Mike Chioda Recalls John Cena Legitimately Choking Out Umaga At 2007 WWE Royal Rumble

On a recent edition of the Monday Mailbag with Mike Chioda on AdFreeShows, the former WWE referee answered a variety of questions, including one on John Cena’s match with Umaga at the 2007 Royal Rumble and how Cena legitimately choked his opponent out during the match. Here’s what Chioda had to say (via Wrestling Inc.):

Mike Chioda on John Cena vs. Umaga at the 2007 Royal Rumble and Cena legitimately choking Umaga out: “John Cena had a rope around his neck and he was actually choking Umaga out, and Umaga passed out. I’m sitting there going ‘Eckie, Eckie,’ at first I’m like ‘What do you say Umaga, what do you say? Do you want to give it up, do you want to quit?’ I remember Umaga passed out and I was like ‘Eckie, Eckie, can you hear me?’ And then I was like ‘John, let go, let go’ and yeah, he choked him out and Umaga passed out. Umaga passed out, he couldn’t answer anything, he was out like a light. That’s why I got so worried about Eckie man, my god, I was thinking was he concussed? But no, the rope got him and choked him out, and he passed out. I didn’t even know Eckie was passed out, I was pissed. He was shoot passed out, shoot passed out. He was totally out of it.”

On Umaga’s reaction once he recovered: “He finally woke up and I was like ‘Eckie are you alright? He’s like ‘I passed out Uce,’ and I was like ‘Uce you alright, you alright Uce?’ It was the ring rope that choked him out and he was pulling and tugging too hard, John was. I remember Eckie was passed out like a son of a gunman. What a match too, the steps, the monitor, and all that stuff. But when he got him with the rope, Eckie just passed out. I felt bad because as a referee you’ve got to know what’s going on in there. I was like ‘Eckie, I just thought you were selling so good,’ and he’s like ‘Oh Uce, I was trying to tell you but I couldn’t get it out.’ He was trying to tell me, he couldn’t talk, he was like it’s too tight, too tight and I couldn’t even hear him.”