5 Facts about WWE referees that you didn’t know

Earl Hebner is not only one of the most famous referees in WWE history, but he’s also a TNA Hall of Famer.

Tommy Young is considered the greatest referee in NWA lore. His time in the ring with the greats when the promotion was in its heyday was as important to the success of many champions over the years. Ric Flair once said if it weren’t for Young during his time in the Carolina’s he wouldn’t have been as successful as he was for so long.

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget about the third person in the ring. While fans are so caught up in the fact their favorites are performing at such a high level, the reality is it’s a three-way dance and more if there are other types of matches.

Earl Hebner, Bill Alphonso, and Randy Anderson all went through the rigors of mat time. Some are stars themselves. At the end of the day, they do not get the credit they deserve.

Here are five facts about WWE referees you may not know.

Scott Armstrong is best remembered as the ‘crooked referee’ from WrestleMania XXX

5: Scott Armstrong has famous wrestling ties

If you didn’t notice by his appearance, Scott Armstrong is the son of former NWA wrestler Bullet Bob Armstrong and the brothers of both Brad and Steve Armstrong, who were regional stars in the 1980s and 1990s. He wrestled primarily in the Georgia and Alabama areas but has wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he formed a tag team called "The James Boys" with his brother Steve. He is also the brother of possibly the most famous of the Armstrong clan, Road Dogg Jesse James. He began as a referee in WWE back in 2006. He began his career, like his famous family, on the mat as a wrestler, but moved on after two decades in the business.

Referees wear earpieces to communicate with the back if matches change

4: They wear earpieces

When WWE referees come to the ring, you notice the earpieces. It looks more like they work for the secret service or the CIA, but there is a good reason for the piece of equipment. Referees are in constant contact with the production room and the officials in the back who monitor matches. Referees may count pin-fall and submissions, but they also help the match along. If it is running over in terms of time, they will speed it up. If the script is changed in the middle of the match, they are notified. They are as important to the success and failure of the segment as those in the ring. They also notify the medical staff in the back if an injury happens in the ring.

Charles Robinson has been part of storylines in wrestling before

3: Sometimes, they have storylines written for them

Nick Patrick (who is the son of the famous Masked Assassin) was a referee in WCW and was part of the New World Order angle where he was helping Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan win matches. WWE referee Charles Robinson has been known for years as “Little Naitch” for the same kind of angle involving Ric Flair. These men have their own personalities and have been part of great angles. Armstrong was part of the angle with The Authority that led to Daniel Bryan relinquishing the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Some referees have gone from being the third person in the ring to a manager of superstars like Bill Alphonso, who was an official in Florida before moving on to ECW.

WWE referees are accountable to the wellness policy like the wrestlers in the ring

2: They are subject to the Wellness Policy

And you thought only wrestlers had to adhere to the strict guidelines of company policy. Everyone employed by WWE must follow the wellness policy and are subject to the same kind of punishment for violations. They take drug tests and are under company physicians’ care just like the performers. Substance abuse and steroids have been an issue with WWE for the past decade which has given cause for the media to follow the men in stripped shirts just as closely as superstars. WWE have also added the officials to it to help the company to control it better. Mike Chioda is known as the first and the only referee who has ever been suspended for violating the Wellness Policy.

There are times when referees have no idea how a match will turn out ahead of time

1: They don’t always know the outcome of a match

It’s not flying blind, buy referees tell a story just like the performers. The matches are predetermined, but in some cases, the man in the middle (and all WWE referees are men) does not know who is going over until right before the match. It is rumored that such was the case when Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania. It could be argued the fewer people who know about “the fix” the more exciting the match becomes and the work does not become totally staged. When The Rock and Steve Austin met for the final time at WrestleMania XV, Vince McMahon waited until the final moments prior to the main event to decide who was going over and only then was the referee notified.

Meet the man who called CM Punk the softest man alive HERE