Tony Schiavone says one of the most famous calls in wrestling history was never planned.
Speaking on What Happened When, Schiavone looked back at Bash at the Beach 1996 and revealed his iconic “Hulk Hogan, you can go to hell” sign-off was completely improvised after Hogan shocked the wrestling world by turning heel and forming the New World Order.
“The line was completely ad-lib. Nobody fed me the line. I didn’t write down the line.”
Schiavone explained that he and the rest of the commentary team genuinely didn’t know who the Outsiders’ mystery third man would be before the show.
“We had heard so many different things during the course of the day. It’s going to be Hogan. Maybe Bret Hart. Maybe somebody else will come in and be the third man. Shawn Michaels. Who knows?”
Because of all the speculation backstage, Schiavone said he never truly believed Hogan would turn on WCW.
“I never thought Hogan would turn heel.”
As the angle unfolded in front of him, Schiavone said he was already thinking about how he would close the broadcast.
“I remember thinking as it’s going on, I don’t know what I’m going to say at the end of this show. As a wrestling fan, I know I’ve got to be pissed.”
The answer came to him just moments before the show went off the air.
“It hit me right at the end, ‘You can go to hell.'”
Schiavone also addressed the long-debated moment when Bobby “The Brain” Heenan questioned Hogan’s intentions before he entered the ring, a line some fans have long believed spoiled the surprise.
“I contend that Heenan didn’t know. But it would be Bobby Heenan, who hated Hulk Hogan so badly that he didn’t trust him, that would say something like that.”
Looking back nearly 30 years later, Schiavone still considers Hogan’s heel turn to be the biggest moment he ever witnessed in professional wrestling.
“As far as the impact on professional wrestling, the biggest by far. It was something to be a part of.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit What Happened When, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
