10 Things We Learned From Charles Robinson On 'Talk Is Jericho'
Little Naitch lifts the lid on life as a WWE referee.
The role of a professional wrestling referee is a largely unheralded one, as is any profession where a large portion of your job description is 'go unnoticed'. Despite this, Charles Robinson is arguably the most recognisable official in the game today, thanks in no small part to his immaculate head of Ric Flair-esque hair and longevity with the company. Robinson joined WCW in 1997, and has been at the top of pro wrestling ever since.
Charles, or Little Naitch as he is affectionately known, was recently thrust into something approaching the spotlight during Chris Jericho's battle with Neville on Monday Night RAW. Neville suffered a serious ankle injury during the match, and an apparent miscommunication between Charles and Jericho led to a heated argument between the two in the ring, one that was clearly genuine.
Conveniently, Robinson went on to be a guest on Jericho's 'Talk is Jericho' podcast just a few days later, and the long time colleagues were able to cover a lot more than just a heated spat between the two in recent times. Robinson's story is a unique one, and the familiarity and respect between the two made for a relaxed and fairly candid podcast.
Here's what we learned from Little Naitch himself.
10. Charles Robinson Spent 6 Years In The Navy
Despite being an absolutely fanatical professional wrestling fan from a young age, Charles Robinson believed he had neither the size or the ability to make in the industry. As such, he did what any self-respecting 5ft 6in man would do and joined the Navy.
Robinson was in the navy for six long years, a tenure that would see him spend three months at a time submerged underwater. He remembers it being pretty boring, and that a lot of movies were watched. Whilst this may sound fairly hunky and ever so slightly dory, one must remember that this was the 1980s, and the Cold War was very much still a thing.
The submarines were equipped with Poseidon missiles, and their job was to head to the waters outside Russia and simply wait. Thankfully nothing ever came of it, with the only missiles every being shot being done so on practice drills in the Bahamas. Even so, spending three months underwater on a boat with 140 guys does not sound like my idea of fun.