Former WWE referee Mike Chioda recently spoke with Chris Jericho on the AEW star’s weekly “Talk Is Jericho” podcast to discuss his recent release from WWE as part of the company’s COVID-19 cutbacks.
According to the longtime pro wrestling referee, he was surprised by being fired by WWE and was never actually given an explanation from the company for his release.
Featured below are some of the highlights of the Mike Chioda interview from Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast.
On his WWE release catching him off-guard: “Yeah Chris, it took me by complete surprise. I had surgery in October first, in Alabama. And I had a torn rotator cuff and a torn bicep. So I went though surgery in Alabama, Dr. Dougas, and surgery went great. I’m healed up great, and I was ready for WrestleMania. I actually signed a new contract in the middle of March, my contract was up. I actually got a little bump in pay. And then I get a phone call on Tax Day, April 15th. So yeah, it took me by complete surprise.”
On not being given a reason for his WWE release: “No, there was no reason. He — I asked if it came from certain people like Vince and Stephanie, and he said no. It didn’t, it’s not like they pulled me out of a hat and said, ‘Okay, we have to cut the company and Mike Chioda’s salary is the start of the thing, you know? It was just — I think something completely different. I don’t know if it’s heat, or — but how can you have heat if you have been off 6 months rehabbing? And you know, I hadn’t even been on Twitter or Facebook since 2015. So yeah, it took me by complete surprise.”
On his career not being over yet: “My career is definitely not over. I definitely got plenty left. Whether it’s inside the ring or outside the ring, in training referees or working with talent and so forth.”
Check out the complete Mike Chioda interview on Chris Jericho’s “Talk Is Jericho” podcast below, or at Megaphone.link.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above Mike Chioda interview quotes.)
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