Tony Chimel is clearing up a big misunderstanding about his relationship with All Elite Wrestling because despite what some people believed, he says he was never fired. The longtime wrestling announcer addressed the situation while appearing on the HUGE POP! podcast on March 12, 2026, where he explained that confusion surrounding his AEW status started after something he said months earlier during another interview. Chimel admitted that his wording in that earlier appearance made it sound like he was no longer associated with the company at all something he now says simply wasnt accurate. According to Chimel, once those comments started circulating online, people quickly assumed the worst that AEW had quietly released him. He made it clear that was never the case: Ive been told that people were assuming that I got fired, which I never did get fired. The former WWE ring announcer went on to explain that his relationship with AEW was never based on a full-time contract to begin with. Instead, he was working under a per-appearance arrangement, meaning the company would simply call him in whenever they needed him. Because of that setup, Chimel says technically nothing has changed about his relationship with the company: Technically, I still would work for AEW if they called or wanted me to do anything. However, he acknowledged that it has been quite some time since he last appeared for the promotion, which likely fueled the speculation that his run had quietly ended. Chimel also revealed that someone inside AEW actually contacted him after hearing the original interview, pointing out that his comments had unintentionally created the false narrative. Chimel further explained that the nature of AEWs current production setup may have played a role in why his services havent been needed recently. With the company running smaller venues and adjusting its presentation, his role simply hasnt been as necessary: They downsized to smaller arenas and I think that what I was doing really wasnt that big of a deal there. Despite that, Chimel made it clear theres no bad blood between him and AEW. In fact, he says hes still in contact with several people in the company and would absolutely consider returning if the opportunity came up again. For now, Chimels AEW status appears to be less of a breakup and more of a quiet pause. He hasnt been brought in recently, but the door clearly isnt closed either meaning a surprise return down the road isnt completely off the table. Do you think Tony Chimel should return to AEW for special appearances, or would you rather see him back in WWE? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback below. G Add as a preferred source on Google
