Mike Chioda Discusses The Largest Wrestling Pop He’s Ever Heard

Veteran wrestling referee Mike Chioda has heard plenty of loud pops in his time in the ring, but has now picked out which one was the biggest.

Mike Chioda has been the man in the middle in the biggest arenas and on the biggest stages, however it was one of the classic WrestleMania contests between The Rock and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin which stands out the most.

In the latest episode of his Monday Mailbag show, Chioda commented that the pop at WrestleMania 15 when the glass shattered and ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ hit the ring was the largest he’s ever heard.

The one pop that stood out is when I did … it was Rock and Stone Cold [Steve Austin] at WrestleMania [15]. First 10 minutes of the match and I got hit by a steel chair, and that’s when Stone Cold swings the chair at me. Oh my God, in Philly, and I was like, ‘Bring it, man, just make it look good,’ and he brought it. But I remember the pop when he came out and just being out there. The pop was so huge in Philly.

Mike Chioda went on to discuss that the pop Steve Austin could get with his entrance was louder than could happen in far bigger arenas.

When I always say [Hulk] Hogan and Rock got that huge pop with 68,000 people in the SkyDome [at WrestleMania 18], yeah, I get it — it’s all that. But every night, day in and day out, every week, when Stone Cold came out and that f**king glass used to break, when the music would start and the glass would break, man, the people would just come unglued off their seats. It was just like, ‘Woah, what the f?’ I mean, come unglued!

Since being released by WWE, Mike Chioda has made sporadic refereeing appearances, including for All Elite Wrestling.

With thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.