FWA Referee Database

[Tommy Bedlam]

Much like the Jobber Database, this original post will get edited, along with the thread, at some point. For now, this thread will also not be open to new submissions for referees, but that's not to say it's not something that won't be revisited later.

As had been done with jobbers, we used to have a Create-a-Ref thread (RIP WC) which got archived in the move. Since it was lumped in with the jobbers in the archive, I figured that I would highlight some of the creative officials who have been created over the years. It can also be a useful tool for those who are writing matches who just want to add another layer of detail to their match writeups. As of this post, we do have an official list of FWA refs, which is as follows:

Official List of FWA Referees:
Referee Richard Davis
Referee DJ Franchise
Referee Joey Ortiz
Referee Matthew Dean
Referee Gracelynn Guerrero
Referee Larry Stevens
Referee Tommy Palmer
Referee Giovanni Bianco​

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Richard Davis

Career Background:
Davis is a career referee. He's officiated wrestling and MMA matchups all across North American, and has even done a stint officiating in Japan. He started officiating at the age of 29, and has since become a veteran inside the ring. Before becoming a referee, Davis was an American Football player. He played running back at TCU for two years before blowing out his knee. Davis is proud of his accomplishments, and looking forward to new horizons in the FWA.

Personality:
Davis has a strong willed personality inside the ring and outside of it. He grew up on the streets of Brooklyn, and learned at a young age not to get pushed around. He won't be intimidated by anyone.

Officiating Style:
Davis is a by the book official. He calls it how he sees it, and won't let any bias impact his ability to call the match effectively. He has pride in how he officiates, and would be upset with himself if he were to commit an error or miss an important call in a match.

Base Pic:

(Herb Dean)

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
DJ Franchise

Career Background:
A former referee of an Indy company PSW

Personality:
Younger Brother of former CWA superstar CJ Franchise. Very out thrill-seeking and can be a little disrespectful.

Officiating Style:
Mostly by the books, but if it's a high-paced match or a blood feud, he will be lax with count outs or DQs. He counts slow.


Base Pic

Matt Jackson

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Joey Ortiz

Career Background:
In FWA he is a former FWA World Television Champion. Formerly one half of The Cuban Connection with Juan Lopez. Managed
Chris Kennedy in 2010-2011 as his bodyguard. Managed Dinorah Redgrave in 2011. Most notably feuded with Alexx

Personality:
A likeable meathead who loves tanning and going to the gym.

Officiating Style:
By the book and honorable. A fair ref who is always impartial.

Base Pic:

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Giovanni Blanco

Career Background: A ten year veteran, former head referee of numerous Mexican promotions he is also the regular referee for the annual 205 lbs or under King of Juarez tournament. Expected to be the lead official at the Warehouse Trios Carnival.

Personality:
A respectful man of good morale standing. Little to no bones in Blanco’s closet. Quietly patriotic.

Officiating Style:
Considered a fantastic referee with great ring control but there have been some doubts expressed over his ability in a standard tag team environment. There have been reports from house show that he often “missed” tags and let the action continue with an illegal man. Of course, in
Mexico, a physical tag does not have to be made to switch between competitors.

Pic Base

Ricardo Rodrigues

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
“Big and Mean” Matthew Dean

Career Background:
A former golden gloves boxer and bouncer. A career in wrestling seems to go almost without saying; he spent a decade working the independent scene in his native Canada, either chokeslamming his opponent through the mat or punching the nose out their face with one of his knock out blows until heart issues put pay to his wrestling aspirations, unwilling to leave the sport he loves he took the unusual route of becoming a ref quickly being picked up by FWA. In his spare time owns his own tattoo parlor and has quite a successful podcast on tattoos.

Personality:
A hard man through and through, as you can imagine from someone that has the words “FUCK” and “YOU” tattooed on his knuckles, he doesn’t take shit lying down. Sure, at his core, he’s a nice guy. Great to get a beer with and shoot the shit, a great pool player by all accounts. but if you step up to him, he has no problem taking it outside

Officiating Style:
Weedy refs, that take a small hit that and lay down on the canvas for twenty minutes? Fuck that noise. As you might expect from someone that stands 6’8, Matthew Dean takes shit from no one. At the same time, he isn’t what you call a stickler for the rules and happy to give wrestlers a bit of leeway. He won’t take short cuts lying down. If he says, let go of a hold, and you don’t? He will physically drag you off. If you complain that his count is slow or if you lay your hands on him? He’d be more than happy to smash you in the face with one of his lethal left hands. Your buddy is losing and you wanna run in and help him out? Boot to the face. He’s typical used in special stipulations or matches with a lot of bad blood. Where the danger to refs is at a high and well..who better to be in charge of incredibly violent, physically dominating fighters than someone who someone JUST as capable?

Base Pic:

Baron Corbin

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Gracelynn Guerrero

Career Background:
Formerly a soccer referee at both the high school and collegiate level, Guerrero began officiating wrestling matches at some more lower and
independent venues over the past year. She's now making waves as the first FWA female referee, and is looking forward to continuing to break barriers within the world for women everywhere.

Personality:
During wrestling with all female competitors, which Gracelynn is used to, she will not be intimated. However in a match with males, she may be a bit more timid to stand up for herself or make certain calls when starting out. Maybe after some experience in the ring she will get better at this.

Officiating Style:
Grace isn't the perfect referee, but she tries her best and hopes to be as impartial as possible. She is human though after all. Some wrestlers in the past indy promotions she's refereed for have complained that her count is too slow, but some people feel like they are just discriminating against her because of her gender.

