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A former WWE star recently claimed to be working at a grocery store even after being signed with AEW. The name in question is Tony Chimel.
Chimel was the first-ever ring announcer on WWE SmackDown. He was an integral part of the Stamford-based company's programming until 2015, after which he only made sporadic appearances. The veteran was released from his contract in November 2020.
During his recent appearance on the Behind The Turnbuckle podcast, Tony Chimel claimed he was working full-time at a Trader Joe’s grocery store. He also talked about working with AEW, as he mentioned he loved both his jobs.
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"My main job now is I work at Trader Joe’s grocery store. […] I love that place, and I love working there. I also work for AEW a couple [of] times per month. I love working there as well. That still keeps me a little bit on the wrestling scene and a little bit on the road and stuff like that. I don’t travel the way I used to, which I’m very happy about because I don’t want to. I love both gigs now that I’m doing," he said.
WWE fired her, but she started earning more than ever - Check out!
Chimel opened up about his early days with WWE. He also mentioned the amount of money he was offered during the time, while also talking about former referee, Joey Marella.
"When I first started, we were hired as employees. We had to go up to Stamford, Connecticut. We signed all the paperwork [and] we got hired by Titan Sports. Joey was making $20,000 a year, and I was making $16,000 [in] November 1983. Then I remember a few years later when Joey got off the ring and was refereeing, I got to take over the ring truck, and I was the head guy, and I got to make the 20 grand," he said.
You can listen to the entire podcast below:
Tony Chimel calls out WWE for still using his voice
Tony Chimel was part of several legendary moments during his time with the WWE. So, it came as a massive surprise when he was released from his contract in 2020, citing budget cuts. Despite his release, however, the wrestling promotion still uses his voice at its shows.
The former SmackDown ring announcer recently took to X (fka Twitter) to fire shots at the WWE. He noted that it was odd of the global juggernaut to release him from his contract years ago and still use his voice at shows:
Tony Chile is currently signed to a rival promotion. In April 2022, he revealed he was assisting AEW with production during their Orlando tapings.
