10 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Were In NXT AND AEW

3. Mike Chioda

Mike Chioda Nxt Aew
WWE/AEW

Obviously not strictly a wrestler by any accurate definition of the term, but perhaps a man whose spent more time between the ropes than any other individual on this list. Mike Chioda's astonishing 21 year tenure in WWE's stripes saw him officiate for every category of show, big and small, across every brand and multiple countries. Naturally, then, he was also on hand to slap the mats of Full Sail on countless occasions, such as a match between Bayley and Eva Marie, pictured, after which the former described having her hand raised by the veteran ref as "the coolest thing".

Chioda was surprisingly let go from his seemingly lifetime WWE contract earlier this year, as much to the shock of himself as the rest of the wrestling fraternity. Inevitably, he turned up in AEW, counting the 1-2-3 during Cody's TNT Championship match against Scorpio Sky on the 12 August episode of Dynamite. It's not clear if his position is permanent, but his class certainly is.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.