Jump in the wrestling ring with former commentator Tony Schiavone on ‘What Happened When’
Cumulus Podcast Network’s “What Happened When” is a wrestling show hosted by former professional wrestling announcer Tony Schiavone and pro-sports podcaster Conrad Thompson. In episodes, the hosts revisit their favorite Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling memories and recap wrestling milestones from the ’80s and ‘90s. Tony and Conrad are often joined by guests from the scene to take a “hilarious trip down professional wrestling’s memory lane.”
Tony worked as an announcer from Starrcade ’83 to March 26, 2001, and loves to share his memories with listeners. Since October 2021, “What Happened When” episodes have been counting down to Starrcade ’86’s anniversary, where Tony was the commentator in Atlanta. Conrad reached out to Tony with a podcast pitch and he was onboard, so they started collaborating on “What Happened When.” In addition to co-hosting “What Happened When,” “Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard,” and other wrestling podcasts, Conrad is a mortgage broker.
Starrcade ’86: Night of the Skywalkers was a cultural touchstone for wrestling that occurred on November 27, 1986 in Greensboro, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. The matches followed storylines and feuds between competitors to fuel all matches leading up to and including the main event: National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair wrestled NWA United States Champion Nikita Koloff.
One of Starrcade ’86’s memorable moments was when The Road Warriors wrestled The Midnight Express on a 20-foot elevated stage made from scaffolding above the ring. In Greensboro, The Rock n’ Roll Express wrestled The Anderson Brothers in a steel cage. The original TV broadcast aired live and switched between the two locations, and all matches were taped and later released on VHS.
On recent episodes of “What Happened When,” the hosts reviewed a video of Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express preparing for battle before Starrcade ’86, and we’ll hear from Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Rick Rude. Episodes also dish dirt on wrestlers’ behind-the-scenes shenanigans. For example, we’ll hear how “Ragin’ Bull” Manny Fernandez cashed in by joining Paul Jones and moved away from Jimmy Valiant in 1986.
“What Happened When” is a definite choice for pro-wrestling fans! New episodes are posted on Wednesdays.
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