WWE has inducted plenty of people into the celebrity wing of their Hall of Fame. Some inductions have caused concern with fans, but it seems Earl Hebner is very opinionated on this subject.

While speaking with Steve Fall, Earl Hebner was quite open about where he believes he belongs in pro wrestling history. He is not in the WWE Hall of Fame, but that is a place he feels as though he believes.

“I should [be in the WWE Hall of Fame], but I don’t know.” Earl Hebner stated. “[There were] a few problems when I left with me and Vince so I don’t know.”

Earl Hebner also stated that WWE should have put former WWE referee Tim White in the Hall of Fame. While was inducted as a Warrior Award recipient, years after his passing. As Hebner sees it, White should have received that honor years before he passed away, not afterward.

“They should have put Tim White in the Hall of Fame way way before he passed away. I think the Hall of Fame means nothing if you’re not alive. You don’t get any benefits out of it. It’s just you know, what good does it do you? What would it do me if I was dead and they put me in the Hall of Fame. What does it mean? Nothing. I don’t know it. Timmy didn’t know it. What the hell? He’s not the only one. Vader, Macho Man. What good does it do you know? Timmy deserved it way, way long before they gave it to him. Before he passed. He deserved it probably 10 years before that, the way he took care of Andre and kept Andre going and, and everything. But, you know, there were a lot of other referees that need to be in the Hall of Fame, but I don’t know if they’re gonna put any referees in. No big deal to me either way.”

Tim White sadly passed away on June 19th, 2022. He was given the Warrior Award in the WWE Hall of Fame the following year.

Earl Hebner was also very old-school with his mindset regarding any non-wrestlers in the WWE Hall of Fame. The way he sees it, they do not belong in the company’s hall of legends. To him, it’s “a joke” to give non-wrestlers that honor. 

“All the people in the Hall of Fame that’s not wrestlers, they don’t belong in the Hall of Fame. Would any of those people go into the baseball Hall of Fame or the NFL Hall of Fame? Hell no they wouldn’t. So you get all these jabroni’s to come in? Its a joke.”

WWE Hall of Fame Celebrity Wing

The WWE Hall of Fame celebrity wing boasts a diverse array of inductees over the years. Among them are Pete Rose, who received the honor in 2004, and William Perry, who was inducted in 2006. The class of 2010 saw the addition of Bob Uecker, followed by Drew Carey in 2011. The year 2012 welcomed Mike Tyson into the prestigious group, while 2013 featured Donald Trump as an inductee. In 2014, Mr. T joined the ranks of the WWE Hall of Fame celebrity wing. 

Other notable inductees include Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2015 and Ozzy Osbourne in 2021. Each of these individuals has left a unique mark on the wrestling world and contributed to the rich history of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Earl Hebner released a book providing intricate insights into his experiences throughout his wrestling career. The book is titled “Earl Hebner: The Official Story.” His book can be purchased at this link.

Bret Hart famously left WWE in 1997 after an incredibly controversial exit. That departure still lives on in pro wrestling fandom, but it seems that the incident is water under the bridge for everyone involved. 

The Montreal Screw-Job

The Montreal Screwjob went down during the 1997 Survivor Series match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. In the closing moments of the bout, there was a controversial and unexpected turn of events. Despite Bret Hart not intending to drop the WWE Championship in his home country of Canada, Vince McMahon, the owner, and operator of WWE at the time, instructed the referee, Earl Hebner, to ring the bell and declare Shawn Michaels the winner. 

This decision, which was made without Bret Hart’s knowledge, stirred immense controversy and changed the landscape of professional wrestling. It became one of the most talked-about incidents in the industry’s history. Not only did it inspire the legendary “Bret Screwed Bret” promo before memes existed, but it also lives on in pro wrestling history.

The Aftermath of the Montreal Screw-Job

During an interview with Steve Fall, Earl Hebner opened up about his current relationship with Bret Hart. It seems that the two have mended their bridge after that controversial Survivor Series main event in 1997.

“I have a merch shirt that says ‘Damn right I did.’ And a lot of people want me to say, Can you write on it ‘I screwed Bret?’ I go, ‘No. I can’t do that.’ A while back, maybe three or four years ago, I would do it but Bret and I made up. And before my brother passed, we were at a house show, or indie show and he was there and he called us into the ring and he put us over like big time. So now Bret calls me now and then and I’ll call him and we got a good relationship back and I’m not gonna screw it up by writing something over a dumb ass shirt. It’s gonna destroy our friendship.

