Ex-WWE Star Splitting Time Between Trader Joe’s & AEW
The life of a WWE talent may seem glamourous but once their time in the spotlight comes to an end, they have to find something else to do and for one man that’s meant a job at Trader Joe’s.
While most of the spotlight in WWE is on the wrestlers themselves, the broadcast team in the company are stars in their own right. These days, ring announcer Samantha Irvin has won plenty of praise for her approach to the job and there’s few that believe anyone will come close to the legendary Howard Finkel in that role.
One man who provided the voice to countless WWE shows over the years was Tony Chimel. Chimel worked a variety of jobs in WWE, working his way up to being a ring announcer where he was best known for his unique “Rated-R Superstar” announcement for Edge.
In November 2020, Tony Chimel was released by WWE ending his 38-year association with the company.
Tony Chimel Trades WWE For Trader Joe’s
Appearing on the Behind The Turnbuckle podcast, former WWE ring announcer Tony Chimel revealed that these days he’s working for Trader Joe’s but also keeps his hand in the wrestling business by working with AEW:
My main job now is I work at Trader Joe’s grocery store…I love that place and I love working there. I also work for AEW a couple times per month. I love working there as well. That still keeps me a little bit on the wrestling scene and a little bit on the road and stuff like that. I don’t travel the way I used to which I’m very happy about because I don’t want to. I love both gigs now that I’m doing.
Chimel is believed to work as a producer with AEW in his part-time role with the company that he has held since 2023.