Throughout my time as a pro wrestling referee, I've seen Scott Steiner break character after a fan punched his opponent in the face, a baby powder-related near-suffocation, and wrestlers having to plan a way to toss Necro Butcher from a Battle Royale after he insisted that he couldn't be eliminated until Essa Rios entered the match. 

Still, none of these experiences compare to the time something went catastrophically wrong in the ring and I nearly witnessed a wrestler bleed out.

Invest In Thick-Soled Shoes and Gloves

In my late 20s, I began training to become a wrestler. Almost immediately, the everyday bumps and bruises took their toll on my body. As these injuries added up and my progress in the ring stagnated, I decided to ask about other opportunities with my trainers. They suggested I try refereeing.

My coaches taught me the basics, and I quickly hit the road. At the time, referees were a scarce commodity in the region, so it was pretty easy to pick up bookings and get on-the-job training, picking the brains of established referees.

After establishing myself a bit, I traveled with Orin Veidt to referee a show for ICW Milwaukee, including a deathmatch against Markus Crane. Other referees suggested I invest in thick-soled shoes and gloves for my safety, mentioning the light tubes often used in deathmatches have these little metal bulbs on their ends that can do serious damage.

Still, a few referees on the scene even insisted that cut-proof gloves had no place in deathmatch wrestling. Ironically, a later show saw a referee receive a pretty nasty gash on his wrist from a stray light tube shard.

I planned to constantly check on the wrestlers after major spots, crack any of the larger light tube shards in the ring, and slide any of those metal bulbs out of harm's way. Fortunately, everything went as planned for the first deathmatch I refereed.

I soon connected with Game Changer Wrestling and worked on their 400 Degreez event on January 12, 2019. A deathmatch between G-Raver and Orin Veidt went off without a hitch, but Nate Webb and Markus Crane had to abruptly end their bout after Nate took a DDT onto a razor blade board. I was just getting my feet wet in the scene and beginning to feel comfortable in these environments, but nothing could have prepared me for what I would soon witness in a GCW ring.

My Referee Dad

In 2019, GCW and Black Label Pro announced "2 Cups Stuffed" to take place the day before AEW's inaugural All Out event. 

I arrive at an indoor soccer complex just outside of Chicago early in the day to help with setup. I run into Bryce Remsburg, someone I consider my Referee Dad, who is also working the event.

Bryce has a long history with my home promotion, F1RST Wrestling. He was our de facto senior official for big events until he signed with AEW. He was always gracious enough to offer feedback — one of the most important things he taught me was to "learn as much as you can and have a good time doing it.”

There is some initial confusion upon discovering the GCW and BLP folks had booked their referees separately. Fortunately, there are enough matches to divvy up the assignments evenly.

Perhaps most importantly, we are all assigned to oversee a Doors, Ladders, and Chairs multi-man match. In these matches, referees are almost like lifeguards, standing around and looking official until something inevitably goes wrong.

The Weirdest Referee Skill

I gather with the other referees, and we make our way to the ring. We each post up near a corner of the ring for maximum coverage. Throughout the bout, we check in on wrestlers by squeezing their hand, waiting for them to squeeze back, and audibly checking on them after they're thrown into the crowd, sent flying through doors, and tossed through ladders.

Toward the end of the match, a ladder emerges with light tubes duct taped to the top cap — the flat part where the steps meet at the top of the ladder. Ominously, Bryce and I discuss how some of these spots were perhaps becoming too much. Coming from the guy who refereed the infamous Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher bloodbath 14 years earlier, this resonates with me. 

Photo credit: Triller.TV, GCW

As G-Raver is halfway up one ladder in the ring, Jimmy sets up the tube ladder next to him and ascends on the opposite side, both of them meeting at the top. Jimmy hooks Raver, who attempts to post his foot on the pail shelf, where painters keep their tray. 

It gives out beneath Raver's foot, preventing him from jumping upward for their planned brainbuster on the tubes. I hear an immediate crash and snap as he awkwardly twists, breaking the tubes with the side of his body and falling to the ring below. Time stands still.

I immediately notice blood pooling out of Raver onto the canvas, an intense crimson. 

The weirdest skill I've acquired in my time as a referee is the ability to discern between Normal Wrestling Blood and "oh no, someone is going to the hospital" deep red.

Raver hastily rolls out of the ring, clutching his arm. I look toward the entrance area and emphatically signal an "X" to indicate that an actual injury had occurred. Holding his arm together, he navigates his way between fans to the backstage area for Jimmy to drive him to the hospital.

Looking at the footage and with hindsight being 20/20, it is likely that the audience was well aware that something unplanned had occurred – several fans were also motioning to the back that something had gone wrong. Still, so much had happened throughout the match that the crowd may not have even had the time to process it.

We later learn the extent of Raver's injuries: after blacking out en route to the hospital, he was told that the light tube puncture had just missed an artery but caused nerve damage in his arm, permanently limiting the use of his fingers and hand.

Winding Down With Deathmatches

I still found myself refereeing deathmatches after this event, including GCW's fourth Nick Gage Invitational shortly thereafter. Timebomb Pro Wrestling also featured a lot of deathmatches and no-ring matches in this period.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be part of some legendary matches – I'm even in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Nick Gage's episode of Dark Side of the Ring. 

While I'm still comfortable with refereeing deathmatches, I've become very selective about the bookings I still take. Coming out of the pandemic, I began writing, streaming, and pursuing other ventures more frequently. The risk of a serious injury definitely made me a little skittish; I'm definitely content enjoying deathmatches as a viewer rather than as a referee at this point.

Editor's note: In 2022, X user Gabby Ghoul (@morbid_tails) described physically abusive behavior by G-Raver that occurred in 2020. If you believe that you or someone you know has experienced abuse, know that you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788.

Clark Feldman is a variety streamer, YouTube partner, video editor, occasional pro wrestling referee, and writer.