One of WWE's most memorable in ring mistakes turned into an unexpected championship victory, and according to former referee Mike Chioda, it ended up earning the approval of Vince McMahon.

During a 2019 episode of WWE SmackDown, R-Truth captured the United States Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura after what appeared to be an unplanned finish. Nakamura failed to kick out of a pinfall at the intended moment, forcing Chioda to complete the three count and award Truth the title earlier than scripted.

Years later, a fan resurfaced the clip on X, writing, "Never forget when R-Truth accidentally won the US Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura after a botch pin."

Chioda responded with a revealing backstage story.

"I remember that! R-Truth told me the wrong finish and Vince loved it! Funny shit!"

R-Truth also reflected on the incident during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, explaining that the match was originally supposed to continue for several more sequences before the planned ending.

"If I can remember this correctly, we had maybe another two or three more spots to go, and that was it. I was going to get it anyway."

He praised Chioda for sticking to WWE protocol, noting that referees were instructed to always complete the count if a wrestler failed to kick out.

"There was a strict rule. If you don't kick out at three, the referee's gonna get fined. You better slap it down. So, Chioda just did his job."

Although the premature finish briefly caught everyone in the ring off guard, the mistake became official, with R-Truth walking away as the new United States Champion. Instead of reversing the decision, McMahon reportedly embraced the unexpected outcome, turning a botched finish into a memorable moment in WWE history. 

I remember that! R-Truth told me the wrong finish and Vince loved it! Funny shit! 🤣 https://t.co/8sHp5a9fJC

, Mike Chioda (@MjcChioda) July 1, 2026