Earl Hebner was questioned about any concerns he had before reuniting with Bret and the possibility of Bret being upset with him.

“For a long time it honestly it bothered me. It was bad for me, you know, cuz I carried it with me for a lot of years. We met one time an airport, and I wanted to talk to him and he said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ … I said, ‘can I talk to you for a minute?” He goes, ‘I don’t want to talk.’ I said okay, so I let it go and that was it. And as time went on, you know, it finally worked out well. We got to see each other [and] communicate.” 

Working With Randy Savage

Earl Hebner went on to speak about some talent who weren’t so easy to work with. One of those people was “Macho Man” Randy Savage, because he was such a perfectionist, and Savage wrote everything out in his matches move-by-move.

“Well, from the old referees and today’s referees and today’s matches back then in there, it’s a world of difference. It’s not the same. It’s just it’s like old school and new school. You know and the old school you had to work and be smart because they never gave you everything. You know a lot of times back then I’d go in there and I go, ‘What’s the finish?’ They said, ‘just count.’ Okay. We did know the finish a lot of times. I mean 99 percent of the time. We knew the finish Some of the old guys just come through and tell you what it was. They said watch the match and count.”

“Macho Man. I mean when it comes to WrestleMania, he gives you a sack of papers that thick of the whole match way before it was ever gonna go on. I mean two weeks before WrestleMania and then he comes back and I’ll go, ‘damn, this is a joke here.’ But that’s how he was, he was a perfectionist.”

Steve Fall went on to note how Diamond Dallas Page wrote his matches out move by move before bell time. This caused Earl Hebner to reply, “Oh Randy was the same way about like TVs and house shows, you know same thing…If you screwed up he’d go, ‘What the hell’s going on here?'”

Earl Hebner is full of stories, and he was a part of pro wrestling history along the way. It’s also nice to see that he was able to mend some of those relationships that he tarnished along the way.

Earl Hebner’s book titled “Earl Hebner: The Official Story” can be purchased at this link.

The Montreal Screwjob is one of the most infamous incidents in the history of wrestling and now Earl Hebner, who was the referee for the match is making some interesting claims about the whole thing.

The former WWE employee recently appeared on the VOC Nation podcast where he talked about the incident in detail among other things.

At first, he said that at the time he didn’t think that the screwjob was a work. However, the current AEW official then claimed that after thinking things over, he now believes that both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels knew what was going to happen beforehand:

“At that time, I really didn’t think it was a work; today, I think it was, somebody had to be the gopher, somebody had to ring the bell, and to make it look official, it was me.

It’s bothered me for a long time. Now that I’ve been with Bret, talked to Bret, been on some indie shows with him, we’re great friends now, believe me.” said Earl Hebner. “I’m pretty sure that both of them knew it was a work … the only one that didn’t know at the time was me … I know I (got screwed), but I don’t know if they did.”

• Also Read: Sami Zayn Not Working Causing ‘A Lot Of Unhappiness’ In WWE

The former WWE referee then claimed that there is a lot behind the story and he is going to put it all into the book he is working on right now.

What do you think about the claims made by Earl Hebner about The Montreal Screwjob? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Earl Hebner spent a long time of his career as a wrestling referee in WWE, though it appears that the veteran official does not remember his time in the company very fondly.

Hebner recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like joining AEW, what his role in the company is and his favorite memories about Baltimore.

However, when talking about his time in WWE where he spent more than a decade of his career, the veteran compared it to AEW and claimed that he felt like a prisoner in WWE:

“It doesn’t feel like you’re in prison here, you’ve got more leeway and it’s more relaxing. It felt like you were in a prisoner in WWE but not in AEW. This is just a more laid back company and at my age, this is great for me.”

Earl Hebner started his career in 1977 and spent a decade officiating matches for the Jim Crockett Promotions before joining WWE in 1988.

He stayed in the company for almost 17 years before getting fired from the promotion in 2005 due to selling WWE merchandise without permission.

He joined TNA after leaving WWE and had a long stint with the company now known as Impact Wrestling as well. He was the referee for the Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes match at All In and has joined All Elite Wrestling after the company’s inception.

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) official Earl Hebner has addressed the criticisms that have been lobbied at the promotion’s officials. Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, Hebner, who has over 40 years of refereeing experience, addressed his duties and reflected on the other referees’ learning experience.

“They need to have me in their dressing rooms teaching them,” Hebner said.” Right now I’m just doing PPVs because of travel and everything so I’m fortunate to just do the PPVs. What they have is pretty good. We learn every day so it’s not like we know everything.”

