10 Fascinating WWE Survivor Series 2009 Facts
5. The Referee Bump In The First Elimination Match Was Not Planned
Wrestling is a physical business, and while utmost safety is practiced, sometimes there are victims of errant strikes and slips. Even the referees, when they're not taking contrived and comical bumps to set up some form of chicanery, can get victimized by the surrounding chaos.
Referee Scott Armstrong of the famed Armstrong wrestling family (and the older brother of Road Dogg) accidentally took a knee to the head from Sheamus during that opening match. He managed to give the "X" symbol for a legitimate injury, this one on his own behalf.
Armstrong was taken out of the match and quickly replaced. Naturally, the announcers weren't allowed to mention him by name (some wacky WWE policy of the time) when updating his condition, awkwardly referring to their concussed official as "the referee". Because knowing Earl Hebner's name really detracted from the enjoyment of pay-per-views from years earlier.