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Post by lmoney215 on Sept 24, 2009 11:51:14 GMT -5
I know that people have been bagging on tony and his commentary back in wcw. i have to admit i was a tony fan for the longest time. but the more i listen back to his wcw commentary, the more i have to admit tony was kind of a dick, not like a heel commentator, but as a sarcastic ass who phoned it in a lot. I know he did during the end of wcw, but you could see it coming, especially with the brain. At least the brain tried to get people over and tony just was there. but tony wasn't that bad, compared to other commentators.
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Sept 24, 2009 12:01:03 GMT -5
I know that people have been bagging on tony and his commentary back in wcw. i have to admit i was a tony fan for the longest time. but the more i listen back to his wcw commentary, the more i have to admit tony was kind of a dick, not like a heel commentator, but as a sarcastic ass who phoned it in a lot. I know he did during the end of wcw, but you could see it coming, especially with the brain. At least the brain tried to get people over and tony just was there. but tony wasn't that bad, compared to other commentators. I never got Schiavone. I never got him as an announcer or anyone who could ever get me intrested in a match But this is coming from someone who thought Scott Hudson was the best announcer WCW ever had |
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Hiroshi Hase
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Post by Hiroshi Hase on Sept 24, 2009 12:38:56 GMT -5
Schiavone and Heenan didn't have much chemistry and it seemed that Tony was legit annoyed with him at times.
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Post by texan on Sept 24, 2009 12:38:57 GMT -5
I actually thought Tony did a pretty good job commentating in the 80's, but then somewhere along the way in the mid 90's he just seemed to stop caring.
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Post by tarheelfan on Sept 24, 2009 13:15:13 GMT -5
I actually thought Tony did a pretty good job commentating in the 80's, but then somewhere along the way in the mid 90's he just seemed to stop caring. I agree. I have always said it is really unfair to judge Schiavone by the last couple of years on Nitro. Over half the fans on these forums probably never had the opportunity to see Schiavone in his prime with Jim Crockett Promotions in the mid 1980s. The fact is that Schiavone had been in the wrestling broadcasting business since the early 1980s and he was probably IMHO getting burned out not to mention it was probably difficult knowing that Nitro was dying a slow inevitable death. I really respect Heenan but I think people should understand that Tony and Heenan basically came from two totally different wrestling worlds. Heenan most recently in the 1980s had come from the cartoon superhero type 1980s WWE whereas Shiavone was a product of 1980s NWA serious attitude toward wrestling. I always enjoyed listening to Schiavone and David Crockett commentate together(those were the good days of wrestling!). IMHO Tony in his prime was just as good as Jim Ross. But I will say Solie was the best ever IMHO. Many wrestling fans on these fans might be shocked to know that Schiavone has such deep roots in modern day wrestling that he conducted interviews with a young in his prime Flair. I think a lot of people do not realize that Tony has been in this business a longtime. If I am not mistaken Tony has been radio broadcasting in the Atlanta Braves minor league teams and has had radio sports shows. So basically Tony is not just a wrestling announcer but a radio baseball announcer. |
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Post by JerryvonKramer on Sept 24, 2009 13:36:12 GMT -5
Schiavone and Heenan didn't have much chemistry and it seemed that Tony was legit annoyed with him at times. I'm sure we've talked about this before, but his "chemistry" with Ventura was exactly the same. Like you're never sure if he's legit pissed at him or not. I just think Tony played the straight slightly up-tight company guy role a little too well. That said, I think there were many times when Schiavone WAS annoyed because the other guy had put him in a position where he didn't know what to say -- which with both Heenan and Ventura happened maybe once every 5 minutes. ;D But it's exactly that slight car-crash/ legit heat thing that I enjoy about shows with Schivone on play-by-play. Aside from that, as a commentator -- as in calling the moves and talking about how 2 guys compare etc. -- he was about on par with Vince I'd say. So better than basically any current WWE play-by-play man then. |
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Post by Maffew on Sept 24, 2009 13:39:37 GMT -5
I prefered Stevie Ray/Scott Hudson. At least they cared.
