AEW referees have plenty to worry about during live television — but sometimes, getting wrestlers to actually listen is part of the problem. Veteran referee Bryce Remsburg has revealed that while most talent cooperate with instructions during matches, there are occasions when wrestlers simply choose to ignore what the referee is telling them.
AEW talent ignoring referee instructions revelation came on The Certified Mark Show, where Remsburg pulled back the curtain on the hidden world of the referee’s earpiece — and the four voices competing for his attention during every match.
Bryce Remsburg (Credits: Ringside News)
Four Voices in the AEW Referee’s Earpiece
Remsburg explained that four people can speak to him during a match. Tony Khan, the boss and booker, times the show and heads creative. The show’s director feeds him commercial break cues, replays and camera instructions — when to hold a belt up to camera, when to take it down, when a replay is coming.
The match producer, or coach, acts as the conduit between the wrestlers and the television product, telling the referee what to look out for. And ringside medical staff have their own line, so the referee can communicate with the doctor at ringside.
Most of what Remsburg passes along to wrestlers is time-related. But referees also relay positioning notes for television: “Hey, we can’t see your face. Your hair is in your face. Your tag is out on your tights.” If a wrestler is turned sideways, the referee tells them to turn so the hard camera can see them — because, ultimately, wrestling is a television product.
Why Ignoring the Referee Can Wreck the Whole Show
Timing is everything. If the opening match runs several minutes over, everyone scheduled afterwards pays for it. “If the first match goes four or five minutes over time, that’s an egregious sin. You’ve now taken time away from the rest of the show,” Remsburg said. “The wrestlers don’t want to be responsible for that, and the referee doesn’t want to be responsible for the one that’s giving poor messaging.”
Remsburg stressed that Khan and AEW’s coaches look out for referees and understand the difficulty of the job. But he was honest about the reality: “Some matches are going to go over time. Some wrestlers are going to do their best to listen to the referee. Some wrestlers are going to choose not to listen to the referee.”
He was careful not to overstate it — it does not happen every week, and most talent cooperate. But once in a while, the message simply does not land, and the referee is left doing their best while the show rolls on.
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Source: Ringside News — read the full story there.