Longtime wrestling commentator Tony Schiavone is feeling sentimental ahead of this Saturday’s AEW Collision live on TBS, set to air May 3rd from Atlantic City, NJ.
During the latest episode of his What Happened When podcast, Schiavone reflected on the personal and professional significance of calling Saturday night wrestling on TBS once again, drawing a direct line from his early days on Georgia Championship Wrestling to this weekend’s AEW broadcast.
“It never ceases to amaze me how my career has come full circle,” Schiavone began. “On April 6, 1985… it was 40 years to the day that I had first been on TBS, and now for me to be calling a live Saturday show on TBS again, it’s, to me, it’s very, very, very special.”
Schiavone went on to chart his connection with the TBS brand, recalling its evolution from Georgia Championship Wrestling in the early ’70s to the WTBS rebrand in 1979, and ultimately World Championship Wrestling in 1982.
“I first appeared there in 1985,” Schiavone recalled, referencing the early days of what would become the legendary WCW Saturday Night at 6:05 p.m. ET. He also looked back fondly on working alongside Jesse Ventura, while expressing regret that the show eventually shifted to more of a recap format in the late 1990s.
“It was heartbreaking,” he said. “Given how important it was as the flagship show for so many years.”
The AEW Collision broadcast now carries extra emotional weight for Schiavone, symbolizing a true full-circle moment in his historic career.
“Here we are in 2025 and I’m going to do a Saturday night show on TBS again,” he added. “That’s not lost on me. That’s not lost on how special it is for me personally… I’m really, really pumped about Saturday night’s show from Atlantic City and being live on TBS on a Saturday night… Really, really cool.”
Catch Tony Schiavone this Saturday on AEW Collision, and listen to more of his reflections on the What Happened When podcast, available weekly on all major platforms.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more AEW updates and backstage news.