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livetowin
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Post by livetowin on Sept 24, 2009 13:42:27 GMT -5
I prefered Stevie Ray/Scott Hudson. At least they cared. "DOUBLE NECKBREAKER!" "TRIPLE NECKBREAKER!" |
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Albino Heat
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Post by Albino Heat on Sept 24, 2009 13:47:04 GMT -5
I prefered Stevie Ray/Scott Hudson. At least they cared. "DOUBLE NECKBREAKER!" "TRIPLE NECKBREAKER!" FRUITBOOTY! Someone tell the yaks they need to get away from the ring. |
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Randy Barber 4-Life
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Post by Randy Barber 4-Life on Sept 24, 2009 14:01:43 GMT -5
Schiavone and Heenan didn't have much chemistry and it seemed that Tony was legit annoyed with him at times. I'm sure we've talked about this before, but his "chemistry" with Ventura was exactly the same. Like you're never sure if he's legit pissed at him or not. I just think Tony played the straight slightly up-tight company guy role a little too well. That said, I think there were many times when Schiavone WAS annoyed because the other guy had put him in a position where he didn't know what to say -- which with both Heenan and Ventura happened maybe once every 5 minutes. ;D But it's exactly that slight car-crash/ legit heat thing that I enjoy about shows with Schivone on play-by-play. Aside from that, as a commentator -- as in calling the moves and talking about how 2 guys compare etc. -- he was about on par with Vince I'd say. So better than basically any current WWE play-by-play man then. Good points. And consider that both Ventura and Heenan had worked for years with Gorilla Monsoon. Schiavone was a good play-by-play man, but he didn't have that rapier wit and comedic timing to spar back and forth with them like Monsoon. Every little barb they threw his way that resulted in awkward silence or being ignored, they could probably hear Monsoon's voice in their head with what should have been the comeback. |
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Post by tarheelfan on Sept 24, 2009 14:13:29 GMT -5
I'm sure we've talked about this before, but his "chemistry" with Ventura was exactly the same. Like you're never sure if he's legit pissed at him or not. I just think Tony played the straight slightly up-tight company guy role a little too well. That said, I think there were many times when Schiavone WAS annoyed because the other guy had put him in a position where he didn't know what to say -- which with both Heenan and Ventura happened maybe once every 5 minutes. ;D But it's exactly that slight car-crash/ legit heat thing that I enjoy about shows with Schivone on play-by-play. Aside from that, as a commentator -- as in calling the moves and talking about how 2 guys compare etc. -- he was about on par with Vince I'd say. So better than basically any current WWE play-by-play man then. Good points. And consider that both Ventura and Heenan had worked for years with Gorilla Monsoon. Schiavone was a good play-by-play man, but he didn't have that rapier wit and comedic timing to spar back and forth with them like Monsoon. Every little barb they threw his way that resulted in awkward silence or being ignored, they could probably hear Monsoon's voice in their head with what should have been the comeback. And I think that goes back to where Shiavone was more in the serious mode of commentating a la Solie. Tony spent a little time in the WWE around 1990 but for the most part Tony was again the product of a serious NWA wrestling product. WWE of the 1980s had that comedic humor and wit about it at times to go along with the cartoony product. |
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Post by JerryvonKramer on Sept 24, 2009 17:16:49 GMT -5
^ You've hit the nail on the head there.
I think a lot of folk forget that Schiavone was an NWA guy through and through. There are a few WCW PPVs where the team is him and Jim Ross and it's just pure serious no-nonsense wrestling and analysis.
And this why the pairings with Ventura/ Heenan were so (hilariously) awkward.
Both those guys were in WWF mode, Ventura was used to arguing each and every point with McMahon, Heenan was used to sparring with Monsoon.
Typical exchange:
Ventura: Look! Look at Steamboat, your favourite! Breaking the rules! He thumbed the eyes Schiavone!
Schiavone: You're right Jess, he did.
Ventura: But... but ... he's your favourite isn't he? Do you condone that? If it was <insert heel here> you'd be moanin' and calling for a disqualification! Admit it, Steamboat cheated!
Schiavone: I did, on that occasion he broke the rule. You're exactly right Jess.
Ventura: ........
That was basically it. He was working a different style and couldn't adapt to work WWF-style.
