Referees

[sislater69]

I put this under the TNA section as it refers mainly to TNA.

I'd also like to point out this isn't a 'TNA bashing' thread, I'm a TNA fan.

I try to watch as much wrestling as my spare time allows, from all company's and many countries. This thread is about the referees. I understand the important role a referee has, relaying information between wrestlers and also to wrestlers from the back. My issue is, when I watch WWE, ROH or just about any other promotion worldwide, I hardly realise there is a referee in the ring. When I watch TNA however, it's like the referees are trying to put themselves over. They constantly draw my attention.

It might be those ridiculous blue soled shoes Brian Hebner wears, or when he goes up and down during Scott Steiner's elbow into push-up sequence. It might just be how they portray themselves, I honestly don't know what it is, but they annoy the hell out of me.

Is it just me, or do you think the TNA referee's draw too much attention onto themselves as well?

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I agree. Slick Johnson, is he still there? Blend into the background, man! You should barely notice a referee, even when he's counting a pinfall. You should really only notice them if there's a ref bump or a distraction. No over-exaggerated selling of maneuvers.

I don't catch TNA often anymore, but its a shame that is still happening if true.

 

[waylonmercy]

Earl Hebner has the exaggerated 3rd pin where he almost goes flying when the wrestler kicks out at 2. He was the innovater of dumb refs who take lots of bumps. The only ref I can't stand otherwise is Mike Chioda who is #1, he palys a stupid as hell referee who always gets bumped.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Fuck me, Slick Johnson; there's a blast from the past. Did he wear bicycle shorts and blow a whistle? The second one seems very questionable. It's entirely possible I'm confusing him with Pierluigi Collina, who I'm pretty sure never refereed for TNA.

In one of Chris Jericho's books (the good one, I think, not the second one) he mentions a referee that had his own entrance and theme. Certainly more interesting than all those chapters about his mediocre band.

It's not a problem entirely isolated to TNA, but as Raven once said in one of his infamous WrestleZone columns, a good referee is like a good STD - one you don't notice. Actually, I just came up with that line. The sentiment's stolen wholesale from Raven.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

I can't say I really ever notice the ref TBH. Unless it's Earl Hebner but that's probably because he's such a recognisable face and somewhat of a star (for a ref anyway) in the wrestling business.

But I generally don't notice the ref during a match. For example I couldn't even tell you who reffed what matches on this weeks iMPACT!

 

[sislater69]

Yeah Slick Johnson was seriously OTT with the cycling shorts and that jacked up roid suit of a physique. I understand Earl has always has the exaggerated 2 3/4 pin count, but it's not that as such. It's just the way TNA ref's as a whole stand out.

The way I see it, a referee is there to help call the match, but not stand out. For every second you find yourself watching the referee, that is a second you are not looking at those who are important. Those who are looking to put on a good match, and elevate their careers. If the referee is taking the central point, the workers are losing out.

 

[Broski_of_the_week]

Agreed. Brian Hebner is annoying little shit, he seems to think people are there to watch him, not the stars such as Steiner in the ring. The whole up and down thing during the press-ups irritates me so much, I just dont see why its necessary. If he did it once and realised it got no crowd reaction then stopped it would be fair enough, but he does it persistently.

I also think it ruins the illusion of wrestling being a sport as it looks like a spot invented by either hebner or steiner and then shows they are friends backstage, and that means hes going to be a biased ref! If you're going to be a biased ref and we're gonna take away the illusion that its a sport, then at least make him a fully heel ref like some we've seen before (like the guy in WCW, forgot his name...). At the moment we just have stupid brian hebner whos too skinny to wrestle trying to get the spotlight for himself and its ridiculous, he grew up in the business so if he really wanted to be the star he could have trained from a young age and learnt from the best.

 

[He's Phenomenal]

Agreed. Brian Hebner is annoying little shit, he seems to think people are there to watch him, not the stars such as Steiner in the ring. The whole up and down thing during the press-ups irritates me so much, I just dont see why its necessary. If he did it once and realised it got no crowd reaction then stopped it would be fair enough, but he does it persistently.

I've never even noticed he does that. Ha ha I think that sort of confirms how much attention I actually pay to the refs. I never really focus on the ref so no matter what they're doing I'd probably never notice TBH.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

I agree to some extent. I am more likely to notice a tna referee during a match than a WWE referee. I think it's either because taz and Mike tenay mention the referee several times during a match, also when separating superstars they yell obnoxiously loud.

100th post yay!

If you asked me to name all of WWE referee then I couldn't tell you because they don't matter. With tna and the few that they have well it's pretty easy

 

[KoC417]

I remember once when Earl was acting completely ridiculous in a no dq match he started yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT". It's like give me a break dude it's a freakin no dq match (this was back in the WWE)
Anyone else notice how out of sync earl's counts are too? Could have just been his WWE days but watch the Iron man match between HBK and Bret...he counts 1 *15 second gap* 2 *30 second gap* 3. YEah I Know I exaggerated the timing but you get the idea.

Those Hebners are terrible terrible officials who think they deserve all kinds of spot light. Ref bumps with them are so predictable too. The only person who took bumps worse and made them so obvious was Mickey Jay. I was watching old Nitros and saw him literally 6 inches from one of the wrestlers who was against the turnbuckle with the opponent setting up for a huge move. Instantly knew *boom* ref bump.

Referees need to just disappear into the background. They are not a part of the match except to count 1 2 3 and offer the occasional DQ finish. That's all they should be doing.

 

[ABMorales787]

I don't see any issue with ref's having some quirks. It gives them some personality and a reason to stand out if your name isn't Earl Hebner. Whenever he's out with the Knockout's, they try to seduce him and he just ignores them or takes advantage like he did to Lacey once. It's not like they are getting a mic or something, they just have some details that set them apart.

 

[SyndicateSaint]

I'm surprised no one mentioned Nick Patrick....damn man. A lot of these refs are pretty self serving. I hate Earl and his 2 counts. I hate Nick Patrick selling anything. And I hate Slick Johnson and his bike shorts. I always find it funny when HHH would bump for Earl Hebner. I remember there was a time when they were feuding, and Earl pushed HHH. HHH went down like he got hit by himself. Terrible.....