Years after WCW was sold and disappeared from television, Tony Schiavone had a memorable and unexpected run-in with former Turner Broadcasting boss Ted Turner that revealed just how unhappy Turner was with wrestling being removed from TNT and TBS programming.

Speaking on his podcast, Schiavone reflected on the period immediately after WWE purchased WCW in 2001. At the time, Schiavone quickly transitioned into a new role with Atlanta radio station WSB, where he worked part-time covering the Atlanta Braves. The position saw him handling pregame and postgame duties on the Braves Radio Network alongside several other broadcasters.

While preparing for one of the games, Schiavone recalled heading underneath the stadium concourse before first pitch when he unexpectedly crossed paths with Turner in a near-empty restroom.

“So, when WCW went down in 2001, I’ve mentioned on this podcast before that I immediately, that day, got a job part-time at WSB, which has been one of the legendary stations in the Atlanta market. And they had been the home of the Atlanta Braves forever.”

After explaining how he rotated through duties on Braves broadcasts, Schiavone described the surreal moment he came face-to-face with the man who had backed WCW throughout its rise during the Monday Night Wars.

“I go across to the men’s bathroom, and I go up to the urinal, and there’s only two of us in the bathroom. And I look to my right, the other guy who’s peeing is Ted Turner.”

Schiavone said he introduced himself and began explaining his connection to WCW, reminding Turner about his years calling Nitro and Thunder on Turner networks. However, Turner immediately interrupted him with a passionate reaction about the company’s decision to move away from wrestling.

“And he said, I remember vividly, the first words out of his mouth were, ‘Those motherf*ckers. If I was still running this place, wrestling would still be on TBS. It would still be on TNT.’”

Turner reportedly continued venting his frustrations, making it clear he believed wrestling had always been an important part of the Turner television identity dating back decades before WCW even existed.

“He said, ‘They are out of their minds taking off wrestling, which has been an integral part of what we’re doing.’”

The encounter left a major impression on Schiavone, especially considering how quickly WCW disappeared after AOL Time Warner executives took control and ultimately approved the sale to WWE in March 2001. Many within the wrestling industry have long believed WCW’s fate was sealed more by corporate restructuring than by the company’s television ratings alone.

“I remember walking out of that and saying, ‘Wow, what an impromptu meeting that was.’”

Schiavone added that the exchange convinced him Turner would have kept WCW alive had he still been running the company during that chaotic period.

“So it told me that he was very upset with what AOL Time Warner was doing right then. And it also told me that had Ted still been in charge of the company, we would have still been on the air.”

The story adds another layer to one of the most discussed turning points in wrestling history, with Turner’s comments suggesting he never supported the decision to remove professional wrestling from Turner networks after WCW’s collapse.