After more than three decades in professional wrestling, veteran referee Mike Chioda has confirmed he is “pretty much” retired from in-ring officiating. During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Chioda clarified his status, stating that while he isn’t completely closing the door, his time as a regular referee is over.
“Pretty much, yeah,” Chioda stated when asked if he was fully retired. He elaborated, “I mean, if there’s a match or two, or something like that, I’ll do here and there.” He cited his roles in Ric Flair’s Last Match in 2022 and an event for the Fight Factory promotion as the types of special, select appearances he might consider in the future.
With his regular officiating career now in the rearview mirror, Chioda is focusing his efforts on contributing to the business in other ways. He is actively conducting seminars, training the next generation of referees in Orlando, and co-hosting the Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda podcast alongside Conrad Thompson. Chioda also continues to make appearances at signings.
Chioda’s retirement marks the end of an era for one of WWE’s most recognizable officials. He was the company’s longest-tenured referee, with a career spanning over 30 years before his release on April 15, 2020, which was part of widespread budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over his career, he officiated some of the biggest matches in history, including the main event between The Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII and Seth Rollins’ Money in the Bank cash-in at WrestleMania 31.
Following his WWE departure, Chioda made several appearances for All Elite Wrestling, officiating matches that included an AEW TNT Championship bout in August 2020 and the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final in May 2022. However, his most significant post-WWE role was officiating Ric Flair’s Last Match, an event he had previously described as potentially being the “last chapter of his book.”