Mike Chioda Explains What It Meant To Be A 'Senior Official' In WWE

Given his 30-plus-year run as an official, most of which he spent in WWE, Mike Chioda is easily one of the most recognizable wrestling referees of the modern era, along with Earl Hebner, and former WCW/WWE referees Charles "Lil Naitch" Robinson, and Nick Patrick. That longevity led to Chioda becoming a senior official within WWE, a position he held until he was released in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, one could be forgiven for thinking that Chioda had some special perks that went along with that title. And on the latest "Monday Mailbag," Chioda received a fan question asking if that was the case, including whether he had the power to fire other officials or not.

"No, I never did have that power, nor did I want that power," Chioda said. "Maybe now, if I was training and doing certain things or whatever, and coaching. But Mike Chioda just had to go out and do his job, and f*****g get it done and do it right. Yeah, I gave guys advice and gave this here and there and whatever. Whether 'You were partying too hard,' or 'You're not doing this right.' I helped out with advice and stuff like that. If they took it with a grain of salt, they took it with a grain of salt."

When asked further about the position, Chioda did confirm that there were advantages to being a senior WWE official. He also admitted, however, that they weren't as big as one may expect. "Better pay, main event matches," Chioda said. "Maybe a respectful name? I don't know."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Monday Mailbag" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription