WWE: Top 5 special guest referees

The referee of a professional wrestling match is a fall guy, in the most conventional sense, who is supposedly there to make the wrestlers wrestle within the rules of the ‘sport‘ and someone who will earn the disdain of the audience by either being blind or stupid when he misses illegal actions which most of the audience see clearly. A normal referee is made to appear to have little actual control over the wrestlers. At the worst he is simply knocked ?unconscious? and thrown from the ring.

A special guest referee, hence, is entirely opposite than a normal referee. A special referee is ,well, special. His or her role can have a huge impact on the match. Their involvement can be subject to many possibilities and they hold the match in the palm of their hands.

Here are the top 5 guest referees who’s involvement in a match added to the excitement

The Rock

This is the second main event where two women competed but this is nothing compared to the RAW main event in 2004 between Lita and Trish. Lita is fighting to win the Women’s championship from Stephanie. All hell breaks lose as Angle and Triple H and the Rock get involved. Finally Rock plants Stephanie with a spinebuster and Lita does her trademark moonsault to win her first title.

Triple H

The Summer of Punk provided some of the most memorable moments of WWE. One of them is the Summerslam main event between Punk and Cena. Triple H served as the special guest referee. How did he affect the outcome? First, he was about to count out both Punk and Cena who were lying outside the ring but decided to push them both back into the ring and then he did not see that Cena’s foot was on the rope when Punk pinned Cena. And so Punk became the Undisputed Champion, even though for a few minutes.

And most recently he sc****d Daniel Bryan at Summerslam.

Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels has been a referee many times. Maybe the most number of times. But his involvement in WM28 in the match between Undertaker and Triple H elevated the drama. But the build was nothing compared to the match. The match exceeded most expectations and is considered to be the Match of the Year 2012.

Mike Tyson

This was truly a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ moment unlike the Cena vs Rock match(es). Mike Tyson served as the special guest referee for the Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels match at Wrestlemania XIV. He turned on DX and HBK and declared Stone Cold as the winner. The baton was passed.

Stone Cold

Apart from HBK, Austin has made sporadic appearances in the WWE since his retirement as a special guest referee. And given that whenever the glass breaks, it sends the entire arena into a frenzy. His appearances have been worth it. Except his most recent appearance for Lawler vs Cole at Wrestemania 27. That was a bad, bad, bad, sad, sad match.