Tony Schiavone On Crying After Leaving WWE For WCW, Wanting To Go Back, What Vince McMahon Told Him
In an interview that will surely put butts in seats, Wrestling Inc.'s President Raj Giri recently spoke with the legendary voice of WCW, Tony Schiavone. Among many other things, Schiavone talked about leaving WWF for WCW in 1990 and regretting the decision ever since.
When asked what ultimately lead to his decision to leave WWF in favor of WCW, Schiavone admitted that the move was financial in nature.
"They [WCW] called me about a year later and offered me incredible money. And I had five kids and they were five very young kids at the time." Schiavone continued, "even though Vince [McMahon] was paying me a very good salary, we could not afford to live up there, as far as buying a house. It was just, the real estate up there was just incredible. And I was offered a lot more money to come back."
In addition to saying that the decision to leave WWF was "purely financial", Schiavone divulged that he agonized over the decision and he regrets leaving WWF to this day.
"I agonized over that decision for a long, long time. I did one of those things where I wrote down on a piece of paper, on a tablet, the pros and cons and agonized on it for a long time before I finally made the decision to go back. It was purely financial and I still regret that move, to be honest with you."
Schiavone shared that he cried after going back to WCW and even called McMahon, asking for his WWF job back.
"I laid in the family room and cried and my wife said, 'what's wrong?' I said, 'man, I've made a terrible decision,' so I called Vince back and I didn't speak to Vince. I spoke to Emily, who was his secretary at the time. And I said, 'you tell Vince I want to come back. I've made a terrible decision.'"
Schiavone continued, "so I called and Emily said, 'well, we'll get back in touch with you' and she called me back and said, 'Vince said, 'you don't want to move your family back up here a second time. That's not right. Stay there.” So I did."
Make sure to check back here next week for the interview.