Tony Schiavone Recalls Ad-Libbed Hulk Hogan Heel Turn That Changed WCW Forever at 1996 Bash at Beach

In a recent episode of his “What Happened When” podcast, AEW commentator and former WCW announcer Tony Schiavone reflected on Hulk Hogan’s pivotal heel turn at WCW Bash at the Beach in July 1996, an event that saw Hogan align with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the nWo. The moment marked its 30th anniversary this past month.

Schiavone revealed that his now-iconic call—”Hulk Hogan can go to hell. Straight to hell”—was entirely spontaneous. “The line was completely ad-libbed,” he explained. “Nobody fed me the line, I didn’t write it down. The reason is because, unlike what most people think, we had no idea what was going to happen. We’d heard so many different things throughout the day—’It’s going to be Hogan. Maybe Bret Hart. Maybe somebody else will come in as the third man. Who knows? Shawn Michaels? Who knows?’ So when it happened, I was absolutely stunned, because his name was also being discussed. I never thought Hogan would turn heel.”

Looking back, Schiavone emphasized the magnitude of that moment: “It was, by far, the biggest impact on pro wrestling that I’ve been a part of. It led directly to the Monday Night Wars of 1996, 1997, and 1998.”

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