Former WWE Official Says Mike Tyson Couldn't Do Basic Referee Move

Many fans will remember WWE WrestleMania XIV in 1998 as the event that truly kicked off the "Stone Cold" era in the company, as well as the infamous "Attitude Era." The main event of the night saw "Stone Cold" Steve Austin face off against "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship, with legendary boxer Mike Tyson acting as a "special outside enforcer." At the end of the night, Austin would be crowned the new WWF Champion, and the ascent of the company's biggest star since Hulk Hogan would be in full swing.

During a recent episode of AdFreeShow's "Monday Mailbag," former WWE referee Mike Chioda spoke about trying to prepare Tyson to act as a referee for the bout.

"Mike Tyson, it was great," Chioda said. "Believe me, I tried to teach him how to count. ... He counted so fast, I was like 'Oh sh*t.' I must have spent like an hour with him, 'Here, just 1-2-3.'" Chioda revealed that fellow WWE referee Earl Hebner was originally supposed to referee the match but became sick. The duty then fell to Chioda.

"We had a fantastic time, we did some rehearsals," Chioda continued. "That's when Mike Tyson came in, and it was funny, man. He comes up and he's like 'Hey, Mike Chioda.' I [was] like 'What the f***? You know my name?' Obviously, he was a huge fan of wrestling."

His WrestleMania appearance wouldn't be the last time Tyson was involved in wrestling. In recent years, the boxer has made multiple appearances for AEW; Tyson even took on his old title of "Special Enforcer" once again, in a match between Chris Jericho and Dax Harwood. Most recently, Tyson stepped in on commentary for a bout between Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata for the All-Atlantic Championship.