Tony Schiavone Was Surprised Hulk Hogan Joined WCW, Thought It Was A 'Big Step Down'

Hulk Hogan joining WCW in 1994 sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry. After over a decade as the top star in the WWF and wrestling as a whole, Hogan's jump to WCW buoyed a struggling national promotion and turned it into an instant competitor for Vince McMahon's brand. However, even after all these years and all the wrestling history that resulted, former WCW broadcaster Tony Schiavone still cannot believe it even happened in the first place. 

On the latest episode of "What Happened When," Schiavone revealed his absolute shock when the deal went down to bring Hogan in, having not expected him to sign. The reason for his skepticism was WCW's state at the time, which he compared unfavorably to WWF's.

"I didn't think anyone up there wanted to come down here," Schiavone said. "I do remember this, I'm thinking 'Boy, they would like a lot of our guys because they could probably make something out of them, make them a good character or something. But nobody would want to come down here because that would be a big step down.' So that was my feeling back then."

Ultimately, while his time in WCW would end badly, the move proved to be a boost for Hogan's career. He would become a multi-time World Champion with WCW and would later reinvigorate his career upon forming the NWO with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at the historic Bash at the Beach of 1996. The NWO would help spearhead WCW business for the next several years, including leading to the promotion overtaking WWF in the television ratings for 83 consecutive weeks during the heyday of the Monday Night Wars.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "What Happened When" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription