Best Referees?

[zappafrank]

Old School: Tommy Young

Mid-School: Mark Curtis

New School: Mike Chioda

 

Earl Hebner should never be listed anywhere with regards to being a good ref.

[CanadianChris]

All those are good.

 

I always thought Joey Marella was a really good referee. His death was a shame; he'd probably still be refereeing today if not for the accident.

[Only The Strong Survive]

What's the problem with Hebner? I always thought he was good just... tended to get in the way sometimes.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Hebner's the best of all time.

[Steviekick]

Old School: Tommy Young

Mid-School: Mark Curtis

New School: Mike Chioda

 

Earl Hebner should never be listed anywhere with regards to being a good ref.

 

Seconded.

[Jingus]

Hebner's a little pushy, you can see the asshole Northeastern city boy coming out of him, what with his constant yelling of "knawk it awff!" But he's a perfectly fine ref.

 

On the indies today, Bryce Remsberg is probably my favorite. Does a really good job.

[Dandy]

I always liked the physical mannerisms that Mark Curtis added to the matches. Ever see him look like he was in awe of the strength or moves of the wrestlers? He was putting over the matches while not getting in the way. Best ref ever.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Tommy Young was the best I've ever seen and I liked Mark Curtis as well.

 

I've always been a big Hebner mark. I always will remember getting to see one of his last working days for the WWE back in July of 2005 at a house show in Rupp Arena. Some people don't like his style but I loved how he reacted after getting bumped and then having to make pinfall counts (ex. the count he made during Warrior-Hogan at WrestleMania VI when he used both arms to make a near-fall count with the right hand being for 1 and the left hand for 2).

[The Dames]

Hebner's shoulder problems during EVERY nearfall attempt just screams "this ISN'T the finish" and that's really my main problem with him or else I would have said he was the best.

 

Lately, I really like Todd Sinclair (ROH) as a ref because of the believability of the nearfalls. Even when someone kicks out at like 2.9999999999 he jumps up to make SURE the timekeeper (and the rest of the fans) know that they match isn't over and that leads to not just a hot match, but a ton of heat on the ref who's just doing his job.

 

Dames

[King Cucaracha]

What's the problem with Hebner? I always thought he was good just... tended to get in the way sometimes.

 

The "1, 2, dive on your face and not even look like you're attempting to make the three count" has taken me completely out of tons of matches in the past. It's one thing for wrestlers to telegraph kickouts, but Hebner does it ALL the time. And when he's in with someone like Angle or Jericho or Rock who kicks late, more often than not he's already diving for the 'two and three quarters' before the person being pinned has so much as moved.

 

 

I second Bryce Remsburg. Then again, I'm bias.

[10 Pounds]

I like Tommy Young, the way he would kick the arm of someone holding the ropes during a sumbmiision maneuver, that's something you don't see anymore. I generally like referees who won't take shit from anybody, the ones who pushes back when being shoved, etc...

 

Exception to the rule is Bill Alfonzo, right down the middle daddy !

[MillenniumMan831]

I've always been a Nick Patrick mark whether he was being by the book or the shady nWo ref. Sure, I'd get pissed watching my TV Title Worldwide main event get marred by another over the top rope DQ but Patrick reluctantly yelling out RING THAT BELL made it almost worth it. Plus, the verbage he uses to get wrestlers to break or back in the ring was/is always pretty good. And, like Mark Curtis, sells a big move almost as much as the guy taking it. Last but not least, his bumps where he flails both arms in the air before crumbling to the mat brings a stupid grin to my face.

[Danville_Wrestling]

Exception to the rule is Bill Alfonzo, right down the middle daddy !

 

I can't believe I forgot about Alfonzo. The whole ECW gimmick with him as the heel referee was classic stuff. Watching it always leaves me in stitches.

[Golgo 13]

This guy.

[garfieldsnose]

Definitely Mark Curtis because of all of his reactions to the moves. It almost looked like he was playing with an invisible wrestling buddy the way he would mimic the moves the wrestlers did.

 

 

Earl Hebner was the worst for me. As noted in this thread, all of his near fall counts are not believable at all. He never looks at the shoulders of the guy getting pinned, and stops even if they haven't kicked out. I wouldn't mind it so much if he was LOOKING at the actual shoulders being pinned.

 

 

Are Doane and Chioda the longest active WWE refs? They've been around since I started watching in 1989 it seems.

[MillenniumMan831]

I believe Chioda has been affiliated w/ the WWF as a ring boy since 1984 w/ Tony Chimel (who I have seen on camera at ringside during shows at the Capital Center at this time). I believe Doane started as a ring attendant since around 1988.

