Tony Chimel appeared on HUGE POP! for an in-depth interview covering all things pro wrestling.
While on the popular program, the former longtime WWE ring announcer disputed claims that he was “let go” by AEW.
The following are some of the highlights.
On how he was not let go by AEW: “I would like to clarify something I said on some other podcast about six months ago about AEW. I made the mistake of saying I don’t work for them anymore, which is not true. I’ve been told that people were assuming that I got fired, which I never did get fired. Technically, I still would work for AEW if they called or wanted me to do anything. But, right now, that hasn’t happened in a while so, I just wanna clear that up, that I wasn’t fired from AEW and we left on good terms — or we’re not talking right now on good terms but, everything’s fine and I was not fired so, maybe I didn’t come across the right way of how I put that.”
On a fellow co-worker reaching out to him in November: “Well, it actually wasn’t the internet. It was a fellow coworker which I don’t wanna say but, they were a little upset that, ‘You never got fired!’ I can still work for ‘em if they wanted me to, you know? But I just wanted to clear that up.”
On being on a per appearance deal with AEW and being willing to return: “Right. Yeah, correct [I was on a per-appearance deal]. They downsized to smaller arenas and I think that what I was doing really wasn’t (that) big of a deal there. But I’m still in contact with some people there and I had a great time working there and would think about coming back if they ever asked but, yeah, that’s the way that is now.”
(H/T to Andrew Thompson and Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
