Tony Schiavone’s absence from this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite sparked widespread speculation among fans, particularly given recent controversy surrounding a now-deleted tweet he posted about NJPW announcer Chris Charlton. Schiavone’s tweet came after Charlton was reportedly suspended by NJPW for two months following anti-AEW comments during Wrestle Dynasty, in which he referred to Tony Khan as a “money mark” and criticized AEW’s booking of former NJPW stars.
In the since-deleted tweet, Schiavone wrote:
“Speaking for all of us in AEW, GFY [go f*** yourself]. And speaking for all of us who have been around you, take a shower once in a while.”
During Dynamite, ROH lead announcer Ian Riccaboni joined Excalibur and Nigel McGuinness at the commentary booth, fueling rumors that Schiavone’s absence was related to the controversy.
However, Dave Meltzer clarified the situation on Wrestling Observer Radio, explaining that Schiavone missed the show due to a personal matter. Meltzer stated:
“He wasn’t on the show tonight, and it’s nothing big or anything like that. When he wasn’t there, I started getting all these people going like, ‘Oh my god, did he get suspended for that text?’ but it was just a family situation. He’s fine, he’ll be back, I presume, on Saturday [for Collision]. It’s not anything to be alarmed over. He missed one show.”
Meltzer’s comments should put to rest any concerns about Schiavone’s status with AEW, confirming that his absence was unrelated to his tweet and was simply due to a family matter.
