7 Rules WWE Should Bring Back

A major championship bout often calls on more traditional tropes, such as introducing superstars in the ring rather than on the way down the ramp, and having the referee display the title for all in attendance to see. In most cases, the official also waits for both men to be ready in opposite corners before signaling for the ring bell. But one thing that is missing from many matches in WWE today is the pre-match pat-down.

From shoot-style wrestling all the way up to the Ruthless Aggression Era, the acting referee not only made sure competitors were ready for the match but also tapped along their clothing to ensure everything met status quo and foreign objects would be introduced into the match.

The benefit of having the referee inspect wrestlers for weapons and the like was that it adds a sense of realism to the bout. And for heels, it was a great tool to draw more heat from introducing a banned instrument into the match, as demonstrated countless times by William Regal.