Tony Schiavone reflects on his experience at AEW All In.
On August 27, AEW made their debut in the United Kingdom with AEW All In at Wembley Stadium. AEW announced that the show set a worldwide record for paid attendance at wrestling event. Schiavone, a veteran broadcaster who has been in the business since the 1980s, has become a vital member of the AEW team. In addition to his duties as a commentator and on-screen personality, he works as a Senior Producer and Special Advisor and Talent Relations.
Speaking on What Happened When, Schiavone was asked to describe his experience at AEW All In. Co-host Conrad Thompson noted that it must have been surreal. Schiavone noted that it was, but he also felt like it was like any other event, at least from a backstage perspective. He then stated that once he walked out onto the pitch and saw the size of the arena, the magnitude of the moment struck him.
“It was. But backstage, where my job is… I don’t want to downplay how big the event was because my god, and there’s been pictures put out there of me standing in the ring and the fans being so kind and so receptive and even singing my name. That’s what made it special. But to me, it was just another wrestling event. Does that make any sense to you? Backstage, we did the same thing. We went over stuff, we had our own different rooms, we had catering backstage. But then when we walked from backstage into the actual pitch itself, then we realized how monumental this event was. But backstage, where I spent most of my day, it was just like another wrestling show. But then when I walked out, it was unbelievable," Schiavone said.
Schiavone then recalled getting to London and doing some work ahead of the show. He emphasized that the feeling that the show would be something remarkable didn't sink in until he walked out into the stadium. The veteran stated that it was a special show.
“I got there early, and hung out in our rooms, and then did some work until the show started. Then when I walked out, it was like, ‘Holy shit.’ We talk about, ‘It’s gonna be a big event. Over 80,000 fans.’ But you don’t really get the feeling until you walk out there. It was pretty special," he said.
Thompson subsequently asked that walking in the ring in Wembley Stadium must have ben surreal. Schiavone agreed and stated that it was. He noted that his journey with AEW has been surreal. Looking forward, Schiavone stated that they had to pick up that momentum and keep it going.
"Yeah, it was surreal. This whole life that I’ve had for, it’ll be five years in August, this whole life that I’ve had with AEW has been surreal. Great fans. Great times, buddy. Now we gotta pick up on that momentum and keep momentum moving forward," Schiavone said.
After noting that he went to the welcome party at Box Park, he described how he left that event thinking that, with AEW All In, they did something that none of them expected to do. Schiavone also reflected on his career and noted that the pay-per-view gave him a chance to do that.
“Sometimes your life goes so fast, you don’t have a chance to sit back and reflect on it. This gives me a chance to do it. But it hasn’t hit me yet. I don’t know if it ever will hit. I know you and I have talked about, and people have talked about Tony Schiavone’s ‘Hall of Fame career.’ I go, ‘bullshit’ to that. [Conrad says he’s had one.] Yeah, I have. I guess if I had to sit back and think about it, yeah, the run in WCW, Jim Crockett Promotions, WWF, MLW. Getting to work for Jimmy Crockett, for Vince McMahon, for Eric Bischoff, Tony Khan, it’s been a pretty good one. I’m very fortunate," Schiavone said.
AEW has touted the success of AEW Alll In; the announcement noted that the event had a $10 million gate. More information is available here.
Check out the card for the August 30 episode of AEW Dynamite here. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs.
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