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In a captivating episode of "Monday Mailbag," the spotlight fell on former WWE referee, Mike Chioda, as he was probed for any memorable tales about Umaga. Delving deep into his archives, Chioda unraveled an amusing anecdote centered around Umaga's iconic face paint.
"We were on the road; it was me, Johnny Stamboli, Rey Mysterio, and Ekie," began Chioda, painting the scene with words. "This was the time Ekie had just begun his Umaga journey with that distinguished face paint. While at the TV shows, there was always someone designated to apply the face paint.
However, during one of our car rides to a live event, Johnny Ace rang Ekie up. He chided, 'Ek, you overlooked the face paint at last night's event.' Ekie, taken aback, retorted, 'Johnny, I do that for the TV broadcasts.' Johnny Ace's stern reply? 'Wear it or face a penalty.'
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Face Paint Fiasco
Continuing the tale with a twinkle in his eye, Chioda added, "With just an hour left to the event, we frantically stopped at several stores, finally securing black markers. Believe it or not, I found myself painting Ekie's face in our car!
That improvised makeup didn't fade for nearly three days. Ekie was livid, especially at Johnny, who often cited Vince's preference as the rationale. Whenever Johnny was adamant, it was always, 'Vince wants it this way,' bringing Vince McMahon's name into the narrative." Chioda's reminiscing did not just revolve around humorous tales; it took a sentimental turn too.
He recounted that in 2007, he shifted residences to be a mere five-minute drive away from Umaga in Houston, solidifying their bond. He spoke fondly of Umaga, eulogizing the wrestling giant who had clinched the Intercontinental Champion title twice. Tragically, the world lost Umaga in 2009 when he was only 36, leaving behind stories and memories like this to cherish.