"It was a move I regretted for many years" - Tony Schiavone talks about his decision to leave WWE
Tony Schiavone is one of the voices of AEW, but long before, he commentated for Dynamite, he worked for WWE back in the day from 1989 to 1990.
Schiavone recently spoke with Michael Morales of Lucha Libre Online about his years in the wrestling industry. When talking about his time in WWE, Schiavone had nothing but great things to say about the company but not the living situation.
“I had a great year with them. Before I started working with AEW, I would consider the WWF my best year in pro wrestling. I love working there and I got along with Vince McMahon. His children were very young at that time. They weren't in the business. It was 1989. I got to know Vince. I got to know Linda McMahon very well. They treated me very well. But I had grown up in the South. I had grown up in Virginia. I had moved to North Carolina. That's where I was working with Jim Crockett Promotions. They were purchased by Turner Broadcasting in 1989. And I decided I didn't want to work for Turner Broadcasting. Vince McMahon and the WWF offered me a substantial amount of money. So I packed up my family and moved to Connecticut. After about a year there... we just didn't like living up there. We didn't think it was a good place to raise a family. It was the cost of living. It was very expensive. So my decision to leave the WWF was based purely on what was best for my family. Not what was best for my career professionally. It was a move that I regretted for many many years."
Tony Schiavone's family didn't enjoy their time in Connecticut while he worked for WWE
Schiavone says his choice to leave WWE back then was merely due to his family's needs, something that should be commended for when you give up a job you enjoy for your family's betterment.
"Finally, after many years of being with WCW, things got okay. But in the beginning, when I came back, it was very tough and I regretted the decision to leaving because I really liked working with the WWF. But it was basically just a decision based on family needs, cost of living, and was because we had five young children. So it was very difficult for us to live in Connecticut and close to New York.”
It's interesting to think about what might have been had Schiavone's family enjoyed their time in Connecticut while he worked for WWE. Would he have ever gone to work for WCW had he not left WWE? What about AEW now? It's funny how things work out.
Thanks to Lucha Libre Online for the transcription of this interview.