Should Refs make more 'mistakes'

[ulimate123]

Recently everyone has been criticising the fact that WWE isn't very realistic nowadays and they all mention how Rey Mysertio always beats Big Show etc or how the Undertakers gimmick isn't realistic or how Shawns recent storyline isnt realistic. I think the big key for realism in WWE is to have refs make more mistakes. Everytime they make a mistake it always seems weapon related. Now I think refs need to make mistakes where they don't see that someone lifted their shoulder or think that someone low-blowed someone else by accident. Actually both of these scenarios actually happened a few weeks back on RAW but that was only for one night.

 

[Slyfox696]

If you look at the UFC, how often do their referees "make a mistake"? Very rarely. I mean, how do you really make a mistake in wrestling? Sure, you can have your back turned at the wrong time, or not see someone's leg on the rope, but there's just not many mistakes that can be made. And if you have your referees always making mistakes, then it makes your referees look poor, in turn, making your promotion look poor.

So, I'd say that to find realism, you need to look elsewhere.

 

[George Michael]

In addition, the ref 'making a mistake' is a great finish to a match, and should not be overused. The scenario of 'ref has his back turned and does not see illegal manuver' and 'knocked out ref' are to of the most frequently used plot devices in pro wrestling, and have most fans rolling their eyes. We don't need to add to this list. The ref not noticing someone's shoulder raised just makes a lot less sense as well.

 

[TwistofRKO]

How many more mistakes can they make? You mean to tell me a ref working a Finlay match wouldn't really catch on that the shalaleigh is always moved or that Hornswoggle is involved in every match? Or outside interference? Makes me sigh in disappointment every time. They need new material as it comes to this, not adding to the problem.

The only way it could work is if Cena or HHH lost the title to the effect.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I actually liked the idea of when refs weren't told the finishes of the matches. I think that made things VERY realistic. Because if someone screws up, or someone isn't sneaky enough with a foreign object, and the ref sees it ... then the bell rings. I thought that was one of the most innovative things they could have done, and wish they stuck with it.

 

[TwistofRKO]

I actually liked the idea of when refs weren't told the finishes of the matches. I think that made things VERY realistic. Because if someone screws up, or someone isn't sneaky enough with a foreign object, and the ref sees it ... then the bell rings. I thought that was one of the most innovative things they could have done, and wish they stuck with it.

Now this, this I like. It makes the performance less sloppy that someone being slapped with a ring bell loosely and get away with it. I love that idea.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

I think if anything, they should make LESS mistakes.

How often do we have to see referees (and wrestlers for that matter) seeing someone not involved in the match and being totally "distracted" for a good enough amount of time that they're not even really doing their job and they allow someone else to win?

If you want to talk about realism, why is that so overlooked when its completely unrealistic? Every single Finlay match, Hornswoggle comes out, distracts the ref, and then Finlay can hit the guy over the head with the shillelagh and get the win. It happens EVERY SINGLE TIME. You'd think by now the referees would know about it because they'd be watching the replays and shit that we have to see 40x a week. So if this was realistic, they'd see Hornswoggle and they'd either ban him from ringside or the second he started distracting them, they'd know he was doing it to help Finlay win the match illegally and by default, they'd disqualify Finlay. You can't keep your managers and valets from interfering? Well, tough tits, that means a DQ, cause they shouldn't be a distraction.

The referees not being told the end of the match is good for some things and bad for some other things. It helps prevent the ref from looking like he knows exactly what's coming next - like when his hand doesn't even come close to hitting the three because he knows its not ending then - but at the same time, it leads to mistakes that break kayfabe. When Morrison was pinned on ECW from a Side Effect off the top ropes that Matt Hardy did, the ref counted to 3 when he was supposed to count to 2 and be interrupted by the Miz. Something went wrong there and Morrison saw that Miz wasn't showing up, so he had to kick out himself, but the ref counted to 3 and the match ended prematurely. After that, we saw that Morrison was perfectly fine, everyone was confused, the ref looked scared shitless, and Mark Henry had to save the day by attacking everyone as a means to get the crowd to not pay attention to the flub that just happened lol. That ref was soon future endeavored.

If you wanted to go for more realistic, the playback feature should be used more often to restart matches and 86 the pinfalls and such. But that wouldn't allow the heels to cheat as often as they do (although that, to me, cheapens the wrestlers a bit too when they can NEVER win a match without cheating...but that's another discussion altogether).

I wouldn't mind seeing some differentiated "planned mistakes" to replace the same old "Hey! You're not supposed to be talking to me! You're not the legal man! Why are you distracting me?! I'm just trying to do my job! Whoops, suddenly his partner is getting the win! Better go count it!"

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Now this, this I like. It makes the performance less sloppy that someone being slapped with a ring bell loosely and get away with it. I love that idea.

Exactly.

They were doing this for a brief period, but ditched the idea. I think they were mostly doing it at House Shows, to test the concept out. I think the concept made its way to ECW on TV, as well, though. There was a time when Scott Armstrong rang the bell to end the match ... because in a tag team match, the heels were in the ring together against the opposition past the count of 5. It looked awkward, and I don't think that was the planned finish, but I was fine with it. Again, it makes the product look realistic and it keeps everyone on their toes.

Also, if someone waited too long for a two count ... and they didn't kick out in time for 3 ... then the ref made the count.