“You Want To See Us Fail” – Tony Schiavone Lets Rip Over AEW/WCW Comparisons
Tony Khan caused a stir when he aired the CM Punk backstage fight footage from AEW All In and now Tony Schiavone has shared how he really felt about that decision.
CM Punk was fired by AEW following his backstage fight with Jack Perry at All In. Punk re-opened old wounds with a bombshell interview during WrestleMania week when he gave his side of the story of his time in AEW including his fight with Perry.
In retaliation, Tony Khan made the decision to air the CCTV footage of Punk’s clash with Perry to leave fans to decide what really happened. The footage was presented by The Young Bucks and was folded into The Bucks’ upcoming match with FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.
Many fans were sceptical that Tony Khan’s decision to air the footage was a good one and a lot of attention was paid to Tony Schiavone’s reaction at the commentary desk when the show threw to The Bucks. Schiavone appeared to be very unhappy but that was all part of his plan.
Tony Schiavone “Didn’t Give A Sh*t” About AEW All In Footage
Speaking on his What Happened When podcast, Tony Schiavone revealed that his reaction was nothing to do with AEW’s decision to air the controversial footage but was instead intended to get more heat on The Young Bucks as heels:
I think it’s hilarious, not hilarious; I think it’s probably approx that people can take screenshots and assume anything from a screenshot. My facial reaction to what happened was my facial reaction trying to put more heat on the Bucks for being a**holes. Within the storyline itself. I did not have any reaction to the footage we saw because I don’t give a damn.
Schiavone continued by taking aim at people on social media for jumping to conclusions and confirmed he was in no way upset at the company or Tont Khan:
No, that’s right. So what. So f*cking what. I was not upset at the promotion. I was not upset at Tony Khan. I was not p*ssed off about what we had shown. I was trying to be fully in the moment of the angle, which is the Bucks bitching about FTR not wanting to shake their hands and getting f*cked around. That’s what I was doing.
Of course, everyone wants to create their own story and that’s fine. That’s what social media is about. Social media is about idiots coming together and trying to come up with their own ideas. Maybe I was still upset about Bug [Schiavone’s dog who recently passed], I don’t know, but I didn’t give a sh*t about the footage, and still don’t. I’m sincere when I say that I don’t care. I don’t care. It has no impact on my life.
Tony Schiavone then took issue with those comparing AEW’s decision to show the footage to some of the worst excesses of WCW. Schiavone was there for both and thinks there is no comparison to be made:
Some people are saying, ‘Oh the footage you were showing was like the Finger Poke of Doom moment for AEW.’ That’s what you want it to be because you want to see us fail. There is no way, because I was in both companies, there is absolutely no way that you can compare us to WCW. You can’t. You may want to. You may think you’re right. You’re wrong. You cannot compare us to WCW. I was there for both. You were not.
Schiavone’s former boss Eric Bischoff thinks there is “no hope” for AEW as long as Tony Khan remains in charge of the company.