IWEWrestling2012: moved Referee to Referee (professional wrestling)

IWEWrestling2012 — Wed, 14 May 2014 23:36:32 GMT

moved Referee to Referee (professional wrestling)

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IWEWrestling2012: Created page with 'In professional wrestling, a '''referee''' is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's kayfabe purpose…'

IWEWrestling2012 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 03:52:06 GMT

Created page with 'In professional wrestling, a '''referee''' is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's kayfabe purpose…'

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In [[Professional Wrestling|professional wrestling]], a '''referee''' is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's [[Kayfabe|kayfabe]] purpose is similar to that of referees in other sports, that is, as an enforcer of the rules and the person charged with rendering decisions. In reality, however, the referee is aware of the given match's pre-determined outcome, and is responsible for controlling the flow of the match and for relaying information or instructions from backstage officials to the wrestlers in addition to rendering the pre-determined outcome. Like wrestlers, referees are also responsible for maintaining kayfabe, and must render decisions in accordance with the promotion's kayfabe rules.

==Purpose==
The [[Kayfabe|kayfabe]] purpose of a pro wrestling referee is to render decisions ([[Pin|pinfalls]], [[Submission|submissions]], [[Disqualification|disqualifications]], [[Countout|count outs]]) during a match, but the [[Legit (Professional Wrestling)|legit]] 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 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. 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. Normally referees will be no more than six feet tall, weigh no more than 180 lb and may generally display a non-athletic physique, examples of this are [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] referees [[Mike Chioda]] and [[Charles Robinson]]. 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.

==The "X" sign==
Although professional wrestling is [[Work (Noun)|worked]], real injuries can be sustained. In such an event, the referee raises his hand above his head into an "X" shape to alert backstage officials and [[Paramedic|paramedic]]s, 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, [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|TNA]] and [[IWE]] have used the "X" Sign to signify [[Kayfabe|storyline]] as well as legitimate injuries. An example of this is when [[K.J. Styles]] was kayfabe injured after being powerbombed off the stage through a table by [[Bully Harlan]]. Another example is during the 2006 [[Money in the Bank Ladder Match|Money in the Bank ladder match]] match at [[IWE WrestleMania 22|WrestleMania 22]] when [[Matt Hooper]] suplexed [[Ric Flair]] from the top of the ladder, and the two referees, [[Jim Korderas]] and [[Mike Chioda]], used the "X" sign. Flair re-entered the match minutes afterwards, showing he wasn't legitimately injured.

After the X sign is given, the officials backstage will 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.

==Distractions and bumps==
Sometimes during matches, referees will be [[Bump (Professional Wrestling)|knocked down]] by wrestlers. This is usually to allow for a wrestler to use a [[Foreign Object (Professional Wrestling)|foreign object]] or perform an illegal move, or for another wrestler to [[Run-In|run in]] and be able to get away with it.

To emphasize the power and fortitude of the wrestlers, referees are frequently "knocked unconscious" for periods of time by moves that are not considered particularly devastating when applied to wrestlers. For example, a wrestler being [[Professional wrestling throws#Irish whip|Irish whipped]] by his opponent may clip the referee. While a wrestler would probably only be knocked back in this situation, the referee would most likely be knocked across the ring and [[Kayfabe|kayfabe]] injured or knocked out.

As a general rule, professional wrestling referees will not make a decision based on anything they do not personally witness happening in a match. This is used to explain the ubiquitous "distract the referee" tactic, used by [[Heel|heel]] managers to take the referee's attention away from the in-ring action, allowing the heel wrestler to cheat with impunity while the official's back is turned, or vice versa.

==Special referees==
[[File:Traci Brooks Chicago IL 101208.jpg|right|thumb|[[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|TNA]] performer [[Tracy Brooks|Traci Brooks]], who occasionally refereed matches in the company's [[TNA Knockout|Knockout Division]].]]
Also known as '''special guest referee''' is any match in which the usual referee is replaced with a "guest" filling in as the official. Celebrities (such as [[Muhammad Ali]] in the main event of [[IWF WrestleMania 1|WrestleMania]]), [[Manager|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: [[Hell in a Cell Match|Hell in a Cell]] with a Special Referee). The special referee will often be biased towards or against one of the competitors or will be assigned as the Special Referee to ensure the match is called down the line. In September 1999, in the IWF, after all the referees got sick of continuously being attacked by wrestlers, they went on strike ([[Kayfabe|kayfabe]]), leading to other WWF workers (most notably [[Harvey Whippleman]] and [[Thomas Peterson|Tom Prichard]], along with a non-striking [[Jim Korderas]]) becoming "scab" referees until the night after [[IWE Unforgiven#1999|Unforgiven]], where [[Vince Matteson]] gave the regular referees more authority in matches (along with fining [[Triple K]] for striking one that same night).

===Special outside referee===
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 doesn't see. These guests are sometimes known as "enforcers", the most famous of which was [[Mike Tyson]], who served as the Special Guest Enforcer for the [[IWE Championship|IWF Championship]] match between [[Stone Cold Steve Johnson|Steve Austin]] and [[Ryan Barnhart|Shawn Michaels]] at [[IWF WrestleMania 14|WrestleMania XIV]], and [[Chuck Norris]] who served as Special Guest Enforcer at [[IWF Survivor Series (1994)|Survivor Series 1994]] in a match between [[Martin McAlmond|The Undertaker]] and [[Taylor Anoa'i|Yokozuna]].

Special Enforcers can become regular referees if the original inside referee becomes ([[Kayfabe|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 interfering wrestlers from ringside.

==Personal referees==

==Attire==

==References==

Referee (professional wrestling) - Revision history

IWEWrestling2012: moved Referee to Referee (professional wrestling)

IWEWrestling2012: Created page with 'In professional wrestling, a '''referee''' is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's kayfabe purpose…'