Referee Brian Hebner Announces Retirement – Former WWE referee Brian Hebner will be hanging up his uniform.
Referees have the best view of the action but there are some real dangers. Oftentimes, officials are asked to take bumps which can lead to injuries. Outside of the risk factors, referees are also crucial inside the ring and sometimes can make or break a match.
If the referee botches a spot, it can derail the entire match.
During the latest edition of his Refin’ It Up podcast, Brian Hebner announced that he will be retiring from the full-time referee gig. He says that after Slammiversary on June 19, he will work the TV tapings before riding off into the sunset.
“I’m announcing that I’m going to retire from professional wrestling as a full-time referee. I will no longer be under contract with anybody. I will be working for myself.”
“This is a move that I’m making because of the fact that there’s a lot of different reasons. I’m not bitter towards the business at all. This has nothing to do with anybody making me mad or anybody making me angry. This is a move on making a personal decision. I’m healthy. I’m in great shape. I’m not beat up. I have a lot of life left to spend with my kids, my family, and my friends.”
Hebner has called many matches over the years for the likes of WWE, IMPACT Wrestling, and NWA.