When it comes to what he believes AEW referees can do to improve and maintain order of their matches, Hebner pointed to tag matches and 10 counts being too slow: “Sometimes I think with the tag matches there’s too much interference and they bury the ref a lot.”

AEW refereeing has been criticized by some for being inconsistent in what is or isn’t permitted. These flaws have been more noticeable during tag or multi-person matches and are something AEW officials have previously acknowledged in their attempts to improve.

Having been in the industry as long as he has, Hebner was familiar with Cody Rhodes’ father, Dusty. When asked about his relationship with “The American Dream” and his son, Hebner offered:

“It’s great. When I was coming through Dusty was the one who gave me a job. I rode in the truck with Cody when he was a baby,” Hebner shared. “It’s just been awesome to see how Cody has progressed and grown-up. He’s in the footsteps of his dad and every step he makes is Dusty. He’s a great kid and God bless him. He deserves everything he’s getting and going after.”

AEW: Dynamite airs every Wednesday night on TNT at 8/7C. Their most recent pay-per-view, Full Gear, aired this past weekend.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

Earl Hebner had the honor of refereeing during All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) latest event, Double Or Nothing. He would officiate the personal clash between Dustin Rhodes and his brother, Cody.

Hebner recently caught up with Bill Apter for The Apter Chat during a convention in New Jersey, and was asked about being involved in the matchup and his thoughts on AEW.

He replied that it was a great experience, although there was a lot of pressure on him because of his history with both Dustin and Cody.

“I knew those two boys when they were kids. Matter of fact, their dad’s [Dusty Rhodes] the one that gave me this job. Dusty is the one that gave me a job at the NWA in Charlotte for Jim Crockett Promotions,” Hebner recalled. “Seeing those kids grow up and being with them in Double Or Nothing, it was…it was a great match. I was in there with two great kids, two great friends, and honestly, it was like family. We got it, it was done, and it was good.”

“I was more nervous about those two guys hurting each other than I was in the ring,” he said. “The ring doesn’t bother me. When I got two great kids—well, men now—in the ring, that I’ve loved all my life, and see them grow up from babies, it was a lot of stress on me. It’s like I was the dad there, separating the boys. I’m glad that I got to raise Cody’s hand and leave ’cause I probably would’ve been in tears at ringside.”

Earl called AEW a “great company” and confessed he feels privileged to be working with them before adding that he believes AEW will “wake up a lot of people around the world, in the wrestling business—especially the WWE. It’s gonna be great now they have some competition.”

AEW has been in news lately and some of the biggest advertised stories related to the upstart promotion are regarding the various wrestling stars they have signed to the company.

However, the newly founded wrestling company has also been hiring a lot of other professionals to help run the things flawlessly and the latest one of these names to join the organization is Earl Hebner:

With over 4 decades of experience in the business, Hebner is one of the most experienced and well-known wrestling referees out there.

He started out in 1977 and since then he has worked as a referee for a number of well known promotions including TNA and NWA. He has been the referee of some of the very significant matches in the history of the business.

Though he is probably best known for his 17 years long tenure with WWE. He refereed many main event matches for the company and probably the most well known of them all is the 1997 Survivor Series match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.

Although it’s worth mentioning here that Earl is not the only name that has been signed by the promotion in this capacity.

In the past week, the company has also announced signings of Paul Turner, Rick Kno, Bryce Remburg and female referee Aubrey Edwards from their twitter account.

All of these signings are expected to be in action for the upcoming Double Or Nothing event and it’d be interesting to see how AEW’s referees differ from other promotions.

Ricochet Responds To Velveteen Dream

For the past few days, Velveteen Dream has been firing shots at his NXT TakeOver: Chicago opponent, Ricochet, on Twitter. Ricochet has finally responded, reminding Dream of his past appearance on Tough Enough when he was eliminated halfway through the show.

He then wrote “the result will be the same at Takeover: Chicago.”:

https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/1003325236488613890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1000376453261856768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/VelveteenWWE/status/1003102327950249985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Earl Hebner Is “All In”

September 1st’s “All In” event, self-funded by Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, just continues to get bigger as it adds the biggest names in professional wrestling today. All In’s Twitter page has confirmed that former WWE and TNA referee Earl Hebner will be working the show.

He joins a cast of referees that includes the likes of Paul Turner, Rick Knox, Todd Sinclair, and Jerry Lynn:

https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1003350674183282688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Longtime referee, Earl Hebner, recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about his relationship with Impact Wrestling and possibly returning to WWE.

