Former WWE Official Hopes Vince McMahon Returns And Is Given Proper Sendoff

Mike Chioda is calling on WWE to give its former head honcho a proper send-off that commemorates the full depth and scope of his leadership of the company over the years.

Speaking on his "Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda" podcast, the former WWE referee acknowledged that the sordid circumstances surrounding Vince McMahon's departure from the company forced the abrupt end to his leadership, adding, "It's just sad." But Chioda hoped there could be a proper salute to his old boss in the foreseeable future.

"I'm sure he'll come back, hopefully in another year or so or maybe next year at WrestleMania," he said. "Give it a little bit of time and then hopefully he gets the right send-off he deserves for running a major company and employing people like myself for 35 years."

The 77-year-old McMahon announced his retirement from WWE in July following an investigation by The Wall Street Journal. The exposé revealed a series of hush money payments that the then-WWE Chairman allegedly made to former female employees in order to silence their potential accusations of harassment, misconduct, and abuse against himself and John Laurinaitis, former Head of Talent Relations; Laurinaitis was subsequently fired.

Chioda acknowledged that he himself didn't have an accolade-rich farewell from WWE. In fact, he was let go in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic while recuperating from surgery for a torn rotator cuff. However, he insisted that there was no bitterness regarding his former boss or old employer. "I had a great run [and] there is definitely no heat with Vince McMahon," he said. "With me getting released, my time was up and that's it."