Tony Schiavone says he felt relief when World Championship Wrestling closed in 2001. He left pro wrestling for many years, started a new career in radio and sports broadcasting, and later returned to the wrestling world with AEW in 2019.
Leaving WCW
Schiavone was a familiar voice on WCW Monday Nitro. When the company shut down in 2001, he says the last broadcast was the moment he knew things were changing for good. “I was glad to leave that day,” he told the podcast What Happened When. He added he felt a mix of emotions—relief, maybe anger, and a bit of excitement about what came next.
At the end of the final Nitro, Schiavone said he left the arena without saying goodbye to anyone. “Got in my car and drove to Atlanta that night,” he recalled. “There was a sense of relief from that.”
Reinventing Himself
Before WCW closed, Schiavone already saw the trouble ahead. He began looking for work outside wrestling even though his contract made that difficult. He interviewed with a radio station and was hired soon after WCW ended. He then moved into sports broadcasting.
Talking about that time, Schiavone said he hit the ground running. He used the opportunity to change his life and work in a new field. He said the end of WCW did not bother him as much as the way some executives handled the final days. By the time the company closed, he said he was simply ready to move on.
Checking WWE and Moving On
After WCW, Schiavone did check with WWE about working for them, but he believed they would not be interested. That helped push him to find other options. He called the decision to leave and start fresh a necessary step in his career. He later summed up his attitude about the quick shift with a colorful phrase, saying basically he did not let the change stop him and just moved forward.
Return to Wrestling
Years later, Schiavone returned to wrestling as a regular presence in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) beginning in 2019. His path shows how a longtime broadcaster left the industry, built a new career, and eventually came back to the sport he helped shape.
Quotes credited to “What Happened When”. h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