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Post by johnnyk9 on Sept 24, 2009 17:20:57 GMT -5
I thought Tony was good in WWE, I guess Vince was hard on him, Heenan has publicly stated many times he hated working with him so I understand why they never clicked
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Post by The Divan Kopile on Sept 25, 2009 1:31:30 GMT -5
all the points made here are valid and part of the reason I loved when it was heenan/tony/dusty
that trio was just magic
because you have the fun of the car crash quality of tony going against heenan/dusty, but you also have dusty and heenan bouncing off of each other comedically as well as ganging up on tony
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Post by kaboom on Sept 25, 2009 2:07:02 GMT -5
I never liked Tony or Heenan. I always thought Mark Madden was really funny, and everybody else seemed to hate him. I always remember on one Nitro in 2000, Big Vito hitting another wrestler with a move that Tony Schiavone called "a mafia kick" and Madden saying "Tony, that's an Italian-American heritage kick... that's the way we like to do things around here". I cracked up.  Why did everyone hate Madden, just out of curiosity? |
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Post by Evilution E5150 on Sept 25, 2009 2:34:55 GMT -5
my favorite was the 3 man team of dusty, heenan and schiavone. mainly because dusty would say something completely nonsensical and heenan would call him on it and make a big deal about it, they would go backwards and forwards and schiavone would be left ignored trying to call the match by himself
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Randy Barber 4-Life
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Post by Randy Barber 4-Life on Sept 25, 2009 3:58:20 GMT -5
I never liked Tony or Heenan. I always thought Mark Madden was really funny, and everybody else seemed to hate him. I always remember on one Nitro in 2000, Big Vito hitting another wrestler with a move that Tony Schiavone called "a mafia kick" and Madden saying "Tony, that's an Italian-American heritage kick... that's the way we like to do things around here". I cracked up. Why did everyone hate Madden, just out of curiosity? I think I liked Madden, but I'll be honest, so much of that period has just vanished from my memory. When I watch a Nitro from that time I feel like it's something completely foreign. It's really strange. Like I said I think I liked him but I can't give you a single specific thing about him that I liked or disliked. Just as an example, a while back somebody brought up Bret Hart being in the nWo. I actually had to look it up and read that he was in it, and Jarrett was the leader and a couple of other guys were in it. I know I was watching then, I just don't remember that. And really that's most of that period right before they went under, I just don't remember much of it. |
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Post by Maffew on Sept 25, 2009 6:11:28 GMT -5
Madden would oscillate between entertaining in a Dusty type of way to IF YOU DON'T STOP TALKING I'M GOING TO THROW A BRICK THROUGH MY TV bad.
His constant f***ing use of insider terms was what did it for me, but as I said, there were times when he could pull off good lines. His commentary during the viagra on a pole match was hilarious and there's always the WWA line during the midget match:
"If the loser dies and we need to cremate him, I've got a bic lighter"
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Hiroshi Hase
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The Good Ol' Days
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Post by Hiroshi Hase on Sept 25, 2009 6:44:40 GMT -5
I never liked Tony or Heenan. I always thought Mark Madden was really funny, and everybody else seemed to hate him. I always remember on one Nitro in 2000, Big Vito hitting another wrestler with a move that Tony Schiavone called "a mafia kick" and Madden saying "Tony, that's an Italian-American heritage kick... that's the way we like to do things around here". I cracked up. Why did everyone hate Madden, just out of curiosity? If you liked him, more power to you. For me, the guy just kept on with the inside jargon as if the average viewer at home gives a crap about that. He was so abrasive and his commentary was hard to sit through, but he had his good days (not very much of them IMO). |
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Post by Cry Me a Wiggle on Sept 25, 2009 21:46:02 GMT -5
Just as an example, a while back somebody brought up Bret Hart being in the nWo. I actually had to look it up and read that he was in it, and Jarrett was the leader and a couple of other guys were in it. I know I was watching then, I just don't remember that. And really that's most of that period right before they went under, I just don't remember much of it. Bret was actually the leader, but after he got concussed into retirement, Nash got injured, and Hall got sent home for good, Jarrett was basically the only nWo guy left. Anyway, I liked Madden at first. He was a breath of fresh air after Heenan (who had no enthusiasm to be there and had no chemistry with Tony). He just got really annoying after a few months and he ratcheted the heel announcer schtick up to 11. I like a solid heel announcer, but it almost felt like Madden was trying too hard. |
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