Ex-WWE Referee Mike Chioda Seemingly Confirms Retirement From Pro Wrestling

One of wrestling’s most respected referees has finally called it a career. Mike Chioda, who was a staple in WWE for over three decades, has seemingly confirmed that he’s retired—at least for the most part.

Chioda’s post-WWE career has been relatively quiet since his release in 2020, with only a handful of appearances sprinkled in, including his officiating role in Ric Flair’s Last Match in 2022. At the time, he described it as “the last chapter of his book”—and now he’s closing that book for good.

In a new interview with Chris Van Vliet, Chioda was asked whether he considers himself fully retired from in-ring officiating.

“Pretty much, yeah. I mean, if there’s a match or two, or something like that, I’ll do here and there. Ric Flair’s Last Match I did, I had done a match in the Jersey Shore for Fight Factory and for New Jersey. So it was nice to get down there, and those guys are great at Fight Factory. So it’s really pick and choose, but I’m doing seminars, training refs in Orlando, doing a bunch of and signings and stuff. And the podcast, yeah, Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda, with Conrad Thompson, on ad-free shows. They’ve been great to me for four and a half years, five years almost.”

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While fans might still catch him at a special event or a convention, Chioda is embracing his new role behind the scenes—training future referees, making podcast appearances, and doing select signings. His long-standing presence in wrestling has cemented him as a trusted figure, even in retirement.

Mike Chioda’s legacy is sealed, and now he’s spending his time giving back to the business that defined his life. Whether or not he steps back into the ring for a surprise one-off, his era as the go-to referee is officially in the rearview mirror.