Schiavone is happy to be home ― or at least close to home. The Buffalo Gap High School graduate grew up listening to football and basketball games on Staunton's WTON.
Once he graduated from James Madison University, the Staunton radio station is where he got his first broadcasting job. He wasn't on the air at first, instead setting up equipment and keeping stats during games.
Eventually he worked his way onto the air — his first break was when an announcer went to the wrong school and Schiavone called play-by-play for the first half of a high school basketball game. He wasn't very good, but it got him more work.
Schiavone got good enough that he was offered the play-by-play job for James Madison University football, but he wanted to do baseball. He applied for, and got, a job with a minor league team in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1981.
From Greensboro he went to Charlotte in 1982 for another minor league team. There, he met the Crockett family, which owned the baseball team and was also a major wrestling promoter.
Schiavone has been a wrestling fan since his days as a teenager, walking to his Uncle John's home on his lunch break from his job at the Craigsville IGA. His uncle was a huge wrestling fan, so the two would watch matches on television. The first match he ever saw in person was in Harrisonburg, but once he could drive, Schiavone went to matches in Roanoke, Richmond and even as far away as Greensboro.
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"There was a feud between Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan probably in 1978 that really got my interest," Schiavone said. "I became a big Blackjack Mulligan fan."
Interestingly enough, his first job in wrestling was when the Crocket family asked him to interview Flair. That led to more interviews and finally, when Jim Crockett Promotions' World Championship Wrestling debuted on TBS in 1985, Schiavone was hired as one of the announcers.
"I found that I was making a lot more part-time in wrestling than I was full-time in baseball," he said. "So, they hired me full-time in wrestling, and here I am. I started on TBS in 1985 and just hung in there."
Schiavone said he can't wait to see the fans in Roanoke Aug. 9.
"I can't believe that here I am, pushing 70; I'll be 70 in three years," Schiavone said. "And I'm still doing wrestling."
Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips are always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Craigsville native Tony Schiavone returns to Roanoke with AEW Collision
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