Earl Hebner Interview Highlights

On if he is signed to any promotion:

“I’m a free agent,” said Hebner. “I’ll see who is interested.”

On Anthem’s Financial Difficulties:

“We thought the new company had it all worked out when they bought it, but they’ve been having financial problems,” said Hebner. “I feel like I’ve been paying them. It’s been pay cut after pay cut, so I asked for my release. Some of the wrestlers were only getting paid $100 a day. That’s a slap in the face to the wrestlers.”

“My son, Brian, also wanted his release, and then they asked Brian Stiffler to be the senior ref,” said Hebner. “But the money he’d have made there would have been spent on expenses on the road, so he quit too”

“They wanted local refs because it was cheaper,” said Hebner. “But that’s a risk, especially when it’s live. They wanted to take a cheap route, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.”

On Going Back to WWE:

“I would love to go back to WWE and finish my life in this business right there,” said Hebner. “Vince McMahon was always good to me, and he gave me the opportunity to be who I am and what I am. I would love to go back and, if nothing else, do one more match to say thank you very much for what you’ve done for me.”

Famed referee Earl Hebner sat down with ring announcer David Penzer recently, for Penzer’s “Sitting Ringside” podcast. Hebner spoke on the Montreal Screwjob, and when he found out about it, and what working for WWE was like.

Earl Hebner Interview Highlights

When he found out about what his role would be in the finish to the Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels Match at Survivor Series:

“I found out walking to the gorilla position, I was pulled to the side and was told Vince wants you to do this, and this and this. I thought, Oh my God!'”

His thoughts on what it was like working in WWF/WWE:

“There was so much stress down there (WWE), it was miserable it was like you were in prison.”

The “Twin Referees” Storyline Screwjob of Hulk Hogan in 1988:

“I did count 1,2,3, with Hogan’s shoulders about four feet off the mat, and then my brother came down and there was two of us! We had our little battle royal there and then Hogan figured out that I was the evil one, so he picks me up and tosses me out of the ring over Andre and Virgil. It hurt bad. I injured my rotator cuff, I couldn’t move my arm. That was my first day there. After that night, I had to spend six to eight weeks in rehab.”

TNA officially inducted legendary referee Earl Hebner into the TNA Hall Of Fame during the promotion’s live event on Saturday night in Salem, Virginia.

Below are some of the photos taken during the ceremony, highlights of which are expected to air on TNA Bound For Gloruy later tonight.

#RoadToBFG coverage from tonight in #TNABeckley: @Billy inducts Earl Hebner into the TNA HoF! See it tomorrow on BFG! pic.twitter.com/pXsTh29b99

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) October 4, 2015

What an incredible night in Salem, VA. !! It was an honor to be able to see my dad get a award he so deserves! #TNAHOF ! Thanks guys! #123

— Brian Hebner (@babyhebner) October 4, 2015

https://twitter.com/thegrtscott/status/650465224194138116

UFC Planning On BIG Announcement On CM Punk’s Fighting Debut …

TNA issued the following press release to officially announce the TNA Hall Of Fame induction of veteran referee Earl Hebner at their live event on October 3rd in Salem, Virginia, which is the night before TNA Bound For Glory 2015.

WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS REFEREE EARL HEBNER MAKES HISTORY WITH TNA WRESTLING HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

HEBNER BECOMES FIRST REFEREE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME OF ANY MAJOR PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING PROMOTION

HEBNER’S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, OCT. 3, DURING THE ROAD TO BOUND FOR GLORY TOUR LIVE EVENT IN SALEM, VA., HEBNER’S HOME STATE

TNA SENIOR PRODUCER AND SMASHING PUMPKINS FRONT MAN BILLY CORGAN TO INDUCT HEBNER

NASHVILLE, TN (Sept. 14, 2015) – For 27 years professional wrestling referee Earl Hebner has entered millions of living rooms across the globe every week, officiating the wildest and most memorable matches and main events of wrestling’s top promotions. On Saturday, Oct. 3, in front of family, friends and fans in his home state of Virginia, Hebner, the most famous professional referee in the world, will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame.

“Earl Hebner is not only one of the most recognizable personalities in professional wrestling, his passion for the sport, in-ring management skills, and ability to entertain audiences has set the standard by which all professional wrestling referees are measured,” said TNA President Dixie Carter. “ It is an honor to have Earl as part of the TNA family and as the newest member of the illustrious TNA Hall of Fame.”

