Early Ref Bumps

[Guest Ransome]

I was watching Survivor Series '90 the other day and was surprised to see a ref bump during the Sgt Slaughter tag, especially given that it wasn't til at least 1997 that they become dependant on ref bumps in every other WWF main event.

 

My question is, when is the earliest example of a ref bump that anybody can think of, in both the WWF and anywhere else?

[JoeDirt]

I know there were ref bumps in old Mid South tapes I've seen from the early 1980's.

[The Dames]

One of the most memorable ref bumps that I've ever seen took place at Wrestlemania III, during Steamboat/Savage in '87. I believe it was Dave Hebner who took a Bret-ish sternum first bump into the turnbuckle and flipped backwards, leading to the George Steele interference.

 

Dames

[Perfxion]

NWA did millions of them with matches involving the Horsemen. Flair and co would cheat like tommorrow.

[Guest Sturgis]

1980:

 

Sammartino and Zbyszko have an "exhibition" match(the match where Zbyszko turned heel) Zbyszko threw the ref out of the ring before clobbering Bruno with the chair.

[strummer]

The first big WWF ref bump I remember was in the Hogan/Orndorff match at the Big Event in Toronto in Aug. 86.

[CBright7831]

I was watching Survivor Series '90 the other day and was surprised to see a ref bump during the Sgt Slaughter tag, especially given that it wasn't til at least 1997 that they become dependant on ref bumps in every other WWF main event.

 

My question is, when is the earliest example of a ref bump that anybody can think of, in both the WWF and anywhere else?

There was one earlier that year at Wrestlemania 6 during the Hogan/Warrior match and SURPRISE it was none other than current senior referee, Earl Hebner.