Why AEW’s Tony Schiavone Really Worked In Starbucks

Tony Schiavone is best known as the voice of WCW and is a popular member of AEW’s broadcast team, but why did he end up working in Starbucks?

Tony Schiavone got his break into the wrestling business in Jim Crockett Promotions, where his very first interview was with the legendary Ric Flair. A career soon blossomed for Schiavone, where he shared announcing duties with the likes of Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura in WCW before spending a year in WWE in the early nineties.

Schiavone was on the call for the final episode of WCW Nitro in 2001 and that proved to be what many thought was the end of his wrestling career. He continued to work for the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs as well as on radio for several years after this, but eventually he ended up working behind the counter at Starbucks, and now he’s revealed exactly why.

Tony Schiavone Needed Health Insurance

Speaking to Renee Paquette on Close Up, Schiavone revealed what was behind his decision to swap his microphone for mochas:

The radio station, after many years with them, decided not to renew my contract. So I thought, I need some insurance. So I got on to Starbucks and they had insurance, it was a part-time job, I love Starbucks.

Schiavone admitted he loved the job because while serving coffee, he was being served some hot tea behind the scenes:

I love Starbucks for a number of reasons, number one the people who came in were so nice and number two the girls that I worked with, they kept me sharp and they gossiped about each other. It’s like “That girl doesn’t know how to make a latte…”

Alongside Conrad Thompson, Tony Schiavone launched the hugely popular What Happened When podcast in 2017, which was his re-introduction to wrestling. This led to him being snapped up by Tony Khan for a role in AEW before the company launched Dynamite in October 2019.

Tony Schiavone recently revealed his favourite match that he’s called from his illustrious career that has spanned five decades.

If you use any quotes from this article please credit original source and h/t with a link back to TJR Wrestling for the transcription.