Base:

(Christian Serratos)

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Larry Stevens

Career Background: The son of former CWA senior referee, Billy Stevens. Larry has chosen to follow in the footsteps of his father and has become a referee. He’s learned everything that he needs to know about being referee from his Dad, and he’s reffed some independent shows before getting hired by the FWA.

Personality:
He’s a bit of a carefree, laid back kind of guy. Kind of a goofball that gets along with everyone.

Officiating Style:
He may laid back but he isn’t a pushover when it comes to officiating and he’ll call it right down the middle. He isn’t afraid and he
won’t back down from any heel wrestler that may berate him. He takes the job seriously and he wants to make his father proud.



Base Pic:

Bryce Remsburg

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Thomas (Tommy) Palmer

Career Background:
Licensed with numerous state athletic commissions throughout the United States, Tommy previously worked as referee for every major boxing and MMA promotion. Tommy transitioned to professional wrestling with the advent of professional wrestling company HONOR Wrestling.

Personality:
Tommy is a gentlemen who enjoys a good drink and a nice women from time to time. He is very laid back when not officiating but becomes a strict authoritarian once the bell rings.

Officiating Style:
Tommy is a walking combat sports encyclopedia. He knows and follows the rules exactly as they were written. Tommy respects and looks out for thevsafety of the combatants in the ring, but has been known to be lenient with the rules during championship matches to ensure that there is a definitivevwinner (slower outside count, leniency on rope breaks, etc.)

Base Pic:

Pic Base: Stanley Tucci

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Name:
"Cajun" Carl Boucher

Career Highlights:
He once saved a dog from alligator attack diving into the water and not even losing his lit cigar. He is also good friends with Florida Man.

Personality:
He has a very thick cajun accent hard to understand and never is seen without smoking his cigar even during the match.
Officiation Style: He is pretty take no shit during actually matches but outside of it hes fun loving goofy with a dry sense of humor during the Florida Man Tactics.

Pic Base:

Ed Orgeron

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Richard Ryder (Although some people who aren't a big fan of his refer to him as Dick Ryder instead)

Career Background:
He spent years refereeing with some other major wrestling federations. However, some of his in-ring antics and an alleged bribery
scandal forced him out. Over the last few years, he has gone back to refereeing for various independent federations. He was given a
second chance at big-time officiating by FWA, and is determined to clear his once good name.

Personality:
Since he's working so hard to reestablish himself as a professional wrestling referee, he does have a tendency to take himself a bit too
seriously. He's very intense, which tends to rub some wrestlers the wrong way. He's been known to get in the face of wrestlers who he feels are crossing the line or don't respect him as much as he believes they should.

Officiating Style:
By the Book...Perhaps a little too much

Base Pic:

Nick Patrick

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Ref Name:
Harold Wright

Career Background:
Lifelong Wrestling fan ended up married young to a woman who then took over his life and got onto FWA Ground Zero as a wrestler
(possibly) and now his wife is forcing him to get his ref license though apparently it is not official in certain places he got it online.

Personality:
He doesn't swear he is very timid and mild mannered even weak can be bullied especially by his wife.

Pic Base:

Adam Driver

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Name:
Jonathan Monroe

Career Background:
Jonathan Monroe was a former wrestling producer who was tired of just being behind the TV he decided to start to train to be a wrestler however after a series of unfortunate injuries broken foot & nerve damage to his right knee that ended not trying to leave wrestling behind Jonathan Monroe decided to turn to managing for a little know for his stack of money he throw at people or hit them with when he was a heel has retired from managing and now moving to be a ref on either fallout, meltdown or even NGW. He is cocky and handsome in nature tho he knows it and
may or may not have taken a bribe from a world title match.

Personality & Offcial Style:
Extremely loud while talking and knows the rules will allow some things to go in favor over one side then another can take bumps to from attacks what not.

Pic Base:

Shane McMahon

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Name:
"Incrediblely Vain" Billy Zayn

Career Background:
A former life long indy wrestler that never really got past the midcard has decided to retire from in ring career months back. he
has now been refereeing for the past few months throughout the indies and has gotten the buzz going for sometimes allowing himself to be distracted by compliments about his looks and such thus missing certain tactics. (Think someone can say they love his hair and do a low blow he won't see shit like that.)

Style:
As seen as above can be distracted. He does try and keep it down the middle though.

Pic Base:

Billy Gunn

 

[Tommy Bedlam]

Referee Name:
Thedore Strickland

Career Background:
When it comes to calling it down the middle, Thedore Strickland is a master. Starting his career as a referee in the late 1980s,
Strickland has seen it all. He began work at the age of 16 in Pro Underground Grappling, a big-time promotion in his home country of
England. Since then, he's made a wealth of contacts throughout the sport, officiating main event level bouts in Japan, Europe, Mexico,
and all over North America. He even tried his hand at becoming a wrestler, but quickly found out he had trouble following the rules he
usually enforced. Throughout his years, he's become a journeymen who's adopted an aggresive style to his craft. His beginnings in the
UK taught him how to grapple a competitor out of an illegal hold, his time in the US taught him how to aggresively shout directions to
those who are ignorant to his rules, and Japan taught him how to count, fast. Be on your best behavior around Thedore. And if you're a Mexican referee who counts slow, God bless your soul.

Personality:
Thedore is anger personified. He has no time for entertainers, just wrestlers. Show-boating and taunting isn't tolerated, and he'll be
damned if you even think of trying to cheat behind his back. He's a veteran of the game, and only the craftiest of villians can out-play him. When you're caught, his loud, booming voice is enough to send the fear of God into you!

Officiating Style:
By the book.

Base Pic:

Gordon Ramsay