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363:, or someone else in his corner. It can also take the form of the referee taking an inordinate amount of time to talk to the heroic wrestler for violating the rules. Incapacitating the referee is usually done by a purportedly accidental collision with a wrestler, or a wrestler missing an attack on an opponent and hitting the referee instead, though sometimes a referee may be incapacitated by a deliberate attack by the villain or his manager.
38:
618:
142:
425:). The special referee would often be biased towards or against one of the competitors or could be assigned as the special referee to ensure the match is called down the line. In the WWF in September 1999, after all the referees got sick of continuously being attacked by wrestlers, they kayfabe went on strike, leading to other WWF workers (most notably
611:
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wrestlers, a participant in executing a match in accordance with its script including its predetermined outcome, and is responsible for controlling the flow of the match and for relaying information or instructions from backstage officials to the wrestlers. Like wrestlers, referees are also responsible for maintaining
223:
Presently, referees wear wireless earpieces, to allow backstage officials to communicate with them during matches. Referees are also selected by their employers subject to their height and weight, and normally referees would be no more than six feet (183 cm) tall, weigh no more than 180 lb (81.5
716:
storyline in WWE (known at the time as WWF), the WCW referees wore white polo shirts, switching near the end of the storyline to baseball-jersey style grey shirts with a small black WCW logo on the left breast and one on the right sleeve. In ECW, referees first wore striped shirts (as they split off
318:
where a match was stopped in the middle for medical checkup, referees now have two-way radio communication so they can observe incidents during matches that may require medical attention by communicating with medical officials if necessary on the spot. Instead of the "X" sign, referees are now able
754:
Special referees wear themed versions of these; for example, if a regular female wrestler or celebrity is cast, she would typically wear a skimpier version of a normal referee's shirt. This practice was phased out the WWE throughout the 2010s, as a reflection on the general trend of treating female
537:
for the villain wrestlers is to have a personal referee, who is on the permanent payroll of the villain. The referee can be simply a lackey, or a loyal ally with a senior position. This is a broader extension of the "corrupt referee" gimmick, in that the referee's allegiance is openly made public,
215:
purpose they serve is to transmit messages to wrestlers about the progress of matches, communicate with them about the amount of time left (plus the beginning and end of commercial breaks on live broadcasts) and, if necessary, help them gauge the crowd reaction as well as reminding them of match
182:
is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rules and the person charged with rendering decisions. In reality, the referee is, like the
339:
have a kayfabe rule that referees do not make decisions based on anything they do not personally witness. Because of this, distracting or incapacitating the referee is often an element of a match, especially in standard matches where a wrestler is liable to lose a match by disqualification for
366:
When any of these happen, the referee usually appears to be knocked unconscious for a period of time by a move that is not considered particularly devastating when applied to a wrestler. This has garnered criticism over the years, as many referee bumps are supposed to depict the wrestlers are
524:
Special enforcers can become regular referees if the original inside referee becomes (kayfabe) permanently incapacitated. Otherwise though, the enforcer generally has no decision-making power, and is really put in the match to physically force wrestlers to obey the rules or physically remove
448:
Though rare, it is not unheard of for normal referees to engage in storylines where they become biased against or in favor of particular wrestlers in a manner usually reserved for special referees, Danny Davis being an example. Also, one of the more famous examples of this is the case of
236:. Wrestlers who either began as referees, or retired from the ring and continued as referees, often were under six feet. The purpose of this size discrepancy is purely to emphasize the height, weight and musculature of some of the larger wrestlers and to compensate for smaller stars.
755:
wrestlers less as models and more like genuine athletes; WWE, AEW, and Impact all now regularly feature female referees on their programming wearing the same uniform as their male counterparts. Others may just add a referee-style shirt to their normal costume such as the case of
484:
Also known as special enforcer or special guest enforcer is same as the special referee, but the guest referee stays on the outside of the ring enforcing what the normal referee does not see. These guests are sometimes known as "enforcers", the most famous of which was
647:
WWE referees have had a series of different uniforms throughout the years. From the 1970s until 1983, still operating under the World Wide
Wrestling Federation banner, referees wore black and white striped shirts, comparable to referees in other sports, such as
688:
was revived in 2006, their referees were given black shirts. As of 2007, they had grey and black polo shirts. As of
November 2008, however, all referees wore black and white striped shirts and were no longer brand exclusive. On the November 15, 2010 episode of
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After the X sign is given, the officials backstage would communicate to the referee, if necessary, revised plans to end the match quickly. There is also a "blow off" sign, raising both arms straight up, if a wrestler seemed injured but feels he can continue.
