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The Daily Insight

What do referees do in WWE

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Mar 14, 2026

The kayfabe purpose of a professional wrestling referee is to render decisions (pinfalls, submissions, disqualifications, countouts) during a match but the legit purpose they serve is to transmit messages to wrestlers about the progress of matches, communicate with them about the amount of time left (plus the beginning …

Do WWE refs know who wins?

Referees are supposed to know the outcome of the match before is stars. However, this is not compulsory. There have been instances where the referees were not informed about the actual outcome beforehand.

Can you hit the ref in WWE?

Gone are the days when WWE Superstars could get away with hitting a referee. Today, even an unintentional strike at the match official can land the Superstars in trouble, often ending with a hefty fine.

Do WWE referees know the script?

If it is running over in terms of time, they will speed it up. If the script is changed in the middle of the match, they are notified. They are as important to the success and failure of the segment as those in the ring. They also notify the medical staff in the back if an injury happens in the ring.

Do wrestlers talk to each other?

Wrestlers talk. Usually they do this very discreetly. John Cena has a reputation for being a less than subtle in ring talker. Having seen Cena live on several occasions, I will attest his talking is loud enough to hear and see.

Why do WWE refs wear gloves?

In recent years, to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis, WWE referees began keeping a pair of latex medical gloves in their pockets. … The gloves are put on whenever a wrestler is bleeding.

How do WWE refs know when to end the match?

Each referee will have an ear piece which feeds back to the show’s TV and schedule director. They will relay instructions such as match length, what moves to do, and when to wrap the bout up. The ref will then signal to the wrestlers to hurry the match up, usually ending with one of their signature finishing moves.

Which is the highest weight category in the wrestling?

In professional wrestling, a weight class is a standardized weight range for the wrestlers. The top class in almost every promotion is heavyweight, but super heavyweights exist.

How do I become a WWE referee?

Becoming a wrestling referee generally involves enrolling with your local state board, passing a written rules exam and passing a test of mechanics by demonstrating proper signals and positioning. One great way to improve is by watching experienced officials to learn how they handle calls, situations and coaches.

How much of WWE is improvised?

There isn’t ‘improvisation’ unless something goes wrong. Like, if someone gets hurt or if someone botches up a set of moves. But for the most part, everything about a wrestling show is 100% scripted. Even the commentators words are scripted to go along with the action.

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Is WWE rehearsed?

In general, WWE matches are rehearsed a few days before the event. The wrestlers will meet up and go over the script. Typically, they’ll practice special moves and improvise the rest. However, some WWE matches aren’t rehearsed.

What do WWE wrestlers do before a match?

All wrestlers go through wrestling school before stepping into the ring for a match. In wrestling school, you’ll learn how to perform as many moves as possible and how to take them as well so when you do have to perform for a match, you can work the more commonly known moves with anybody else.

Are all WWE matches staged?

Wrestling is not necessarily fake, but scripted. The lines are rehearsed. The matches are predetermined. … The risks, injuries and fatigue that come with being a pro-wrestler are all 100 percent real and genuine.

Who is the real owner of the WWE?

REAL TIME NET WORTH Vince McMahon is chairman and CEO of entertainment company World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which hauls in nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. A third generation wrestling promoter, McMahon grew up in a trailer park in North Carolina and joined his father’s small wrestling company in 1972.

How tall are WWE referees?

Usually, a referee will be under six-feet tall and their weight will be no more than 180 pounds. The small size it to make the big guys look even bigger and to make sure the cruiserweights don’t look too small. The referee is the one who coordinates the match and who give the rhythm to the action.

Does WWE hire short referees?

WWE has reportedly been intentionally hiring shorter referees in order to make their superstars look taller. … Earlier this year, WWE was reported to be targeting younger and larger talent in its recruitment for its developmental brand, NXT, prior to its eventual rebranding to NXT 2.0 in September.

Is it hard to be a WWE referee?