Hebner’s TNA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 3 during The Road to Bound For Glory Tour live event in Salem, Va. Smashing Pumpkins front man and TNA Senior Producer, Billy Corgan, will induct Hebner, with TNA Ring Announcer and Hebner’s dear friend, Jeremy Borash, emceeing.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, during TNA’s biggest night of the year, the Bound For Glory Pay-Per-View event, a special segment will be dedicated to Earl’s TNA Hall of Fame induction and will feature career highlights and portions of his induction ceremony from the previous night.

Hebner will be the sixth inductee into the TNA Hall of Fame, joining Sting, Kurt Angle, Bully Ray, Devon and Jeff Jarrett. His TNA Hall of Fame induction marks the first time a referee of any major professional wrestling organization has become a member of the promotion’s Hall of Fame.

“When I received the call from John Gaburick (TNA’s Executive Vice President of Television and Talent Relations) and he told me I am being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame, I was stunned and my eyes welled up with tears,” said Hebner. “I’ve been working for 37 years for this incredible honor. It is rare for a referee in any sport to be recognized in this way, and I am proud TNA is recognizing me as the first referee to ever be inducted into a professional wrestling Hall of Fame.”

Hebner fell in love with professional wrestling during his teenage years while working concessions at the Richmond, Va., fairgrounds, where local and regional promotions would run shows every Friday night. He first became involved in professional wrestling by volunteering on the ring crew. Hebner’s foray into refereeing came about by happenstance when a referee fell ill and Earl was asked to fill in on a moment’s notice. Hebner went on to referee for Jim Crockett Promotions, and in the late 80s he made his debut with World Wrestling Federation, when he replaced his twin brother, Dave, mid-match and influenced the outcome of a title bout. Hebner made his TNA debut in 2006 where he has served as Senior Official, managing TNA’s other referees, including son Brian.

Event Information for Earl Hebner’s Hall of Fame Induction:

TNA Wrestling presents The Road to Bound For Glory Tour
Featuring the Stars and Knockouts of IMPACT WRESTLING
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Salem, Va. – The Salem Civic Center
Tickets start at $15 and are available at ticketmaster.com

• VIDEO: UFC President Dana White & TOP UFC Star Nearly Get Into FIST-FIGHT!

TNA announced that veteran referee Earl Hebner will be inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame on Saturday, October 3rd.

The induction of the first ever referee into the TNA Hall Of Fame will take place at the 10/3 live event scheduled for Salem, Virginia.

TNA tweeted the following about the induction:

Breaking: @TheEarlHebner named the next inductee into the #TNAHOF! See it in Salem! http://t.co/7Ey0RHBg0u pic.twitter.com/CEBGgHB07h

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) September 14, 2015

• VIDEO: UFC President Dana White & TOP UFC Star Nearly Get Into FIST-FIGHT!

Former NXT head trainer Bill DeMott will be holding a tryout training camp at the GXW Wrestling Academy in Richmond, Virginia in August.

Below is a press release that was issued on Monday with all of the details.

Superstar Seminars
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
June 15th, 2015

Press Release

Superstar Seminars presents The Bill DeMott Tryout Training Camp. Aug 8th & 9th at the GXW Wrestling Academy in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, VA – Superstar Seminars, in conjunction with GXW Wrestling and The Bill DeMott Experience are pleased to present the Bill DeMott Tryout Training camp on August 8th and 9th at the GXW Wrestling School in Richmond, VA. This camp will give aspiring pro wrestlers a chance to be trained by one of the world’s most renowned pro wrestling trainers and experience first-hand the challenges that they will go through during a tryout for a major pro wrestling company.

Bill DeMott has over 25 years’ experience in the wrestling business, wrestling for ECW, WCW and WWE. Bill is well known as the former head trainer on the WWE series Tough Enough, and was the head trainer for the WWE Developmental programs Deep South Wrestling, Florida Championship Wrestling and most recently, NXT. Bill has been extremely influential in the rise to stardom of many of the current WWE Superstars as well as many WWE Superstars of the past decade.

As a member of the team who devised the testing and tryout process by which a current WWE hopeful is evaluated, Bill’s knowledge and expertise are incredibly valuable to anyone serious about making it in the world of Sports Entertainment. This camp will give students an authentic, first-hand experience of the tryout process, and Bill will teach all enrollees every aspect of how to be a better performer and provide the qualities that the big companies are looking for. The camp will cover many aspects including:

– – In-Ring technique and execution
– – Verbal skills
– – Conditioning
– – Character development and presentation

Assisting at the camp will be former WWE Women’s, WWE Divas and TNA Knockouts Champion Mickie James, one of the most popular female performers of all time, Nick ‘Magnus’ Aldis, the first British Wrestler to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Title and former IWGP and GHC Tag Team Champion, and legendary senior referee Earl Hebner, who has decades of experience working with the biggest stars in the business.