367:
exceptionally powerful, but in many situations, referee bumps simply make the referees appear unrealistically weak and fragile. Perhaps the most infamous example of this happened at the otherwise universally-acclaimed pay-per-view event
561:
had their own personal referee in WCW, Charles
Robinson, who eventually adopted the look and mannerisms of Flair, and earned the nickname "Little Naitch", from Flair's nickname "Nature Boy". For a time in WCW, referees would not work
263:, as well as any other wrestlers that what is going on is really happening. An "X" sign across the chest is a warning, it signifies that a wrestler may be injured, but is still able to compete. In recent times,
475:
during the years of 2013 through 2016, often making fast counts when it was advantageous to members of the
Authority and often coming out during ref bumps during matches where Authority members were competing.
216:
script. They also have a key role in ensuring that the wrestlers are physically capable to continue, and to stop the match/inform the opponent if there is a risk of injury present. According to referee
743:, referees wear black and white striped shirts with the AEW logo, except for pay-per-view events, where the referee's shirt contains a patch with the event logo, on the right breast. AEW referee
417:), managers and other wrestlers can "guest" as the special referee. In some cases, a special referee is put into a match which is already a different match type or stipulation (for example:
453:
in 2000, who became biased against then-dominant heel Triple H out of spite towards Triple H constantly abusing him during their matches. This culminated on the April 26, 2000, edition of
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wrestler might appear to win the match by pinfall or submission if not for the referee being distracted or incapacitated. These pre-planned temporary injuries to the referee are known as "
759:, who wore a rumpled white dress shirt with black stripes painted on while arbitrating matches. In these cases, the emphasis is on the character temporarily assuming the referee's role.
697:
special episode. Since the re-establishment of the brand extension in 2016, WWE referees have given colored designations on the patches with the logo; for instance, blue for
55:
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A special guest referee is a stipulation for any match in which the usual referee is replaced with a "guest" filling in as the official. Celebrities (such as
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as his personal referee. Johnson had black and white paint on top of his head, wore an nWo logo on his shirt and had a whistle around his neck, just like
558:
259:, real injuries can be sustained. In such an event, the referee raises their hands above their head into an "X" shape to alert backstage officials and
660:. In the mid-1980s until 1995, a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) referee's attire consisted of a blue collared shirt with black trousers, boots, and
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with a single stomp and a single elbow to the back. Despite the relative lack of brutality, Chioda was kayfabe unconscious for ten solid minutes.
670:, the uniform was changed back to the black and white striped shirt with a WWF logo patch on the left breast as well as the shoulders. With the
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after "Hangman" Adam Page was legitimately injured. The match was stopped immediately and Moxley was declared winner via referee stoppage.
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and Mike Chioda, used the "X" sign. Flair re-entered the match minutes afterwards, showing that he was not legitimately injured.
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and is blatantly flaunted to incense the audience – the referee himself is exempt from punishment due to his official position.
88:
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Former WWE referee shares a story about a rib that was played on him, why he feels its a good thing he was fired by the company
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manufacturer Smitty
Officials Apparel, which supplies a gridiron football-specific two-inch wide stripe shirt for officials.
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with black pinstripes, differentiating themselves from the Raw referees, who continued to wear black and white shirts. When
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referee attires from past years, though there is no longer much difference between the attire of Raw and SmackDown referees
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In WCW, referees wore collared shirts with bow ties until around 1999, when they switched to striped shirts. During
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wrestler either performing a normally illegal move without any consequence, or outside interference in the match (a
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officials, later with a half-black, half-red shirt. The all black uniform would return for the first two
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as his personal referee during late 2005, with
Daivari starting as the referee of Angle's match against
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performing an illegal move. Distraction or incapacitation of the referee is usually a precursor to the
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in their pockets. This policy remains today. The gloves are put on whenever a wrestler is bleeding.
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999:"AEW Makes Improvements To Medical Protocols Following Recent Injuries, Chris Nowinski - AEW News"
736:, referees have switched between the striped shirts and the "boxing referee" attire on occasion.
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used the radio to call medical officials immediately on an
October 18, 2022 episode of
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Distracting the referee is usually a deliberate tactic done by the villain, his
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The kayfabe purpose of a professional wrestling referee is to render decisions (
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was fired weeks after this, Daivari was relegated to being Angle's manager.
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kg) and may generally display a non-athletic physique; examples of this are
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gave the regular referees more authority in matches (along with fining
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In recent years, to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases such as
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WWE referee John Cone makes his dollars in doughnuts and pro wrestling
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events, before giving way to the brand extension ECW referee shirts.
296:
1036:"Undertaker vs Triple H - WrestleMania X-SEVEN - video Dailymotion"
605:
390:
693:, the referees wore the "boxing referee" attire as part of the
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to stop matches on the spot with radio communication. Referee
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Wrestling referees wear different attire in each promotion.
