Referee (professional Wrestling)

Referee (professional Wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's kayfabe purpose is similar to that of referees in other sports, that is, as an enforcer of the rules and the person charged with rendering decisions. In reality, however, the referee is aware of the given match's pre-determined outcome, and is responsible for controlling the flow of the match and for relaying information or instructions from backstage officials to the wrestlers in addition to rendering the pre-determined outcome. Like wrestlers, referees are also responsible for maintaining kayfabe, and must render decisions in accordance with the promotion's kayfabe rules.