10 Best Wrestling Referees Ever
Let's hear it for the men in stripes!
They may just be the least important important people in the entire game. Their job is vital, but if you notice them then there is a good chance they aren't doing their job correctly.
I'm talking of course about the lonely world of the professional wrestling referee, the men in stripes who are there to maintain law and order.
Despite their relative anonymity, all professional wrestling fans will have their favourite officials. Whether it is the Ric Flair-stylings of Charles Robinson, the hurricanranas of Bryce Remsburg or the red shoes of, erm, Red Shoes, we all have our preferences when it comes to the guys counting the pinfalls and calling for the damn bell.
It may be difficult to put a face to a name, but putting the voice of a commentator to the name of a referee isn't so hard. I can clearly hear Tony Schiavone talking of Billy Silverman, Jesse Ventura lambasting Joey Marella and Jim Ross referring to 'referee Mike Chioda'.
Narrowing them down to 10 of the best is a tough task, especially when looking at those that miss out. An argument could be made for ECW's Jim Molineaux, the aforementioned Red Shoes of NJPW, referees who became wrestlers such as Danny Davis and even former WWF stalwarts like Tim White and Jimmy Korderas.
Controversial as it may be, these are the 10 greatest wrestling referees of all-time.
10. Chad Patton
I'll start with a man who is unheralded even within this most unheralded of professions.
Chad Patton was introduced to what was then the World Wrestling Federation by his good buddy Jack Doan (more on him later), and quickly became an integral part of the ring crew whenever he was available.
His hard work didn't go unnoticed, and after a successful tryout Chad Patton became a WWF referee. His first match? An absolute thriller between Steve Blackman and Tiger Ali Singh. Phwoar!
Nothing has changed since then, meaning Patton has managed to carve a truly impressive career in the business for 16 years now. He's stayed fairly under the radar throughout, minus a few exceptions.
2005 saw him raise the ire of Eric Bischoff, who subsequently put him in a match against Chris Jericho that saw Patton locked in the Walls of Jericho until long after the bell sounded.
Patton's biggest claim to fame may be the biggest claim of any referee of the modern era; he was the man who counted the 1-2-3 that ended the WrestleMania streak of The Undertaker. Talk about pressure.