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What's the story?
Tony Schiavone was the voice of Nitro during the Monday Night Wars. But Schiavone had the chance to be on a different team if he hadn't left the WWF in 1990. Schiavone recently revealed a rather interesting tradition they used to do with the new guy in the office at the World Wrestling Federation.
In case you didn't know...
WWF got a new employee in the form of Tony Schiavone in 1989 who proceeded to leave a year later. The Virginia native returned to WCW in 1990 and remained with the company until its dying days in 2001. Schiavone also had a solitary appearance on TNA's television.
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The heart of the matter
Tony Schiavone was happy with WCW but when he was lied to about how much he was making with the company, Schiavone took a call from the WWF. In no time Schiavone was on a plane flying to meet with Vince McMahon at the latter's home.
Tony Schiavone said on his first day at the WWF office in Stanford, Vince McMahon came in and personally welcomed him to the company. Hulk Hogan also came in during Schiavone's first week to tell him that he was wondering when Tony would make it to the WWF.
Tony Schiavone then went on to talk about one unusual office tradition at the WWF's offices which he thankfully didn't have to participate in.
"Kevin Dunn brings me in, brings the staff in, introduced me and he said 'normally', and this was kinda the thing they did back then -- he says, 'normally a new employee here, we make you sing Hulk Hogan's theme song Real American, but I'm not gonna make you do that.' I said, 'okay, thanks!'"
What's next?
The WWF eventually evolved into the WWE we know today, but Kevin Dunn is still one of the men in charge of production. Tony Schiavone is currently enjoying a resurgence in his pro wrestling career thanks to his outstanding What Happened When podcast.
Author's take
I've heard about my fair share of office traditions. Some of them are rather unprofessional, to say the least. In all honesty, employees of the WWF who had to sing "Real American" could have had it much worse.
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