Former WWE referee Marty Elias reveals how referees are chosen for matches (Exclusive)
Former WWE referee Marty Elias recently disclosed the different ways in which referees were selected to officiate matches. These methods often depend on factors like certain wrestlers putting in special requests and the location of the show.
Speaking with Dr. Chris Featherstone on Sportskeeda Wrestling's UnSKripted, Marty Elias recalled that when he first arrived at WWE, senior officials like Mike Chioda and Nick Patrick specifically assigned referees for matches. He added that referees always got to officiate the main event in their hometown.
"When I first got there [the selection] was done by the senior officials and at the time there was a couple. We had Mike Chioda and we had Nick Patrick. Mike Chioda was the RAW referee and Nick Patrick was the SmackDown referee. When ECW was there, it was Scott Armstrong. They would be the ones who would make all the assignments and stuff and give you either a dark match or give you the main event. If you were in your home town, you always got the main event. That was always something that was cool . . . prior to me leaving, I know that [the selection for referees] was done by John Laurinaitis who actually took that and made assignments," said Marty Elias.
You can check out Marty Elias' thoughts on a wide range of topics, from his time in WWE to his interactions with Vince McMahon, in the video below.
Marty Elias on WWE Superstars putting in requests to have certain referees officiate their matches
While Elias revealed that either the higher-ups or the senior officials in WWE assigned referees to matches, exceptions could be made if wrestlers requested for a specific referee.
He stated that more often than not, stars like Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels would ask Mike Chioda, Nick Patrick, or John Laurinaitis to have a particular referee for their match. Such was also the case for WWE WrestleMania 25 when Michaels asked for Marty Elias to officiate his match against The Undertaker.
While Elias was the third most important person in the ring during the match, his presence was invaluable as he had to keep up with the momentum of the two legends. The match went down to be one of the greatest of all time.
This week on UnSKripted, former #WWE and @LuchaElRey referee @Marty67Elias recalled the good old days of UPW! 🙌
📺 youtu.be/EQkYAYmk1qs @chrisprolific @RealMelina @SamoaJoe @mikethemiz @facdaniels https://t.co/wrnPGBxcZ7
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