Foalie Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Watching back over some attitude era and RA era stuff for the last few weeks, and I’ve noticed just how much Earl Hebner pisses me off. I don’t remember it bothering me at the time, but from THAT 3rd count he does where he totally telegraphs a kick out, to making sure he’s in every possibly camera angle with the wrestlers he can possibly be, when he doesn’t need to be (see Austin/rock Wm19 when rock hilariously pushes him away). Does that infuriate anybody else? It became so distracting to the point I was actually shouting at the tv! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 I can’t say that I noticed it at the time, but I’m sure if I were to go back an re-watch then it would be more noticeable. The only time I specifically recall some shonky stuff was from the IC title match between Razor Ramon & Goldust. Tim White referreed that match and I couldn’t buy into any of the nearfalls because his 3rd count was all over the shop. Even at 11 years old and knowing that it’s pretend, but not clued up as we are these days, I was giving out to Tim that night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 The thing that used to annoy me the most was when he went all stone-cold. When he'd push a heel or kick their hands off the ropes. Took away any sympathy when someone decked him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 I'd take that kind of behaviour over the completely anonymous referees they have on TV these days. Taking away the personalities of the referees eliminates a huge storytelling tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 Gorilla Monsoon used to have none of that shit, with Earl or his brother Dave. If he'd kick someone of grab them, he always bury them. "The referee has no business doing that." It's this weird vortex of Earl and Monsoon both trying to get themselves over at the wrestlers expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sphinx Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Yeah, never understood his counts when someone's gonna kick out. How did no one have a word with him about it for all the time he was there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uklaw Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 1 hour ago, WyattSheepMask said: I can’t say that I noticed it at the time, but I’m sure if I were to go back an re-watch then it would be more noticeable. The only time I specifically recall some shonky stuff was from the IC title match between Razor Ramon & Goldust. Tim White referreed that match and I couldn’t buy into any of the nearfalls because his 3rd count was all over the shop. Even at 11 years old and knowing that it’s pretend, but not clued up as we are these days, I was giving out to Tim that night I noticed that with Tim White especially from a young age. The way he’d drop down with seemingly all his weight to his knees, for his counts, could sometimes be mistaken as a 1 count. Even though he was the only WWF referee even back in the 80’s who shouted his count (at least that I noticed) when no-one else did, I’d still get confused at times. The anonymisation of the referees in the last few years (bar Mike Chioda, Chad Paten and John Cone), I agree, does remove a character from the match but I think that is more of an issue for those of us who have been watching for a long time. For many newer fans, I don’t think it registers to much when the referee is simply “the ref/eree”. Of course, that’s just one of many elements designed to (I suspect) make the product ‘easy to digest’ for the modern viewer. As for Earl Hebner (as he’s the subject of this thread), he was easily the highest profile of the referees and was given such a profile that he certainly couldn’t exist in today’s climate- and that’s not factoring in his age, or the circumstances that saw him, Dave and Brian leave the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The King Of Swing Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 WWE needs a new Danny Davies. I really miss a good old fashioned biased ref. Who was that shit ref in the late 80's? He used to shout really loud and was particularly awful during Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. One Man Gang at Wrestlemania IV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 6 minutes ago, The King Of Swing said: WWE needs a new Danny Davies. I really miss a good old fashioned biased ref. They had it not long ago with Scott Armstrong who The Authority would wheel out when needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Please be careful not to offend @HarmonicGenerator, as Earl Hebner is his all-time favourite referee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armitage Shanks Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Always wondered if Earl would work with WWE again following his sacking. The Hebners were long time employers of WWE, and Earl was even involved with Montreal - Vince does like to bury the hatchet (See Bruno, Warrior, Bret). Do you think he will ever go in the Hall of Fame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 10 minutes ago, Armitage Shanks said: Do you think he will ever go in the Hall of Fame? Maybe. Can't argue with how much merch he shifted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 It was nice to come into this thread and find out he wasn't dead or a bit noncey. He wasn't as annoying as Teddy Long who was the ref we hated the most in our house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Kaz Hayashi Posted July 22, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted July 22, 2018 Earl is a strange little cretin isn’t he? I was at a TNA show in Glasgow in 2009 I think. We were right near the barricade half way down the aisle, and some random lad shouted Earl screwed Bret (not even the worst bit)... Earl turned and flipped him off, but it seemed really awkward, like he was scared in case someone grassed on him for swearing, like a little dweeb at school that is the runt of the dweebs, but a bit mouthy. The kind that the bullies can’t even be arsed to pick on because it’s too obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 30 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said: It was nice to come into this thread and find out he wasn't dead or a bit noncey. He wasn't as annoying as Teddy Long who was the ref we hated the most in our house. Teddy Long - so shit as a ref that they made him a manager, and then the GM. One of the great examples of promotion via incompetence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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