Tony Schiavone has opened up about Malakai Black’s recent WWE release, admitting the news caught him off guard following the fallout from WrestleMania 42.

Speaking on his What Happened When podcast, Schiavone shared that his friendship with Black made the situation even more surprising, noting that he had no prior indication that a departure from WWE was imminent.

Reflecting on the moment, Schiavone explained that he had not yet spoken to Black since the release became public, which added to the unexpected nature of the situation.

“I was surprised, really, that they released Malakai Black because he and I are friends. I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him since that time,” Schiavone said.

While discussing recent events, Schiavone also addressed reactions to comments he made about Nigel McGuinness during a previous podcast episode. His remarks, which praised McGuinness as the best colour analyst he has worked with, sparked debate among fans who compared McGuinness to legendary names Schiavone has shared the booth with in the past.

Schiavone stood by his opinion and pointed to McGuinness’ preparation and professionalism as key reasons for his stance.

“I think we’re very fortunate in AEW. As a two man team, I really like working with Nigel and people say, ‘well, what about Jesse or what about Heenan? You worked with Dusty Rhodes in a two man booth. What about those guys you worked with? You say Nigel’s better than them?’ Well, Nigel is the most prepared I’ve ever worked with.”