"Who the f*** is this guy?" - Vince McMahon's reaction after hearing unfamiliar name on WWE TV
Former WWE referee Mike Chioda says Vince McMahon reacted angrily when he heard WWE’s announce team mentioning referees’ names on television.
Chioda, who worked for WWE between 1989 and 2020, was one of WWE’s longest-serving referees before he received his release. The 55-year-old’s name was often mentioned by WWE commentators, but the same could not be said for some of the company’s other officials.
Speaking on the Such Good Shoot podcast, Chioda explained why the majority of referees’ names are not referenced by commentators.
“The only thing I didn’t like is when Vince cut our f***ing names off,” Chioda said. “He heard some referee’s name years ago, man, just being announced on commentary, and he said, ‘Who the f*** is this guy?’ They said, ‘It’s the referee, Vince.’ ‘Well, why the f*** am I hearing his f***ing name? God, dammit.’ He was like, ‘That’s it, I don’t wanna hear any more f***ing referees’ names.’ But they’d still plug my name once in a while.”
Vince McMahon has banned dozens of words and phrases from being said on WWE television in the past. The WWE Chairman prefers the words “title” and “championship” instead of “belt” and “strap.” He also likes hospitals to be referred to as “local medical facilities.”
Mike Chioda’s career after leaving Vince McMahon’s WWE
Mike Chioda refereed some of the biggest matches in WWE history, including The Rock’s matches against Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18) and John Cena (WrestleMania 28).
Since leaving Vince McMahon’s WWE, Chioda has refereed sporadically for AEW but has not officially joined the company.
He also said on the Such Good Shoot podcast that AEW referees are “not doing s***” to make wrestlers stick to the rules. He believes the restrictions placed on AEW referees hurts the overall enjoyment of AEW shows.
Please credit Such Good Shoot and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.