Former WWE Referee Mike Chioda Appears On AEW Dynamite
Chioda officiated Dynamite's two biggest matches last night.
Veteran WWE referee Mike Chioda returned to professional wrestling last night, making a surprise appearance on AEW Dynamite.
One of the dozens of WWE wrestlers and crew members released or furloughed on 15 April, this was Chioda's first televised spot in a long, long time, as his former employers had kept him off television prior to letting him go. He had been with the promotion since 1989, officiating some of their most legendary matches.
Chioda's first AEW move saw him referee the TNT Championship match pitting Cody against Scorpio Sky. A straightforward battle with next to no shenanigans gave him an easy ride, though he was accosted by Chris Jericho later in the show. 'Le Champion' tried to take advantage of Chioda, asking him to "do the right thing" in his main event with Orange Cassidy, nudging and winking along the way.
Chioda did just that, wresting Jericho's baseball bat away when he tried to bring it into play. Cassidy ended up pinning 'The Demo God' following a failed interference from The Inner Circle.
It's good to see Chioda back in pro-wrestling after his absence. There's currently no word on whether or not he is signed to AEW.