 

I'm sure someone can correct me if I have that wrong.

[ChrisMWaters]

Sunny.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[CanadianGuitarist]

My dad never watched ECW, but the first time he saw it, he became a mark for John Finnegan, especially how cower-y he'd be during an RVD splash, or how terrified he'd look during a big spot.

[ChrisMWaters]

My dad never watched ECW, but the first time he saw it, he became a mark for John Finnegan, especially how cower-y he'd be during an RVD splash, or how terrified he'd look during a big spot.

I like how he also joined in on a Team Tree-Of-Woe corner dropkick with Dreamer, Spike, and Sandman against The Dudley Boyz and their posse that one event.

 

...or was that another ECW referee?

[JST]

Hey, a topic I feel at home with.

 

For me, definitely Chioda. When I ref in the indies, I try to copy his general mannerisms from the devil horn two-count, and the putting-your-foot-down attitude. I was also a bit of a fan of Brian Hebner, from which I copied the armband look but that's more because I get sweaty during matches. And I try to watch as much Tommy Young as possible as he always paid attention to details.

 

And I love, love, love that the WWE refs recently started checking shoulders with that little hand slide during pins, and generally treating matches as more of an athletic contest between two wrestlers rather than Sportz Entertainment segment #2-B. We haven't seen a ref bump in a high-profile match, haven't we? That is good. So very good.

[Vampiro69]

I have to agree with the Tommy Young and Mark Curtis love. They added so much to the matches they were doing with their mannerisms. Young would not back down to the wrestlers when they would get in his face, while Curtis always reacted to power moves making them more believable.

 

A ref I did not see mentioned was Charles Robinson. I always like the way he handles the matches.

[mysterious_w]

There's some Japanese ref (I think for NOAH), who when bringing his hand down for 3 on a near-fall transitions it into a combat roll finishing with the signal to the timekeeper. First time I've ever slo-mo replayed a ref, awesome.

[eiker_ir]

 

Chioda and Charles Robinson are my favorites

 

[CanadianGuitarist]

My dad never watched ECW, but the first time he saw it, he became a mark for John Finnegan, especially how cower-y he'd be during an RVD splash, or how terrified he'd look during a big spot.

I like how he also joined in on a Team Tree-Of-Woe corner dropkick with Dreamer, Spike, and Sandman against The Dudley Boyz and their posse that one event.

 

...or was that another ECW referee?

 

Nope, that was Finnegan. Heatwave '98.

 

EDIT: Wait, it may have been Jim Molineaux, who also once slapped and shoved the Dudley Boys when they argued a call.

[Dobbs 3K]

Yeah, I'd have to say Mark Curtis was one of the best. The way he'd overreact to big moves, or be real quick about sliding into position for a surprise cover attempt was real good.

 

Also, recently watching the Ric Flair vs Ricky Morton cage match on the Horsemen DVD raised my opinion of Tommy Young, who I had never seen a lot of. You really believed he was in control of the match, and not just there to make the three count at the end.

 

What about guest refs? I remember seeing Lou Thesz ref a match and thinking he did a good job. Anyone else?

[razazteca]

I always loved the CMLL ref reaction to the submissions in matches where they would jump up in the air waving their hands to signal the end of the caida. Honorable mention to Peewee Anderson and Charles Robinson. I hate Hebner because if it was a PPV match you just knew that he was going to take a bump.

[Dobbs 3K]

I think the thing that annoyed me about Hebner was how WWE tried to basically turn him into another superstar during the Austin era. It's like, he's just a referee.

[razazteca]

Bill "Call it down the middle" Alfonso , "Peanut head" Teddy Long, "Lil Natch" Charles Robinson, were able to become acceptable managers there is no way in hell that Hebner could of pulled it off.

[Guest beau99]

I was always big on Randy Anderson for some reason.

 

Currently, I'm a Chioda fan.

[King Cucaracha]

My dad never watched ECW, but the first time he saw it, he became a mark for John Finnegan, especially how cower-y he'd be during an RVD splash, or how terrified he'd look during a big spot.

I like how he also joined in on a Team Tree-Of-Woe corner dropkick with Dreamer, Spike, and Sandman against The Dudley Boyz and their posse that one event.

 

...or was that another ECW referee?

 

Nope, that was Finnegan. Heatwave '98.

 

EDIT: Wait, it may have been Jim Molineaux, who also once slapped and shoved the Dudley Boys when they argued a call.

 

The ECW refs got involved in a ton of stuff. I forget the show but there was one with Molineaux and Finnegan hitting a double DDT on Jeff Jones for... some reason. I dunno, it was ECW, who needs a logical reason I guess.