The camp will take place at the GXW Wrestling Training Academy, a fully insured, air-conditioned, multi-purpose facility featuring a full-size ring, classrooms, green screen video room for promos/interviews and changing/restroom facilities. With easy access from major highways I-64, I-95 and I-295 and just 5 minutes from Richmond International Airport, the Academy is easily accessible for students from all over the US or Worldwide. Given the nature of the camp, we require that anyone wishing to attend must be at least 18 years of age with a minimum of 1 year experience in wrestling. Exceptions may be considered for applicants with a significant athletic background. Proper wrestling training attire is required. All enrollees will receive detailed instructions and information via email as well as video footage of their training for future reference upon completion of the camp.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be trained by the man who knows what the big leagues are looking for! Enrollment is $250. To apply, please visit www.superstarseminars.com and fill out the application form. If accepted, enrollment fee is required in full to secure your place. Enrollments are limited to a maximum of 30. Apply now to get your spot!

• CM Punk “Super OK” If UFC Debut Doesn’t Happen Until 2016

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and Earl Hebner publicly made peace at Saturday’s Big Time Wrestling event from Virginia.

Nearly 17 years after the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Bret Hart called Hebner to the ring. The two hugged, with Hebner getting emotional and thanking Hart for burying the hatchet at a show taking place in his home state.

Hebner, who currently officiates for TNA, has been profiting off the Montreal Screwjob for years, selling “Damn Right I Did” t-shirts.

Remembering The Twin Hebner Angle And Hogan’s First Title Loss

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, HULK HOGAN LOSES HIS MIND (AND THE WWF TITLE)
by The Solomonster (thesolomonster@gmail.com)
Podcast | Twitter | Facebook

“HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY SPEND ON THE PLASTIC SURGERY??!”

Those infamous words were uttered by Hulk Hogan on national television 25 years ago today. And astonishingly, Hulk wasn’t referring to his (now ex) wife and her friend when he said that. No, you see, he was referring to the evil trio of Ted DiBiase, Andre the Giant and… EARL HEBNER! What? Earl Hebner, evil? Bret Hart would find out years later exactly how evil Dave Hebner’s baby brother really could be, but let it be known that Hulk Hogan was the original Screwjob victim way back in 1988 when INXS had the #1 hit single in America and the Road Warriors made it cool to wear Zubaz pants.

Here in 2013, Chris Daniels and Frankie Kazarian are trying hard to make Zubaz cool again, but it’s just not the same.

So, why then was the Hulkster ranting and raving like a mental patient about plastic surgery? Let’s set the stage. The date was February 5th. The WWF had been airing taped “Saturday Night’s Main Event” specials on NBC for a few years by this point. As a young wrasslin’ fan, I have fond memories of those shows. The sight of Andre the Giant sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Hogan, following his victory over King Kong Bundy, and wrapping his massive hands around Hogan’s throat, squeezing the life out of him, gave me nightmares. But this show was different. This show, dubbed simply “The Main Event”, aired live on Friday night (back when Friday was perhaps the best night for television) and would feature the first singles meeting between Andre and the champion since their epic encounter at WrestleMania III the previous year.

WWF and NBC hit a homerun that night. The show would do a 15.2 rating, good for 33 million viewers (that number is a bit skewed and likely also includes international viewers, so figure half that number were watching in the U.S. – still impressive), making the Hogan vs. Andre sequel the most watched wrestling match in history, a record that still stands today. Hulk Hogan had headlined as WWF champion for four consecutive years and was arguably at his peak of popularity. Andre, on the other hand, was clearly in physical decline and had long past his peak. In fact, he was barely mobile. One memorable spot from their match saw Andre simply fall face down in what the announcers could only describe as an attempted headbutt (he missed). And maybe it was, but it looked terrible. In fact, as a wrestling match, this pretty much sucked. But with these two guys in the ring, it was never about workrate. That’s what guys like Savage and Steamboat and Santana were there for.

As the match drew to a close, Andre grabbed Hogan and flung him around in the worst excuse for a hip toss I’ve ever seen in my life. As he covered the champion and the referee began to count, Hogan got his shoulder up off the mat, but Hebner kept counting. Just like that, Hogan’s run came to a screeching halt at 1,474 days and Andre was awarded the title.

