WWE Tenure: 24+ years Although he's only 47, Mike Chioda has been around a long time. Without looking it up, it's hard to think of when he started, since he always seems to have always been there, just minding his own business reffing a match. He actually refereed a match at the third inaugural Survivor Series in 1989 when he was in his early 20s. Since then, he's been there to officiate some of the biggest matches in recent history, including the main events of WrestleMania 23 and 28. While he may not be the most well known referee in company history, he's already surpassed Earl Hebner in overall tenure. Chidoa doesn't have a fiasco like The Montreal Screwjob attached to his name like Earl, but he was suspended for 30 days in 2011 for violating WWE's Wellness Policy. For a ref to fail that test and still keep his job must mean that Vince McMahon likes his work. No other ref on the current roster even comes close to Chioda's time in the company (Charles Robinson would be second, and he started in 2001). As long as he doesn't have any more incidents, he should be around for years to come. Maybe someday he'll get the recognition that he is surely due.
As Rust Cohle from True Detective said "Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you're good at."
Sadly, I can't solve a murder like Rust...or change a tire, or even tie a tie. But I do know all the lyrics to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme song and can easily name every Natural Born Thriller from the dying days of WCW. I was once ranked 21st in the United States in Tetris...on the Playstation 3 version...for about a week.
Follow along @AndrewSoucek and check out my podcast at wrestlingwithfriends.com
