Former WWE referee Mike Chioda says his video-game royalty payments disappeared and claims WWE removed his likeness from a subsequent game after he questioned John Laurinaitis about the missing checks.
Chioda discussed the issue on the It’s Not Our Fault podcast.
He credited Jim Ross with making sure he was initially compensated when his likeness began appearing in WWE games.
“The boys used to bust my chops all the time. ‘Chioda, did you get the video?’ … I remember J.R. hooked me all up putting me in.”
Chioda recalled one royalty payment being worth approximately $25,000, although he was uncertain which royalty period the check covered.
“I got a check. You know, it was like 25 grand…”
According to Chioda, the checks later stopped after Laurinaitis assumed greater responsibility.
Chioda said he questioned why wrestlers continued receiving royalties while referees whose likenesses appeared in the games did not.
“The boys get royalties, like, you know, the refs can’t get them too still?”
Laurinaitis allegedly told Chioda that he would look into the matter.
Chioda claims the outcome was not another royalty check. Instead, he says WWE removed him from the following game and used the likeness of an office employee for a much smaller payment.
“Next thing you know, I got taken off the next year video game, right? And they put some guy in there from the office and they paid him like 2,500 bucks and they just used his likeness.”
Chioda did not identify the specific game, employee or documentation supporting WWE’s alleged motivation. His assertion that questioning the payments caused the likeness change is therefore his interpretation of the sequence of events.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit It’s Not Our Fault, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
