Mike Chioda spent decades working for WWE, so his release back when the company was making its COVID-19-related budget cuts definitely came as a surprise. During a recent addition of "Talk is Jericho" with All Elite Wrestling's Chris Jericho, the referee was asked whether his firing came as a surprise.
"Yes, it took me by complete surprise. I had surgery in October in Alabama. I had a torn rotator cuff and a torn bicep. The surgery went great. I healed up and was ready for WrestleMania. I signed a new contract in the middle of March. I got a bump in pay. I got a phone call and text on April 15th. There was no reason. I asked if it came from certain people like Vince and Stephanie and they said no."
"I don’t know if it’s heat, but how can you have heat if you have been off 6 months rehabbing?" he continued. "I hadn’t even been on Twitter or Facebook since 2015. My relationship with Vince was awesome over 35 years."
It seems that despite the many years he spent with WWE, the company had no loyalty to him, and released Chioda because they didn't want to pay an injured referee who was sitting at home rehabbing. That says a lot about Vince McMahon when you stop and think about it, and it will be interesting seeing what becomes of him moving forward.
We'll keep you guys updated.