Earl Hebner on a possible WWE Hall of Fame Induction, 20 years after "The Screwjob", his current status with Bret Hart, the evil-twin referee storyline
Today's Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling features an interview with the former Senior Official for WWE and now the lead referee for IMPACT Wrestling as the great Earl Hebner joins episode #268.
Discussing first the HUGE Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling meet and greet event at Hurley's Tavern on 5/20/17, it doesn't take long for "Baby Earl" to tackle some long lasting memories of Mid Atlantic Wrestling, The Montreal Screwjob, The Hogan/Andre Main Event on NBC and why he feels he will never make it into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Thanks to Classic pro wrestling for sponsoring Earl’s appearance. The full episode is available at this link.
Did he think after that night in Montreal, the wrestling business would still be talking about the Screwjob 20 years later:
"Not at all. Not at all. But it is just one of those things that it is like Hogan and Andre it was shocking to the world and believe me the people in Canada still hate me. I have talked to Bret and we are great friends and we've had a couple personal appearances together and hugged me and he hugged my brother (Dave) and we all know the deal. I really don't want to go into all that because we all know the deal."
Doing the "You Damn Right I Did" act at shows and who did "screw Bret":
"Whenever I'm around Bret I don't bring them and truthfully Vince screwed Bret. Earl didn't screw Bret, Vince screwed Bret. Earl did what he had to do. It was his (Vince's) command and that is what happened but I think most Americans understand but I don't think any Canadians will ever forgive me but I hope that they do.
“If you look at my track record, I've been put in a lot of tough spots in my career. Where other referees would not volunteer, Vince knew what I would do and whatever his demands were is what I did. So you can't put the blame on me, you've got to put it on him."
Will he ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and being inducted into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame:
"It an honour and since I'll probably never go into the WWE Hall of Fame because we still have problems down the road and it doesn't really matter to me whether I do or I don't, anybody that knows me will know who I am. If Vince doesn't ever want to induct me into it that is fine.
“I really think I should be but the problems that we still have, it is what it is. If I never get in there that is fine and it is no problem to me but people know who I am and I'll let it be my legend of being a Hebner and I'll just base it on that."
Being the "evil twin" referee in Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant's Main Event title match his first night in the WWE:
"I was nervous. They invented this whole program over about I'd say a good three weeks in Connecticut. But it was great for me that I was the evil twin (and I'm still evil) and if you look at my past record you can tell I'm evil (laughing), I'm actually not I am a nice guy but it worked great for me that they put me on the goal line of working for somebody and I'm not knocking the NWA but to make a life in this business and to make money.
“It was so quiet or if you want to say it was kayfabed so long and nobody knew anything until it happened. It was so great. It is the way the business should be but today it isn't like it was when I first started. What a great opportunity for me and it made me who I am today and is one of the main angles that made me who I am today."
The injury sustained after Hulk Hogan launched Earl over his intended target of Ted Dibiase, Virgil and Andre:
"When he started running and I was in his arms, I was saying to myself that is not the plan. He was supposed to walk to the ropes and throw me in their arms. When he shot me I missed everybody including Andre and when I hit the floor I destroyed my rotator cuff in my right arm."
"When I hit that floor it just exploded my whole right arm and rotator cuff and I was out for about eight weeks or nine weeks getting it repaired. When I got to the back I was thinking that this is sure a good way to get into the front door because when I hit that concrete floor and it exploded, brother it was horrible."