Mike Chioda On Why His WWE Release 'Sucked' And If He'll Return With Triple H In Charge

After 31 years working with WWE, referee Mike Chioda was surprisingly released by the company back in August 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to budget cuts. But with a changing of the guard behind the scenes in WWE following Vince McMahon's retirement, could the veteran official end up making a return?

"I don't know," he admitted on the latest "Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda" on AdFreeShows.com. "I know Vince probably let it go, but I don't know if Vince was the one that picked my name out of a hat during the pandemic and said, 'We have to cut Mike Chioda, g*ddamnit.'"

Chioda also uttered the famous wrestling phrase "You never know" in regards to a possible return now that Paul "Triple H" Levesque has risen to power, while also admitting, "I really don't care, it was a great run."

Since his release Chioda has made several appearances for AEW, but he has not been signed to an official contract by the company, despite making it clear he would like to keep working for a little longer, and that the release didn't take place due to him wanting to retire.

"I was shocked more than bitter or whatever," he said. "It sucked that I got let go during a pandemic when everything was closed in our profession ... We couldn't do anything for a while, that's why I started up with the podcast."

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