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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to the Busted Open Podcast. This is Dave LaGreca. On today's episode, myself and Tommy Dreamer come up with the Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling referees. And we speak to our number one, Earl Heppner, right here on the Busted Open Podcast.
Chapter 2: What is the Mount Rushmore of wrestling referees?
This is the Busted Open Podcast. The legendary Earl Heppner who joins us. Now, Earl, how are you? And thank you so much for the time. Oh, you're welcome. Thank you guys for having me. All right. I'm excited.
Chapter 3: Who is Earl Hebner and why is he significant?
Obviously, you are a part of our WrestleMania show out in Philadelphia a couple years ago. So we truly appreciate the friendship and you joining us and sharing your knowledge on this show. We truly appreciate it. Thank you. Oh, you're welcome.
Mr. Hebner, how are you, sir? I love you.
I'm doing good, Dreamer. How are you doing, buddy?
We're talking about referees. You're on my Mount Rushmore of referees. You're on Dave's Mount Rushmore. If you were to truly define the object of being a professional wrestling referee, what is that? Because it's a business where though it's chaos and everything could happen, but you guys have to enforce the rules. So like, what would you say be number one key to be a referee in this business?
Well, the number one thing is if you're a referee, you need to go over your matches and learn the spots and what's going on and. Taking consideration when you see a bad bump, you always check your your talent and make sure they're OK. We have signs where they tell you OK or they tell you they're hurt and you know it's not just give me the finish as it looks like it's the big thing now.
Because I hardly I've been in a couple shows around and. You know, after catering, we always went right to the ring to get our stuff together. Right. And it's just not give me the finish. It's give me everything. And I go from bill to bill. And sometimes when I see it on TV, I don't like these guys really know what's going on.
You know, I just don't understand some of it, the things that they do these days that we ā
didn't do back then we we had to pat down you know what i mean yes sir when i when i think of you i think of the matches i think of the big moments those matches whether it was you know in the nwa the wwf the wwe is there one match for you that stands above all the others
Well, actually, the touring deal is the biggest thrill of my life. You know, my brother and I, we pulled that off pretty good, and that was one of the biggest things in my whole life as far as my great match.
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Chapter 4: What key qualities define a successful wrestling referee?
It is the Hart Foundation going for their finish, and you're backing a wrestler out of the corner to get back in his corner. And as you turn into it, Bret Hart, full head of steam, hits you with a shoulder tackle. It looks like it is the...
greatest bump i've seen you take did you know that one was coming or was that just wrong place uh wrong time yes i think that was the wrong place at the wrong time wow i can't remember that one i remember i remember what you're telling me and uh but i don't that that was not in the script
Nice. Well, you sold it like a mother because, man, I got to have Brian send that to you or show you because it looked pure genius of how it was. So you got me. I loved it.
You know, Earl, you talked about that controversy with your brother and Hogan and Andre. That was your debut with the WWF back in 1988, right? So what was it like being thrown right into the fire, leaving the NWA, going to the WWF, and going right into a controversial main event program?
Well, you know, I had very much experience. But believe me, I was nervous as all. Because when I walked out to that crowd and got the cheers at the beginning, and I looked around, and honestly, that's the most people I've ever seen at that time in my life in the wrestling show. Because, you know, down south, it was this ā You didn't have that big of a crowd.
I mean, you had a good crowd, believe me, but not like that. And, man, I was looking around and I'm going, oh, my God. And if they just knew what I'm going to do, they wouldn't be cheering me. And they didn't at the end.
You know, I just, I'm sorry, Tommy, because I was just talking about a documentary earlier this week with Bully on the Dalton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. And, you know, you were a part of the NWA, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, at really the height of its popularity. And I don't know if you got a chance to watch the documentary, but fans of that area were really, really upset when,
when Crockett promotions expanded because they felt like they were being left behind. Did you feel that way as well? Because, because North Carolina was such a big part of Crockett promotions. Well,
In all truthfulness, if they had stayed like they were, they would have still been in business. They tried to expand too much, too quick, too fast. And it just didn't work. You know what I'm saying? I mean, they bought airplanes and they were flying from Charlotte to Greensboro, which is about an hour and a half drive. And then they expanded and expanded and they eventually run out of money.
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Chapter 5: What memorable matches did Earl Hebner officiate?
So was your brother, David, with establishing the rules almost to the point where, like, because back then the heels would mess with the refs and then, but you, you know, would fire up on them. It's a different art form and a different time in the business. But, I mean, Tommy was just... he's my on my Mount Rushmore too, David.
So now you got two of mine, but just again, I could picture it or even leaping over the guys to make the, the pinfall to look at the shoulders such great memories. I mean, and I have the same for you of, and I know you're paying the price because of all those crazy bumps you would take, but
none of your bumps were ever the same and you'd either grab your knee or your ankle or your head or your arm. You just made everything that you did special. And it's, I mean, you know how I feel about you personally, but professionally, like you always went above and beyond when you were taking those bumps. And I think that's why it also, you were put in those situations all the time.
Earl, I got to ask you, what was, what's the story? What made you decide to leave the NWA to go to the WWF?
The twin deal. Okay. When I was called about that and my brother would come up with that. My brother told me, he said, Vince wants you to come and he wants to work a deal with you. And, you know, the pay up there was 10 times the pay down here. And plus I was hauling the ring, selling the merchandise.
I was doing it all down here. I got to ask you a question because I'm a big NWA guy. My all-time favorite wrestler is Ric Flair. You were an official for the NWA right in the prime of Ric Flair's championship title run. What was Flair like back in the day? Flair was great.
And I'm going to tell you a little story. We were in St. Louis many years ago. It was Ricky Bolton and Flair. And, you know, I think this was my first championship match with Rick. And I was nervous. But thank God it was a two out of three falls because I counted Rick out twice. by mistake. And I went, Oh my God. And then I jumped up and I go, Rick, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry.
I said, he said, calm down, calm down. Just listen to me. We'll, we'll get out of it. We'll get out of it. And brother, he coached me right through it. But believe me, I guess my blood pressure was high enough to have a heart attack. But I tell you what, God bless him. He got me right through it. And truthfully, he has helped me so much in this business. He's given me different spots.
He's given me everything possible. that can make me who I am. And, you know, I'll call him every year on his birthday. And sometimes I'll call him just out of the blue. But he is one of my number one men that helped me so much.
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