"I had to have heat somewhere" - WWE veteran questions reasons for release by Vince McMahon

Mike Chioda has pondered the potential reasons for his release from WWE in 2020, saying "I had to have heat somewhere."

In a recent interview with Michael Morales Torres of Lucha Libre Online, the veteran WWE referee said he suspected he may have caught the bad side of someone within WWE, which may have led to his release.

However, Chioda says he doesn't believe the move was anything to do with him taking time off for surgery. Chioda insisted WWE Chairman Vince McMahon would not have reacted in such a manner.

"I had to have heat somewhere, but I wish somebody could have brought something to my attention and talked to me about it," said Chioda. "Because, sometimes, when you have heat with the wrong person - I doubt Vince was like “Where’s Mike Chioda?!” “Oh, he’s off, he had to have surgery.” “Well, what the f***?! Fire him!” I don’t think he said that… I would have gone back to the PC setting up rings and mopping floors. But somebody must have presented it to Vince and that was it."

La autoridad en el cuadrilátero, @MjcChioda habla sobre WrestleMania 18, 31, quien le hablaba por su auricular, el conteo de 3 que no debió ocurrir y más. También nos habla de Monday Mail Bag en @adfreeshows por https://t.co/lzEAz8UNa7Entrevista: https://t.co/EWcuqvQcLz pic.twitter.com/6FpNkWO1Pe

— Lucha Libre Online (@luchalibreonlin) May 2, 2021

Mike Chioda suggests age could have been a factor in his WWE release

Mike Chioda worked for WWE for over 30 years (Credit: WWE)

During the interview, Mike Chioda suggested his age could have been a possible factor in his sudden release from WWE. However, the veteran was quick to note there have been wrestlers, and others in the industry, who are still thriving despite being of a similar age to him.

"That’s an answer I still don’t have," Chioda continued. "I don’t have an answer. You know, am I going to go begging back for an answer? F*** no. Did they think I’m too old? Jesus. A man runs our company. He can run a company. I know a fifty-something, 53 year old man can still get in that ring and do his job. You’ve got people who are 80 years old being President of the United States these days! And I’m like, “Really? Mike Chioda is too old to get in the wrestling ring?” You see wrestlers coming back at 55 to do a 30 minute match! So yeah, it hurts. Definitely. Like, I didn’t bury the company, I didn’t embarrass the company in any way."

Mike Chioda worked for WWE for over 30 years, making him the longest-tenured official in the company's history. He is one of the most experienced and well-respected referees in the history of the sport.