Get rid of the ref bump

[Guest wrestlingbs]

The typical ref bump, ie. hitting the ref, bumping the ref, being sandwiched at the turnbuckle, has always been annoying. At it's basic level it's absurd: what guy could honestly think that the ref would be stupid enough to lay there and be oblivious to a chair shot or interference? At worst it's idiotic: One gentle push knocks a guy out? But nowadays it's gotten worse. Just look at HHH vs. HBK on Raw. Two ref bumps, each one more ridiculous than the last. It's become a crutch for the bookers, something to rely on for a tainted win. My point is, isn't it about time they think of another way to end a match?

[Tawren 0]

Ref bumps were old after the very first one. It's lazy booking, and another example of why they need to get new people.

[Steviekick 0]

The ref bump has been beaten to death. Although the bumps themself were ridiculous in the HHH/HBK match from Raw, but at least they worked and gave a good reason for Bischoff to come down. They should be used sparingly, however.

[NoCalMike 0]

Not only that, but logic would say that if Hebner is getting knocked out every single main event match, then he would fired on grounds of not being able to perform his reffing duties properly, by always being out of place. He is paid to ref the match yet is always laid out on the mat.

[NoCalMike 0]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside. To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere. I could see once in awhile, but match after match after match, you'd think Austin as GM would try and ban him from ringside at least during title matches. Hell even a run-in would be slightly better then Flair at ringside.

[AndrewTS 0]

You forget that Hebner has attained the status of GREATEST REFEREE OF ALL TIME to the WWE bookers, just like JR is the Greatest Play by Play Commentator of All Time. You don't question it, regardless of the current performance. You just accept it.

 

Ref bumps, yeah, mucho retarded. Either severely limit it and make it somewhat believeable, or get rid of them entirely.

 

Although that's just one of the problems with referees. The others are that their field of vision is more limited than an enemy soldier in Metal Gear Solid, they're nearly deaf (don't hear a chairshot hit behind their backs even with a fairly quiet crowd), and despite supposedly needing to be licensed, anyone can be granted the power of referee just by slipping the stripes on.

 

Well, probably there are more, but you get the point.

 

How many ref bumps does it take to get to the end of a Wrestlemania?

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Let's ask Owl.

 

One. Ta-hooooo!!!! **CRUNCH** Tharee.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Ref bumps used to be about brutal stuff like chair shots and the like, and now pushing a 180lb person into a ref is likely to knock them out for two minutes. I never understood that.

 

Ref bumps do work, though. But they require you to be emotionally interested in who wins the match and WWE just isn't able to put that kind of effort into their matches nowadays.

 

An example of a ref bump working would be the first Rock/Hogan. An example of a ref bump not working would be the second Rock/Hogan.

[Guest Jimbo]

Bleh, I wish that if they were going to have ref bumps, atleast make them semi-belieable.

 

Since when does geting knocked out keep you down for 40 minutes?

 

And how is it that they ONLY wake up during pinning situations? Is there some clock in their head that says "Hey, I need to get up now! Someone's being pinned!"

 

And if there is said mental clock, why is it always .000001 seconds too late so the guy kicks out of the pin all the time?

[Youth N Asia 0]

This overly predictable trend is here to stay. Refs will never be able to take a lightly brushed backhand from HHH or be pressed in the corner from Booker T...this crap is hurting matches way more then run ins.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Yeah, it suspends believability if the ref can't friggin turn his head around or move his arm up and down three times. It reminds of the Popemobile driver in an episode of Family Guy (in "Holy Crap", "I have this little problem --- if you touch me on the head, I'll be knocked out for an hour")

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

This is one of the big problems with the WWF, everything is overkill.

 

You can have a match without interfernce, ref bumps, foriegn objects, special refs, stipulations and dusty finishes. I could live with any of these if they were rare.

[Guest wrestlingbs]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside. To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere. I could see once in awhile, but match after match after match, you'd think Austin as GM would try and ban him from ringside at least during title matches. Hell even a run-in would be slightly better then Flair at ringside.

Flair in 2003/2004 has become what Steph was in 2000. Anytime she came to ringside, you knew she would interfere and HHH would win.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

And how is it that they ONLY wake up during pinning situations? Is there some clock in their head that says "Hey, I need to get up now! Someone's being pinned!"

Well they DO have those mini microphones in their ears to know when to get up usually...but if you meant if a match was real then.....a BIG coincidence.

[AndrewTS 0]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside.  To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere.  I could see once in awhile, but match after match after match, you'd think Austin as GM would try and ban him from ringside at least during title matches.  Hell even a run-in would be slightly better then Flair at ringside.

Flair in 2003/2004 has become what Steph was in 2000. Anytime she came to ringside, you knew she would interfere and HHH would win.

Is Flair going to get overly conscious about his saggy boobs and get implants, too?

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Ref bumps TODAY have gotten bad, yes.

 

However, I do know of one time a ref bump didn't end with him recovering for a near pinfall.

 

WrestleMania 4: Don Muraco vs. Dino Bravo. Muraco was about to hit a move on Bravo, Bravo pulls the referee into the way. Bravo gets the unfair advantage...hits his "Side Suplex"...goes for the pin...the referee recovers and DQs Bravo.

 

Was nice to see that twist to the ref bump.