I guess in hindsight, CM Punk’s 14-month reign ending on a People’s Elbow doesn’t seem nearly as ludicrous.

After the match, Gene Okerlund interviewed Andre, who inexplicably talked about winning the World tag team championship (?!!) and proceeded to surrender the tag team title (don’t look at me, that’s what he said) to Ted DiBiase. And I must say, the title looked awfully good around DiBiase’s waist. I believe he got to defend the title at some house shows in the days that followed before Jack Tunney officially declared the title vacant, but it really is a shame he never had a run on top.

As Hogan stood flabbergasted by what had just taken place, THE GOOD HEBNER emerged to confront his evil twin. It’s funny because, while Dave and Earl do look very much alike, I never had much trouble discerning one from the other, even as a kid. Dave was always the pudgier one. Maybe he was simply big-boned. Whatever the case, when Hogan turned around, he could not believe his eyes, nor could he tell one from the other. He figured it out when Earl knocked his brother to the mat and caved in his ribcage with a wicked kick (supposedly breaking a rib legit). Now, Hogan figured it out. He hoisted Earl high above his head, got a running head start, and proceeded to overshoot his target by a country mile, sending Earl SOARING into the aisleway over everyone’s head (including Andre, and he was a giant!). They were supposed to catch him, but hey, shit happens.

Backstage with Mean Gene, Hogan was a wreck. He was so distraught, he was literally in tears over this grave injustice that had just been committed. It’s too bad The Shield came 20 years too late. Maybe they could have helped prevent all of this. As Hogan whined and cried about plastic surgery, he talked about seeing both Hebners for the first time, exclaiming, “When I turned around, they were identical. IDENTICUUUUULLLL!!!!” Moments later, as they showed a replay in slow-mo of the finish, Hogan desperately tried pointing out to us all the hundred dollar bills falling out of the referee’s pocket. Okerlund didn’t have the heart to tell the big guy that, in fact, there were no hundred dollar bills. As hilarious as this all was, Hogan was a pathetic mess here. Between this and his temper tantrum at the 1992 Royal Rumble when he helped Flair eliminate Sid (who did nothing wrong!), I’m not sure how I was ever a fan of this man.

By the way, there’s a little “easter egg” of sorts to watch for on this show. Prior to his title defense, WWF shot to a pre-taped Hulk Hogan interview backstage. In it, he can be seen wearing what has since been dubbed as the “Hogan ‘87” belt. Yet moments later, when he emerges from the curtain, he’s wearing the Winged Eagle belt that would become synonymous with the company over the next decade. Not sure if the ’87 belt held out for more money before Hogan walked out or mouthed off to the wrong person, but it was never seen again.

A quarter century ago on this date, history was made. Hogan lost his smile. The plastic surgery was bought and paid for. And Andre won the tag team title. A memorable night, indeed.

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– At the conclusion of last Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast, Austin Aries dropping a bombshell on Hulk Hogan by accusing his daughter Brooke of conducting funny business with Bully Ray. The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the storyline via Twitter today, writing, “TNA IMPACT WRESTLING TONIGHT 8pm/7central only on SPIKE ,gonna get to the bottom of Brooke’s bs with Bully,I’d love to go off on himHH4Life.”

– On the latest edition of TNA Today, Christy Hemme speaks with Earl Hebner about his career in professional wrestling and working with TNA. She also picks his brain to see who he believes are the promotion’s rising stars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6_l_aLZaFQ

– ShopTNA.com has released AJ Styles gloves.

Julie Hart and Earl Hebner both joined Inside The Ropes to talk about “The Montreal Screwjob” and their thoughts after 15 years.

The highlights from Earl Hebner’s chat are:

His thoughts when he heard Bret didn’t want to drop the belt to Shawn: “Bret had plenty of time to drop the belt. He could’ve dropped it in the United States. I didn’t know much about the deal with those two but he could’ve dropped the belt to anyone, hell he could’ve dropped it to me. But he had an ego and he didn’t wanna do it. Time was running out. If you’re leavin you drop the strap, he didn’t wanna do it. If you remember Alundra Blayze went down there and dropped the Womens belt in the trash. Now if you have a $3 million deal to go to another company, why would you even hesitate to drop the belt? I mean why? Your moneys already guaranteed when you get there. Just drop it and go. A lot of people put him over, made him who he is. So he’s gonna refuse to drop it and make those guys look like idiots? This business is a work.”