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as well as legitimate injuries. An example of this is when
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Things Your Local Pro
Wrestling Referee Wants You To Know
721:), and later wore an all-black uniform akin to those of
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WWE Men in the
Shadows: The 10 Most Notorious Referees
402:, who occasionally refereed matches in the company's
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noted on social media the promotion has a deal with
489:, who served as the special guest enforcer for the
159:
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62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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303:from the top of the ladder, and the two referees,
459:, where Hebner counted as fast as he could while
267:(TNA) and WWE have used the "X" sign to signify
243:, WWE referees began keeping a pair of latex
8:
509:who served as special guest enforcer at the
134:
275:was kayfabe injured after being hit with a
379:, when the Undertaker knocked out referee
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27:Authority figure in professional wrestling
122:Learn how and when to remove this message
624:
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467:on the line. A more recent example is
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525:interfering wrestlers from ringside.
283:. Another example is during the 2006
71:"Referee" professional wrestling
7:
824:(first full-time female AEW referee)
792:(first full-time female WWE referee)
471:, a referee who was in cahoots with
60:adding citations to reliable sources
255:Although professional wrestling is
950:Refereeing 101: A refresher course
578:. Another example of this is when
445:for striking on that same night).
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798:(first female referee in the WWF)
337:professional wrestling promotions
279:off the stage through a table by
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590:for the WWE Championship at the
421:with a special referee, usually
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1089:Professional wrestling referees
1057:. Facebook, Inc. Archived from
674:in 2002, referees appearing on
47:needs additional citations for
885:(using the name Shane Stevens)
463:was pinning Triple H with the
285:Money in the Bank ladder match
265:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
1:
557:event in 1997. Ric Flair and
566:'s matches, so he employed
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541:Examples include when the
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211:) during a match but the
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495:Stone Cold Steve Austin
480:Special outside referee
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348:). Less commonly, the
331:Distractions and bumps
176:professional wrestling
166:Professional wrestling
18:Special guest enforcer
812:Dangerous Danny Davis
626:A comparison of both
413:in the main event of
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1063:on December 26, 2021
592:2005 Survivor Series
568:Mark "Slick" Johnson
511:1994 Survivor Series
369:Wrestlemania X-Seven
56:improve this article
1038:. January 25, 2021.
741:All Elite Wrestling
727:WWE One Night Stand
680:began wearing blue
672:WWE brand extension
513:in a match between
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1049:Aubrey, Brittany.
723:mixed martial arts
549:'s senior referee
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1005:. Webcapacity Inc
997:Middleton, Marc.
658:American football
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559:The Four Horsemen
529:Personal referees
427:Harvey Whippleman
404:Knockout Division
205:disqualifications
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667:Monday Night Raw
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491:WWF Championship
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387:Special referees
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45:This article
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1067:November 23,
1065:. Retrieved
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1009:November 28,
1007:. Retrieved
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889:Nick Patrick
877:Joey Marella
790:Jessika Carr
769:Bill Alfonso
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714:The Invasion
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701:and red for
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551:Nick Patrick
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411:Muhammad Ali
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54:Please help
49:verification
46:
29:
920:Tommy Young
911:(1954–2022)
904:Kyohei Wada
879:(1963–1994)
868:(1937-2022)
857:(1962–1999)
851:(1929–2010)
849:Joe Higuchi
844:Earl Hebner
840:(1949–2022)
838:Dave Hebner
802:Mike Chioda
785:Jason Ayers
776:(1959–2002)
705:. However,
682:polo shirts
451:Earl Hebner
381:Mike Chioda
321:Paul Turner
273:A.J. Styles
230:Mike Chioda
201:submissions
147:Mike Chioda
962:"411Mania"
926:References
866:Mills Lane
828:Dan Engler
757:Mick Foley
677:SmackDown!
654:basketball
650:ice hockey
580:Kurt Angle
545:recruited
487:Mike Tyson
456:Raw is War
435:Unforgiven
398:performer
314:Following
293:Matt Hardy
261:paramedics
155:Occupation
112:March 2014
82:newspapers
909:Tim White
817:Jack Doan
807:John Cone
717:from the
699:SmackDown
632:SmackDown
588:John Cena
301:Ric Flair
281:Bully Ray
277:powerbomb
269:storyline
241:hepatitis
228:referees
209:countouts
1083:Category
594:. After
519:Yokozuna
443:Triple H
437:, where
373:Triple H
325:Dynamite
197:pinfalls
662:bow tie
584:Daivari
535:gimmick
361:manager
342:villain
191:Purpose
185:kayfabe
180:referee
168:matches
149:in 2012
135:Referee
96:scholar
656:, and
602:Attire
505:, and
350:heroic
346:run in
297:suplex
257:worked
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
635:brand
354:bumps
335:Most
291:when
213:legit
103:JSTOR
89:books
1069:2020
1011:2020
630:and
582:had
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429:and
375:and
232:and
178:, a
75:news
739:In
732:In
719:NWA
707:NXT
703:Raw
691:Raw
686:ECW
628:Raw
574:'s
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547:WCW
501:at
396:TNA
356:".
299:on
287:at
226:WWE
174:In
58:by
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652:,
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207:,
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199:,
1071:.
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93:·
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