[iggymcfly 0]

The ref bumps right now definitely break kayfabe, and the way I see it, there are two things they need to do to make them believable again:

 

1. Lessen the frequency. This is kind of an obvious one. A ref bump should be a big surprise; not a matter of course.

 

2. Perhaps more importantly, make the heels facilitate the ref bump. If they line up with the face between them and the ref before "accidentally" missing and clocking the ref, it would make a lot more sense.

 

Once again, the important quote to remember is "all things in moderation." The reason that HBK getting his title win reversed got so much legitimate heat compared to say RVD getting his title win reversed is that while we've seen a lot of matches get reversed due to feet on the ropes, we had never ever seen a match result getting reversed due to shoulders being down. The surprise makes all the difference.

[Slingshot Suplex 0]

Tommy Young in the NWA was King of the Ref Bump.

 

I really liked his referee style but he got knocked down/out/from the ring in practically every big match he was in it seemed.

 

It is lazy booking and kinda annoyingly frustrating at times.

[Youth N Asia 0]

And you just can't have a HHH match without one anymore

[haVoc 0]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside.  To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere.  I could see once in awhile, but match after match after match, you'd think Austin as GM would try and ban him from ringside at least during title matches.  Hell even a run-in would be slightly better then Flair at ringside.

Flair in 2003/2004 has become what Steph was in 2000. Anytime she came to ringside, you knew she would interfere and HHH would win.

No way! Flair is the best part of Triple H's matches sometimes. It's part of being a heel manager and working the crowd and viewers.

 

Would you have taken Hennan, Fuji and Hart away in the 80's/90's?

 

Hell, I want more male managers. Rico could have been the Jimmy Hart of this generation.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Hell, I want more male managers. Rico could have been the Jimmy Hart of this generation.

Well, I wouldn't go THAT far.

 

Maybe the Harvey Wippleman...

[Guest MikeSC]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside.  To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere.  I could see once in awhile, but match after match after match, you'd think Austin as GM would try and ban him from ringside at least during title matches.  Hell even a run-in would be slightly better then Flair at ringside.

Flair in 2003/2004 has become what Steph was in 2000. Anytime she came to ringside, you knew she would interfere and HHH would win.

Is Flair going to get overly conscious about his saggy boobs and get implants, too?

God, wouldn't that cause Jerry Lawler some problems?

-=Mike

[Guest MikeSC]

The ref bumps right now definitely break kayfabe, and the way I see it, there are two things they need to do to make them believable again:

 

1. Lessen the frequency. This is kind of an obvious one. A ref bump should be a big surprise; not a matter of course.

 

2. Perhaps more importantly, make the heels facilitate the ref bump. If they line up with the face between them and the ref before "accidentally" missing and clocking the ref, it would make a lot more sense.

 

Once again, the important quote to remember is "all things in moderation." The reason that HBK getting his title win reversed got so much legitimate heat compared to say RVD getting his title win reversed is that while we've seen a lot of matches get reversed due to feet on the ropes, we had never ever seen a match result getting reversed due to shoulders being down. The surprise makes all the difference.

How about only having the ref get knocked out if it looks like the shot could have, at least, possibly bruised a banana? I've seen refs go down with shots that wouldn't have made loose paper fly into the air.

-=Mike

..."In local news, a two car accident has caused one fatality. Police are baffled as one car was stopped and the other was moving at a pace of, roughly, 100 ft an hour. The deceased is a pro wrestling referee..."

[Boner Kawanger 0]

Let's ask Owl.

 

One. Ta-hooooo!!!! **CRUNCH** Tharee.

That's MISTER Owl, to you. That goes for all of you. Don't you forget it, either.

 

As for the ref bump, even the marks are getting tired of it, so expect it to be shoved down everyone's throats for years to come.

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

Another thing to BAN, is Flair from ringside. To me there is never any fun watching a Triple H match when Flair is just standing their ready to interfere.

That's like saying Jim Cornette shouldn't have come to the ring with the Midnights....... that's what a manager is there for.

[Sonic Reducer 0]

Compare how often they have ref bumps in the US to how often they have them in Japan, and it's quite funny.

[snuffbox 0]

Compare how often they have ref bumps in the US to how often they have them in Japan, and it's quite funny.

oh bah gawd! misawa just took that refs head clean off with a stiff clothesline! hes gotta be broken in half!

[Boner Kawanger 0]

Compare how often they have ref bumps in the US to how often they have them in Japan, and it's quite funny.

What is it, like a hundred to zero? I don't watch Japanese wrestling, so that's just a guess.

 

And as for the manager thing, I have no problem with Flair. He hardly leads to the outcome anyway. No matter how much Flair cheats, HHH always wins cheating on his own it seems.

[Guest Anglesault]

, HHH always wins cheating on his own it seems.

Well, he beat Nash with the Pedigree

He beat Booker...with the Pedigree

He beat Steiner with the Pedigree

Kane? Pedigree.

Bubba? Pedigree

RVD? Pedigree.

 

HHH cheats?

[Youth N Asia 0]

, HHH always wins cheating on his own it seems.

Well, he beat Nash with the Pedigree

He beat Booker...with the Pedigree

He beat Steiner with the Pedigree

Kane? Pedigree.

Bubba? Pedigree

RVD? Pedigree.

 

HHH cheats?

Well...there's random sledgehammer attacks in most of his ppv matches.