On him telling Bret he swore on his kids lives he wouldn’t let anything happen in Montreal: “I was sitting on a plane with Bret. His very words “Will you count me out?” I said “If you keep your shoulder up, I will not count you out” Which I didn’t count him out. Did he get pinned 1.2.3? You stop and think about my position. I’m thinking about the guys in the back. Austin, Undertaker, Rocky all the guys that put him over as being the Worlds Champion, we made him what he was, so he’s leaving us and he’s screwing us because he doesn’t want to drop the belt. So on my way to the ring, I’m thinking it’s not fair. Someone asked me, I won’t say who, about two minutes before I walked to the ring, I said I can’t tell you what I’m gonna do, but when I walked to the ring, I thought about all the boys back in the dressing room, so it wasn’t right for him to screw 25 guys because of his stubbornness, so thats why I did what I did. When McMahon and Sgt Slaughter came to the ring, whether I had done it or not, that bell was gonna ring. The only thing that made it more official is that I motioned for the bell.”

If he thinks Montreal was a work: “It could have been a work. McMahon, Bret, WCW could’ve all been in on it for all I know. I’m gonna go 50/50 on it. I think it was but I can’t say for sure, but look where Bret is now.”

In the rest of the chat, Earl talks about the relationship between Shawn and Bret, how Undertaker felt about the situation the next day, his conversations with Bret since Montreal, Bret’s 2010 return and whether he was contacted to appear by the WWE at WrestleMania 26 and more. Check it out below.

The highlights from Julie Hart’s Chat:

When Bret got suspicious that he might get screwed: “It wasn’t really till we got to Montreal. I remember someone came to Bret and told him that they’d saw Shawn getting into an elevator with Vince in his hotel and that kinda got Bret a little worried. That was earlier in the day. The kids and I had gone shopping and when we got back, Bret said he had to go talk to our lawyer who was in town with us as well. The source, I can’t tell you who it is, but the source had said what happened, so bret went over to our lawyer to talk about it and that’s when Bret really started getting nervous.”

WWE making Vince into the Mr McMahon character: “I thought that was horrible but thats what Vince does right? Thats how he markets things. I felt sorry for Bret because he was such a good person to Vince and I felt like “jeez why did you have to go and do that?” But you look at everything now and how things have played out. It was all about the business, and it’s still all about the business. Those things, I guess, shouldn’t have been taken so personal.”

Her reaction to people who think Montreal was a work: “Firstly, no it wasn’t work. It was as raw as…..you’d have to be there to experience the emotions that Bret went through. I can honestly say on my childrens head, that none of that stuff was set up. It was as real as you would ever get. That camera was in the place in the right time. It was never set up, it’s sad that people would think that. I know, I was there, my kids were there, I saw what it did to Bret emotionally, for our marriage after that, we were never the same…..”

To hear Julie’s full chat where she talks about how Bret was in 1997, who she saw backstage at Montreal, why she talked to Hunter after the match, why Bret wore a wire and much more, listen below.

– TNA star Eric Young appeared on CNN’s “Starting Point” to promote his new show on Animal Planet, “Off The Hook: Extreme Catches,” which premiers on Monday, July 30th at 9pm (EST). Young did not mention TNA by name, but spoke about wrestling, extreme fishing and more. A few clips from Off The Hook were shown, including one of him shopping for pantie hose, which he stuffs with bait when hunting for sharks.

– Thursday’s TNA Impact Wrestling did 1,578,000 viewers, up from last week’s 1,316,000 viewers. Preliminary data shows that the show drew around a 1.1 cable rating. The final number will be released by Monday.

– TNA senior official Earl Hebner tweeted inappropriate message on Thursday night to a user he is following:

“I Will take ur blow j when u are ready 2 give it 2 me.”

The tweet was deleted immediately, however it was re-tweeted by several people on Twitter. The message was likely meant to be a direct message and not meant to be public.

* Find Out Which Former WWE Superstars Are Part Of ACES & EIGHTS

– Chavo Guerrero spoke out after being attacked by Gunner and Kid Kash on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling broadcast on Spike TV.

http://youtu.be/BEC3KojwTz0

– Impact Wrestling senior official Earl Hebner posted an inappropriate message on his Twitter account Thursday night—likely meant as a private message to a user he is following.

The message stated, “I Will take ur blow j when u are ready 2 give it 2 me.”

Though the post was hastily deleted, it was noted by multiple users on the website.

– Despite her departure from TNA Wrestling in April, Traci Brooks is still featured on the company website’s Knockouts page.