Don’t bury the ref. It really is that simple.
In the past, I’ve done an article on what it takes to be a good referee. Now that we know what a referee needs to do to fulfill their duty in relation with the wrestlers, let’s see what the wrestlers need to be doing in return.
Let’s start with backstage. Respect the referee. He or she is a worker under the employ of the promoter and booker, just like you are. Shake his or her hand and treat them with common human decency, not like a second-class citizen. They are your co-worker and a necessary component of the story you are going to tell tonight. Treat them as such.
I understand in some of the lower level garbage indies out there, you may end up getting the promoter’s brother reffing. Or even worse: a “big fan” who helped to set up the ring that night. The same can be said for some wrestlers: this isn't a problem that plagues solely the ranks of officials. However, just as there are good independent wrestlers out there, there are some good independent referees too. When you find them, latch onto them and become their best friend. Try to get them assigned to your matches. They will serve you truly as a third worker in that ring. Rather than what most of you think makes a good referee (one that just stays the fuck out of your way), there's a lot more to it than that on their end. You should always know where your ref is, he is a worker in there and you need to be consciously aware of and work with him or her.
To further expand on the in-ring aspect, let’s look at the psychology of the referee. What is the purpose of the referee? We need to make one thing absolutely clear: generally speaking, the goal of professional wrestling is to project the illusion of sport. There are no rules. There exists only the illusion of rules. Timing cues and other television production minutia aside, the referee’s job is to maintain said illusion of rules, which adds to the greater illusion that we are all working so hard to create.
Now, when you watch a sport (say baseball, football, UFC, whatever), what happens if a player blatantly cheats? He is disqualified and thrown out of the game. Now, if you blatantly do that directly in front of the referee in the arena of professional wrestling and he doesn’t kick your ass straight out of the ring? That is called burying the ref. But even more, it is burying professional wrestling as a whole.
Still don't get it? Look at it like this: when a referee sees the heel blatantly cheat right in front of him, who does the heat really go on? Answer: the ref. AKA not the stars of the show like it should (specifically the heel, in this case). The crowd sees that the ref saw the illegal tactics and didn't DQ the heel. Now the crowd has heat with the referee because they cheated the baby face out of a fair fight. Put this in a shoot perspective: who are you mad at when your favorite sports team is playing and a referee doesn't make the correct call? The opposing team? Or the ref?
How much power does the referee have? How severely should they enforce the rules? Let things go by or call it like it's a shoot? There is no definitive answer, it is up to the individual promoter's discretion. As a ref, you should always discuss this with your superior regarding how you should handle when (not if, because it guaranteed will happen at some point) wrestlers do things that they should know better than to do. Some promoters and bookers will give the ref full power to "teach workers a lesson" for burying a ref by allowing a shoot DQ. Some will not allow any such thing. Some fall on a spectrum somewhere in between. It all depends on the culture of the company and professional goals.
Things will vary company-to-company. One philosophy is that as a referee, you need to protect the business of the match. This is a more theatrical perspective. For those who hold this belief, on the grander scale of things, the most important thing in the match is the business of the match. Wrestling has moved so far into the realm of entertainment that refs shouldn't ever go into business for themselves and throw out matches over the ten count or DQ someone just because of a rule break (unless that is the culture of the company). When Randy the Ram broke the flag over the Ayatollah's back in The Wrestler, do you think if that indie ref threw that match out that the actors, director, or producers would be okay with that? Or, in the world of the movie, if the promoter would have okayed that? No, because then the fucking movie ends with a DQ or the promoter's big main event ends on a flat note. Don't fuck up the business of a match just because it's a rule. If you, as a referee, think it is at your discretion without clearing it with your superiors, you are wrong. Responding to unprofessionalism with your own bout of unprofessionalism is a perfect example of two wrongs not equaling a right.
On the opposite pole the other philosophy bore by some promoters will expect the official to treat the match like it is a shoot. There is a saying, "a wrestler can get his heat back, but a referee can't." That is to say that once a referee's credibility is in doubt, the finish is in doubt. The standard of these promoters is that if a wrestler is burying the referee to a ridiculous point (let’s say, a blatant low blow right in front of the official), the referee should disqualify him. If the wrestler is hot at the ref for that, the promoter would not only stand by the official, but be hot at said wrestler for being a lazy fuck. He or she should been a true worker by attempting an act of subterfuge and hiding the breaking of the rules. But even with this "shoot" officiating style, a certain wisdom is required to see that it is used in moderation. Unless specifically stated, don't necessarily DQ someone because they won't break the five count. Grab them and pull them off. Be a hands-on official. Do what you can on your end to make sure the business of the match is successfully carried out. Your job as an official is to not only enforce the rules, but to help facilitate the flow of the match. To the best of your ability, don't be the one who screws up the rhythm. Most indie workers do a fine enough job of it on their own.
Now, if you're a company that runs student shows (and let's face the facts, almost all indies are essentially student shows), your wrestlers should be in a constant state of learning. And what better lesson than having your match get thrown out because you were being stupid in the ring and not respecting the ref?
But that is a show-to-show thing. Some bookers or promoters are very serious about their angles and stories. If you fuck up something a booker has been working weeks on because you decided to method act in that moment, be prepared to get chewed out backstage. If you are a well-trained wrestler, you shouldn't be making these mistakes in the first place. So, if you're a worker reading this who got shoot DQ'ed this weekend, don't get hot at the ref. Instead, look in the mirror and direct your feelings there, as you're the fucko who doesn't know how to work.
So, how do you avoid burying the referee? Treat him with the same respect you would an official in a legitimate sports contest. Like anyone who is of authority and can directly affect you in a negative way. Like your boss at work. Because the referee is the boss in that ring. You cannot touch him. You cannot lay a finger on him. You cannot cheat or bend the rules in front of him. Figure out a way to hide it in plain sight from him. Work out a way that doesn’t make him look like a jackass, either. If you conceal it in a way that makes the ref look like he is a jackass, that’ll put the heat on the ref. And that isn’t where you want the heat. You want it on yourself or your opponent.
And lastly, for those of you looking to get to the fed, WWE is strict in the way they handle rule-enforcement. If any cheating is done within range of what the ref can see, not only is the match is thrown out immediately, but the responsible performer is fined. And guess whose pocket that $500 goes into? The referee that called him on it. And if the ref doesn't call them on it? Their ass is fired.
If indie referees threw out every match that a guy buried him and realistically should be disqualified, 95% of independent shows would be over in fifteen minutes including entrances. Let's clean up our act a little bit, for professionalism's sake.
Until next time,
-AWV
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