WWE: Five Referees That Deserve To Be In The WWE Hall of Fame

It comes as a surprise that out of 234 inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame that none are referees. After realizing that fact, I started to contemplate which referees have earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

When you first look at pro-wrestling, I am sure nobody gravitates straight to a referee and says that the referee is why they fell in love with the business. However, once you begin to love pro-wrestling and become a loyal fan, you begin to realize just how important and underrated a pro-wrestling referee can be. While the superstars in the ring are telling a story, the referee has the crucial job of playing the narrator during the matches. They help the match gain excitement with their close calls and passion for what they are doing.

It has the fans at the edge of their seats when the referee is asking a wrestler if they want to give up. The fans will either cheer or boo loudly when the referee will take a shot and be down and out for a certain superstar to get their way. While everyone always loved the antics of Eddie Guerrero lying, cheating, and stealing while the referee was down, it would have been nothing without the referee. Over the great span of WWE history, we have seen plenty of great referees in the ring and sometimes they have even been brought into the storylines themselves.

From referees from rival companies brawling on pay-per-view to two twin referees caught up in controversy, we have had plenty of exciting moments from referees over the years. When I started to compile this list, I realized that it was hard to limit the list to five choices. However, here are the five choices that I believe have earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

5. Nick Patrick

If this was a different reality where we were talking about the WCW Hall of Fame, Nick Patrick would have probably topped this list. Nick Patrick was a loyal referee for World Championship Wrestling from 1986 until the company was bought by Vince McMahon in 2001. After being signed to WWE, Patrick stayed with the company until 2008 when he retired due to back injuries. While his time in WWE was relevantly short, the legacy Nick Patrick had in WCW earns him a spot among the best referees the WWE has ever hired.

During his time in WCW, he was the senior official and at one point turned on WCW and became the official referee of the New World Order. After his time with NWO, Patrick returned to being loyal to WCW. Once WCW shut down and he came to the WWE during the Invasion angle, Nick Patrick fought Earl Hebner in one of the WWE’s strangest yet entertaining matches. He is a face that you have seen for years as a pro-wrestling fan. He made a mark on the business and showed that even the referees can have character and a spot among the “big boys.”

4. Tim White

During the attitude era, if there was a referee more recognizable than Earl Hebner, it was Tim White. Tim White started his career with the WWE back in 1985 while he was also assisting one of his good friends, Andre The Giant. After Andre tragically passed in 1993, White moved into a full-time referee role. He was able to referee matches between some of the greatest stars the company has ever had during his twenty-nine-year tenure in the company. Despite all the matches he has officiated, Tim White’s career will always be connected to the Hell in a Cell match.

He was the referee selected to referee the infamous Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind. Yes, that one that saw Mick Foley break completely apart. The Hell in the Cell match would eventually also show that even the referees that dare get inside aren’t safe. During a Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Chris Jericho, White was hit off the ring apron and bounced off the steel structure. White suffered a shoulder injury and would be put out of action for two years. White returned to referee a match at WrestleMania 20. Unfortunately, White reinjured his shoulder during the match and ended his refereeing career.

3. Charles Robinson

Despite starting his career later than the rest on the list, Charles Robinson wasted no time becoming a face that any wrestling fan could recognize. Within two years into his WCW career, Robinson followed the guidance of Nick Patrick by turning heel and becoming the referee for The Four Horsemen. A huge fan of Ric Flair, Robinson had to love being paired with Flair and eventually coming to be known as “Little Naitch.” He dressed like Flair and acted just like him until suffering an injury that put him out of action. He went on to referee the final match of WCW.

When WCW was purchased in 2001, Robinson was brought in with many WCW referees as a part of The Invasion. After the Invasion was over, Robinson spent many years as a part of the SmackDown brand. He is currently the only referee on this list that is still working with the company. Since the release of Mike Chioda in April 2020, Robinson has been serving as the senior referee for the company. Even though he hasn’t been around as long as the others on the list, there is no doubt that “Little Naitch” has done enough to earn his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

2. Earl and Dave Hebner

At least for me, when you ask me to come up with a wrestling referee, the first name that comes to mind is Earl Hebner. Earl was a crucial part of the WWE for years and found himself in the middle of several storylines. From the very first day that we saw Earl Hebner, he was in the middle of controversy. Earl debuted as an “evil twin” to his brother Dave Hebner on an episode of The Main Event. While Dave Hebner had a storied career himself in the WWE, his brother Earl helped revolutionize the role of a referee and has found a profound place in pro-wrestling history.

Earl Hebner called some of the most important matches in WWE history. He has also fought in the ring for the sake of the WWE during the Invasion angle. However, he will arguable always be best remembered as the referee during the infamous Montreal Screwjob. Despite everything Earl Hebner has done, he has yet to be honored for his work. When he was asked, Earl’s son and fellow former WWE referee Brian Hebner had strong words about his father not being a part of the WWE Hall of Fame. However, when the WWE is inducting tag teams each year, how about stretching the rule for Earl and Dave Hebner.

1. Mike Chioda

When it comes down to the most dedicated referee that WWE has ever had, the name Mike Chioda has to come to mind. Despite not being used in storylines like some of the referees on this list, Mike Chioda spent three decades of his career being loyal to the WWE. Chioda got his start with the WWE by living close to Gorilla Monsoon and his son Joey Marella that was also a referee for the company. He was signed to the WWE in 1989 and would stay employed with the company until he was caught in the mass WWE release in April 2020 ending a 31-year tenure.

Since being released from the WWE, Chioda has moved on like many to test the waters of All Elite Wrestling. Despite now working with the competitor, it is arguable that Chioda would have never left WWE if not been released. He had been the senior official for both Raw and SmackDown during the brand split. He remained the senior official in the WWE until he was released. During his time with the WWE, he refereed matches for everyone from Razor Ramon to John Cena. Even though he wasn’t the focal point, you couldn’t help but recognize Mike Chioda.

He officiated multiple WrestleMania main events including The Rock’s super fights between Hulk Hogan and John Cena. He was trusted with some of the biggest matches in company history and it is a shame to see him released after all the time he put into the company. However, despite the fact that he is signed with All Elite Wrestling, the WWE can still show Mike Chioda how much they truly appreciated all that he did with an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.