Tully Blanchard sure has a respected legacy and intimidating presence, but Tony Schiavone thinks so much of the AEW roster would benefit from the legend’s knowledge.
Schiavone and Conrad Thompson were looking back at the March 10, 1986 episode of World Championship Wrestling on the latest “What Happened When,” when Tony brought up the vast knowledge of one Tully Blanchard and how a great deal of the talent in All Elite Wrestling could sit under the man’s learning tree.
“I just wish more people in AEW, more the wrestlers, would go to Tully with advice. I think he’s really under-utilized. Sometimes in the backstage area, this happens, I see it and I get it. Most everybody who’s working and was an old school wrestling fan. One of the biggest is Eddie Kingston, by the way, and they just love what we’re doing here [meaning watching classic wrestling]. They love this era. This was their fuckin’ era. Obviously, the older guys, but even the guys who grew up in the 90’s, they remember the 80’s, right?”
Conrad mentions how the ’80s had to be a bit before Kingston’s super fandom, but isn’t surprised at his passion due to how much of a student of the game Eddie is.
“So when they see somebody like Tully, and I’m not saying Eddie Kingston, but I’m saying other guys or gals, when they see him, they’re kind of stand-offish because they respect him so much and they’re kind of intimidated by him.”
Thompson agrees. He brings up how terrific of a guy Blanchard is and how his “asshole” persona of the past still carries with him. Tony makes note of the value of having Tully and all the AEW coaches backstage can be to the roster.
“So the kids need to talk to him and Arn Anderson the same way backstage, all the guys who are coaches: Dean [Malenko], Billy Gunn.”
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