Earl Hebner is one of the most recognized and longest-tenured referees in wrestling history. His career has spanned almost 45 years and he had worked in many different promotions.
Two of his biggest moments include refereeing the match that saw André the Giant beat Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight and his role in the Montreal Screwjob.
But aside from his career, Hebner thinks highly of his fellow referees…so much so that he thinks that he and some of his peers belong in the WWE Hall of Fame.
“All the stuff I’ve done in this business and made a lot of the matches what they are, I think I deserve to be in there” – Earl Hebner
Referees are rarely given much attention in matches. They’re the (mostly) unseen forces that help drive the matches forward and only really become focal points in falls and near-falls. One famous (non-WWE) referee, All Japan’s Kyohei Wada, likened officiating wrestling matches to “conducting a symphony”.
Earl Hebner has refereed countless matches big and small over the decades and in some cases has also been involved in storylines over his officiating. And after all that he has done, he thinks he and several of his striped co-workers have earned spots in WWE’s Hall of Fame.
Speaking on his son Brian Hebner’s Refin; It Up podcast, Earl said he would consider going into the Hall of Fame should that moment occur. But he also noted that whether or not he and those other refs actually get inducted is up WWE, not him.
As for specific referees that ought to be inducted, Earl Hebner has a short list of who he thinks should accompany him:
“I’ll start with myself. Nick Patrick, Tommy Young, Mike Chioda, Charles [Robinson], Jimmy Korderas, and my brother.”
h/t 411mania for the transcription