Tony Chimel, the veteran wrestling announcer known for his long tenure with WWE, has firmly shut down rumors that AEW fired him. 64-year-old Chimel did this during an appearance on the HUGE POP! podcast, where he clarified a misstatement from six months earlier in which he said he no longer worked for AEW, sparking online speculation of a quiet release. Chimel clarified his role was per-appearance, not full-time, and that while AEW hasn’t called him recently, he was never terminated, remains on good terms, and would consider returning if asked.
“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. But right now, that hasn’t happened in a while so I just wanna clear that up, that I wasn’t fired from AEW. … 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.” – Tony Chimel
Chimel launched his career in the wrestling business in 1983 as part of WWE’s ring crew. From there, he became a ring announcer in the early 1990s, occasionally substituting for Howard Finkel. In 1999, Chimel became SmackDown’s announcer, holding the role through 2007, introducing icons like The Undertaker, John Cena, Edge, and Brock Lesnar. However, after 37 years with WWE, he was released in November 2020, and from 2023 to 2025, he worked as a producer for AEW.
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