10 Things WWE Fans Should Know About The Referee

Tim White is one of the most well-known and beloved referees in WWE history. The late official was a notable name in the business both during his refereeing career and in his various roles behind the scenes too over the years.

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Whether it be his integral part in the careers of certain WWE legends, officiating some of the most famous matches in professional wrestling history, or his interesting post-refereeing career, there is a whole load of things to know about the WWE Hall of Famer. White’s prominence lessened over time, so many newer fans in particular won’t know a whole lot about him, but there are some things fans should still know.

10 Refereed The Iconic Mankind Vs. Undertaker Hell In A Cell Match

There are certain professional wrestling matches that are must-watch and defining, and the Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind at King of the Ring 1998 is one of those which is truly iconic.

Tim White was the man who had the task of officiating this one, and he actually played quite a big role. It was he who tried to put a stop to things after Mankind was thrown off the top of the Cell, only for Mankind to fight his way back to the ring to continue the match. Mankind managed to legitimately convince White to not call for the bell.

9 Andre The Giant’s Agent

Before pulling on the white and black striped shirt of a WWE referee, Tim White did work behind the scenes in the professional wrestling world. He worked alongside Andre The Giant as the agent of the Eighth Wonder of the World.

White was with the legendary Andre all the way up until his passing in 1993, and was behind working as a referee part-time during this stretch. He developed into a full-time referee following Andre’s death.

8 Helped Out Shawn Michaels

Andre the Giant wasn’t the only person who benefitted from the services of Tim White, as he reportedly had a similar role alongside multi-time world champion a legend of the business Shawn Michaels It certainly wasn’t a bad client list that White had, even with just these two names.

It was Bret “The Hitman” Hart who revealed this in his Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling book, stating that following 1995 White began working alongside the Heartbreak Kid.

7 Career-Ending Injury

Tim White was involved in more than one iconic Hell in a Cell match, as he also officiated the match between Triple H and Chris Jericho at Judgment Day 2002. Unfortunately though, despite the success of this bout for the competitors, it was not a good night for White.

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The injury took place when Chris Jericho threw White into the Cell. This bump would allow the door of the Cell to be opened, leading to Triple H and Jericho ascending to the roof of the cage. Unfortunately, White injured his shoulder in this spot and it brought an end to his career as a full-time WWE referee.

6 Unfortunate WrestleMania Return

Tim White’s refereeing career might have stopped at Judgment Day 2002, but there was a sign of hope when he made his return to the ring to referee a match between Chris Jericho and Christian during their 2004 feud, with them wrestling at WrestleMania 20.

During the match though, White would re-aggravate the injury to his shoulder, once again ruling him out of the ring, this time ending his career for good.

5 Lunchtime Suicide Series

Tim White’s post-refereeing career was a bizarre one, especially with his bizarre character direction at the back end of 2005. He re-emerged at the Armageddon PPV as a suicidal alcoholic depressive in a bar. During an interview with Josh Matthews, White pulled a gun out with the implication of killing himself.

This sparked a series on WWE.com called the Lunchtime Suicide Series which was a series of skits in which White tried and failed to end things, all with Matthews being oblivious to what was doing on. It was a surreal series and one which led to absolutely nothing when all was said and done.

4 Controversy Over His Character Direction

The Lunchtime Sucidie Series was one of the more memorable things that White did during his final few years in WWE, but it must be noted that it was a controversial series and direction from WWE.

The first segment aired shortly after the passing of the legendary Eddie Guerrero, and the timing of this angle surrounded by death caught some flack.

3 Had Several Roles In WWE

Tim White was under the WWE banner for over two decades, and during his time with the company he had a variety of roles outside of being an agent and referee, as previously mentioned.

In the time after his refereeing career ended, White was a security guard for superstars during signings.

2 Friendly Tap

Tim White’s Lunchtime Suicide Series took place in the Friendly Tap, which is a bar used all throughout WWE, especially in the Attitude Era. It was used by the likes of APA, The Dudley Boyz, Steve Austin, and more over the years on-screen.

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THe Cumberland was at one point owned by Tim White, and following his passing a picture of him was hung , and per 1420 WBSM, the letters of his name were there too “in an understated fashion – exactly the way the humble White would have wanted it.”

1 First Hall Of Fame Referee

In 2023, Tim White was post-humously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, being given the Warrior Award which made him the first referee to ever become a Hall of Fame inductee. In a tribute from abc6, White’s family issued out a tribute following this induction. His nephew was among those to offer out kind words;

“There’s nothing more impactful for us as a family I think, than for the WWE to bring him into the Hall of Fame which is, you know, the first referee ever, it’s amazing.”