Tony Chimel didn’t hold back when discussing former WWE timekeeper Mark Yeaton during his appearance on the All Axxess Podcast. Chimel, who worked alongside Yeaton for decades, made it clear that Yeaton’s contributions to WWE were enormous and that the company did not treat him right on the way out.
Chimel praised Yeaton as one of the unsung heroes of WWE’s backstage, saying he spent countless years going above and beyond for the company. “Best. Yeah. Traveled with him a lot, too. Traveled with him. Although I remember me and him had to drive from New Jersey all the way to Calgary and set a ring up at Bret Hart’s house,” Chimel recalled.
He emphasized that Yeaton’s work ethic extended beyond timekeeping, noting, “He’s a guy that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. That guy went above and beyond the call of duty.”
Chimel also revealed that Yeaton carried an important role in production, something many fans never saw. “I worked with him in the production office. He taught me a lot about when I was working in the production office, how to do stuff there,” he said, crediting Yeaton with helping him learn key behind-the-scenes operations.
But despite Yeaton’s years of service, Chimel described his firing as unfair and poorly handled. “He was let go in a sh*tty way and you know that went down horribly and probably should have never been let go,” Chimel stated.
He suggested the company’s motivation was simply cost-cutting, adding, “Again, you know, they’re thinking about money and who could do it cheaper, you know, and stuff like that.”
For Chimel, the combination of Yeaton’s loyalty, decades of service, and behind-the-scenes importance makes his omission from the WWE Hall of Fame unacceptable.
He reiterated that Yeaton is exactly the type of person who helped build WWE but rarely receives proper credit. To Chimel, his former coworker deserves far more recognition than he has been given, especially considering how his run ended.
During his 29-year run with the WWF/E, Yeaton struck the company’s ring bell more than 100,000 times. Although his main job was timekeeping, many fans know him best as the man who flawlessly launched beers to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
After Yeaton was let go in 2014 due to budget cuts, Austin tweeted a tribute: “#Swigofbeer to my old beer thrower Mark Yeaton. Best damn beer thrower in the world and a great guy.”
