10 Traditional Wrestling Elements WWE Completely Ignore

10. Referee Is Firmly In Charge

Somewhere along the line, the role of the wrestling referee changed remarkably. Obviously, looking at the role in the most basic way possible, the striped official is solely there to ensure the match stays fair for both competitors, calling things right down the middle and counting in an even and equal fashion when one wrestler's shoulders are pinned to the mat. Crucially, there are also disqualifications which can occur when one wrestler bends the rules too far, has someone interfere on his/her behalf, or brings a 'foreign object' (weapon) into play. It's all quite simple stuff, but the sheer number of times the rules are broken in plain sight of the referee can be a little jarring. If the rules were better enforced, it would admittedly take away some of the excitement of matches, such as wrestlers continually going to the top rope yet not being counted. This is where the 5 count before disqualification comes into play, with most performers naturally breaking on 4, bending the rulebook to just before the threshold is reached by the ref. Nonetheless, what's the point in having 5 counts for things such as a wrestler going to the top rope, when it's never, ever enforced? Refereeing should be an important part of the show, but all too often it's forgotten about.