Earl Hebner is considered by many fans and wrestlers to be the greatest referee of all time, refereeing some of the most high-profile matches in wrestling history.
Hebner is no longer active as a full-time referee, but he's willing to help referees in other companies if they ask.
Appearing on Reffin It Up with Brian Hebner, Jimmy Korderas, and Daniel Spencer, Hebner was asked for his thoughts on the state of refereeing.
"I watch a little bit of TV. They have some that want to get good and get on time. You're going to find some that just want to be on TV, count to three, and go home. It comes to the coaches, agents, they should say, 'Get your ass to the ring,' once they are there. We're there for a reason. Whether it's live or taped, to me, it's all live. If you have to edit, it costs you money. Why not go and learn what to do, and do it right the first time? Some of the refs now, they're there to be TV stars and it doesn't matter to them. They just want to know the finish and go home. I'm not saying all of them, just some of them I've watched. The agents and coaches need to say, 'Go to the ring.' Truly, you should have to tell them to go to the ring. If they are that dumb and don't know, then tell them. A false finish, foot on the rope, if you don't know the spot and you're not looking for it, your arm is coming down, it's not going to stop, and you're going to count. Then you make the excuse, 'I didn't see it.' What are you going to do? I've offered to help AEW and have talked to Jericho, but never heard anything else about it. When [Mike] Chioda got there, I thought that maybe they'd let him do it, but he's not there full-time. I'm willing to help any of the companies if they want me, but nobody has reached out. If I could help somebody for six months, I would help them. If they don't want it, fine with me," said Earl.
Hebner was part of AEW in 2019, refereeing a handful of matches and events during his brief run with the company.
Elsewhere during the interview, Hebner commented on his role in Montreal at TNA Slammiversary 2024. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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