Unsung Heroes - The Wrestling Referee
When you think of referees in Pro Wrestling you probably just remember that they were the guy in the black and white stripes or the shirt and bow tie. Maybe you know a few of the most famous, such as Earl Hebner, Mike Chioda or Nick Patrick. Not many people realise that the referee can have great bearing on a contest and add to a so called 'great' match.
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| Referee Marc 'Paz' Parry |
One such fellow is a friend of mine, Marc 'Paz' Parry. Paz has been refereeing Pro Wrestling matches for 6 years now, starting out in 2007, and has grown in knowledge, confidence and experience in that time. Whilst being a fan, Paz still 'marks out' at watching some of the biggest names in Pro Wrestling but whilst in the ring, Paz is always professional regardless of who he is refereeing.
I caught up with him recently to discuss why he does what he does and also why the wrestling referee is the quiet, overlooked, unsung hero of a wrestling match.
Jimmo's Angle: Hi Paz, thanks for giving me some of your time. Let's start at the beginning; What/who inspired you to start refereeing?
Paz: I accidentally fell into the ref role. The company I was training with (BAWA) had lost its ref so I stepped in temporarily to fill the gap until a replacement was found....that was 6 years ago! But I wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance!
JA: In your six-year career who have you had the privilege of refereeing?
Paz: In terms of international talent I've reffed: Colt Cabana, Jimmy Jacobs, Dragon Phoenix, Ricochet, Brian Kendrick, Emi Sakura and Shanna. In terms of UK talents, I've been in the ring with the majority of the UK's top guys; Mark Haskins, El Ligero, Wade Fitzgerald, Kid Fite, Dominator, Ricky Knight, Sweet Saraya, Noam Dar, Dave Mastiff, Chris Andrews, Skarlett, Charlie Rage, Stixx, Nathan Cruz, Stu Odyssey, Team H8, The Hunter Brothers, The London Riots, UK Dominator and many more.... I should be reffing Kid Kash in May and Doug Williams and/or Jay Lethal in May as well; fingers crossed!
JA: What has been your favourite match to referee? why?
Paz: Favourite match.... I have a few I guess; Skarlett vs Sweet Saraya (EWW): Going into this match I wasn't a big fan of women's wrestling but knowing Skarlett as long as I have I knew this wouldn't disappoint and I was right! Both Skarlett and Saraya are excellent technicians and storytellers!
Shanna vs Emi Sakura (AWW): Any UK fan will have heard of THIS match, and I had the pleasure of reffing it! This match had it all, stiff shots, near falls and the crowd in the palm of their hands, plus after this match my reffing was praised through the roof by Dann Read (Pro-Wrestling:EVE promoter!) who is a guy I have the utmost respect for!
El Ligero vs Ricochet (PROGRESS): Ligero has been my favourite UK guy since I was a fan before I entered this business. To share a ring with him for a company like PROGRESS was a MASSIVE honour, and seeing as Dragon Gate is my favourite company and Ricochet represents DG:USA, this made this match extra special. Both guys gave 150% and all three of us had fun in the ring and even shared a joke or two during the match!
JA: Possibly the most important question I wanted to ask you; What do you feel is the importance of referees in Pro Wrestling?
Paz: To quote the Iron Shiek - "A good match needs three things; a good face, a bastard heel and a good referee". The referee isn't just there to count to three, five or ten like people think; a referee is much more important. A referee needs good body language and good expressions; the referee needs to sell the situations as well as the wrestlers do; if a wrestler hits a big move and the ref just stands in a corner looking into space it makes the move look dire! A good referee will also show concern for the 'injured' face when he's 'hurt' and cower away from a threatening heel when needed. The referee is the authority and needs to show it without overshadowing the match... In my opinion it takes years of practice to get all this down.
JA: I couldn't agree more, Paz! Finally, what has been the funniest moment you have had whilst refereeing?
Paz: I'd have to say Eddie Dennis ripping my trousers in the finish of a Tag Team Championship main event for PRO EVW. It was Dennis and Wild Boar vs The Hunter Brothers, and for the finish Eddie pulled me out of the ring when I went for the three-count; as he did he ripped the crotch of my trousers, it was about a nine-inch rip! Hilarious after the match, slightly embarrassing during!
Paz would also like to take this opportunity to thank a few people:
Paz: Thanks to the promoters who continue to book me. Thanks to the guys who have to share cars with me on the way to shows. Thank you to my Supervisor Anna and Manager Alex at Fresh Direct, who approve all my holiday requests so I can indulge in this sport I love so much! And a big thank you to my better half, Mary, who puts up with me being away most weekends!
JA: Great stuff! Thank you very much for taking time out to talk to Jimmo's Angle! I really hope that we've opened people's eyes about the wrestling referee and they now realise the referee is an extremely important factor in mapping out a match.
Marc 'Paz' Parry has refereed for several UK promotions: AWW, BAWA, CSF, EWW, NBWA, NLW, Pro EVW, PROGRESS and Welsh Wrestling.
For more information on Paz, please visit his Superkick Media page.
Support British Wrestling!
@jimmosangle
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