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A former WWE legendary referee recently commented on the significant involvement of officials in wrestling matches.
The veteran in question is Earl Hebner, whose reign as the senior referee in the WWF (now World Wrestling Entertainment) from 1988 to 2005 saw him officiate some of the most iconic brawls, and witness countless near-falls and triumphant pins.
In a recent interview with Steve Fall of WrestlingNewsCo, the legendary wrestling referee threw some shade at modern officials, critiquing their desire to steal the spotlight.
Earl Hebner noted that current WWE referees' attempts to inject themselves into the show through exaggerated reactions and bumps are falling flat. He contrasted this with his own era, where referees were strictly tools of the narrative, only reacting when instructed.
"The referees today, I think they want to be part of the show but it ain't working. You know they want to do all the bumps, they want to sell while the guy is body slamming, 'oh my god' and I just don't go for that, you know it is true. All the things that I've ever done with the talent back in my day was because I was told to do it, I was asked to do it. I didn't do it on my own ever, ever and I just think it's kind of bad when a referee is selling the bumps of the match and then not taking any," Hebner said. [3:29 - 4:13]
Check out the full interview below:
Earl Hebner says Tim White should have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame before he passed away
Tim White, the veteran official who graced the squared circle for decades, passed away in June 2022 at 68. While the WWE belatedly inducted him into their Hall of Fame, a sour note resonated through the cheers.
During the same interview, the 74-year-old wrestling legend spoke his mind, lamenting that the honor should have come while White was alive.
"They should have put Tim White in the Hall of Fame way way before he passed away. I think the Hall of Fame means nothing if you're not alive. You don't get any benefits out of it," he said.
Hebner, the man whose black and white stripes became synonymous with fair play in the squared circle, finally traded in his referee's shirt in 2022. But before he stepped away from the roar of the crowd, Hebner had one last dance, donning the stripes for Tony Khan's AEW.
What did you think about Earl Hebner's remark on current WWE referees? Sound off in the comments section below.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WrestlingNews.co and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
