Mike Chioda Comments On Referees Holding The Ladder In Recent AEW Dynamite Match

The main job of any professional referee is to keep the wrestlers safe, and that was clear during the recent Face of the Revolution Ladder Match on "AEW Dynamite" when the officials held the ladder for Powerhouse Hobbs. Their decision to do so caused quite a stir on social media, but experienced referee Mike Chioda made it clear that "it's a safety thing" during the latest "Monday Mailbag."

Ultimately the reason why the AEW officials held the ladder for Hobbs was that it was broken, Chioda believes that it is all about keeping the talent as safe as possible in what is already a dangerous match. "It's the spot off the ladder off the top, and you want it to be stable and that's what's going to happen on these ladder matches," he said. "To me, man, it's all about the safety, so you want a stable ladder when somebody comes off that top of the ladder."

The former WWE official is one of the more respected referees in the business, and he confirmed that he has held ladders at various points in his own career. But in those instances, it was all about making it look inconspicuous — something that can be helped by the camera angles shown to the television audience. 

"A lot of referees will put their foot down and their weight on it. It helps and I don't think there's nothing wrong with that," he said. "There's a certain way to shoot that where you try and get the referee out of the show and just not shoot the referee holding the ladder as much."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Monday Mailbag" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.