Regardless, getting the chance to become a WWE referee is not much different than earning the opportunity to call penalties in the NFL: You must pay your dues for years developing your craft, and with a little luck, you could be refereeing a match in front of thousands of people on live TV.

How can I be a wrestler?

You have to have at least 5 years of pro wrestling experience to join WWE. Get yourself in shape, and try to find someone to coach you in wrestling. Eat a lot of protein to build muscles, do cardio for endurance, and practice stretching or consider yoga to keep yourself flexible.

How do you start a wrestling match?

Match begins with contestants facing each other on their feet. Referee signals the timekeeper, blows the whistle and commands “Wrestle”. Each wrestler moves, attempting to take his opponent to the mat and gain control. This is called a “take-down” for which the referee awards points.

Who weighs the least in WWE?

  1. 1 MARK ANDREWS (147 LBS)
  2. 2 SPIKE DUDLEY (150 LBS) …
  3. 3 THE SINGH BROTHERS (COMBINED: 303 LBS) …
  4. 4 AKIRA TOZAWA (156 LBS) …
  5. 5 LIO RUSH (160 LBS) …
  6. 6 JACK GALLAGHER (167 LBS) …
  7. 7 T.J. PERKINS (167 LBS) …
  8. 8 RICH SWANN (168 LBS) …

Who invented wrestling?

It was developed by ancient Greeks as a way to train soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. After defeating the Greeks, the Roman Empire borrowed from Greek wrestling but eliminated much of the brutality. The Greeks feared the true history of the sport would be lost, and so Greco-Roman wrestling was born.

What is considered a pin in wrestling?

The object of the sport of wrestling is to put your opponent on his back — to pin your opponent. A pin (or fall) is when you put your opponent on his/her back with any part of both shoulders or both shoulder blades of your opponent in contact with the mat for two seconds.

Is WWE fake blood?

In most cases, any blood coming from the wrestlers is unintentional. To maintain their TV-PG rating, when a wrestler bleeds on live television, WWE tends to attempt to stop the bleeding mid-match or use different camera angles to avoid showing excessive blood.

How do wrestlers decide who wins?

Writers for the company decide who wins and loses, based on the storylines, merchandising, crowd responses, and needs of the talent (such as time away for filming a movie or recovery from an actual injury). In WWE, Vince McMahon decides the winners and losers.

When was WWE revealed fake?

The first public acknowledgment by a major insider of the staged nature of professional wrestling came in 1989 when World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey State Senate that wrestling was not a competitive sport.

Do WWE wrestlers talk during match?

In the world of professional wrestling there has to be improvisation during a match. … Not only does this give the wrestlers a chance to take a breather, but they can also communicate with each other about what the next spots will be. This is either to remind the other wrestler what’s coming up.

How does WWE plan their matches?

Originally Answered: How are the wwe matches scripted? Yes, WWE is scripted, but not all moves are pre-planed. Wrestlers communicate with each other about what they’re going to do through the spots. WWE moves are not pre-planed, they have learned moves before and they perform them in the ring.

Do wrestlers choreograph matches?

Yes they do practice and choreograph their fights. Sometimes it’s improvised. Sometimes some wrestlers like to work stiff meaning they hit for real. Also injuries do happen no matter how choreograped it is.

How is wrestling acted?

Also, while the events in wrestling are staged, the physicality is real. Like stunt performers, wrestlers execute feats of athleticism, fly, collide with each other and the floor — all while staying in character. Unlike stunt performers, wrestlers perform these staged contests in one take, before a live audience.

How much of WWE is scripted?

Although roughly 99.9 percent of the things that have happened in professional wrestling over the years have been carefully scripted and planned for, spontaneity is bound to creep in every once in a while. In fact, some of the most memorable moments in WWE history were unscripted.

Do professional wrestlers rehearse?

Pro wrestlers are masters of physical improv. They don’t have time to write out and rehearse every body slam, clothesline, and Irish whip. … The wrestlers must weave into their matches the themes and angles that their characters are following. That means that matches aren’t random.