Earl Hebner is a legend among professional wrestling referees. He worked for WWE from 1988 until 2005, but now he works for All Elite Wrestling. In a recent appearance on the Wincly Podcast, Hebner didn’t mince words in talking about the difference between the two companies.
Asked to compare WWE and AEW, Earl had this to say:
It doesn’t feel like you’re in prison here. You’ve got more leeway and it’s more relaxing. It felt like you were a prisoner in WWE but not in AEW. This is just a more laid back company and at my age, this is great for me.
Hebner did look back at his time in WWE to pick out his highlights of his work there. The first one he mentioned was a 1988 Saturday Night Main Event in which he took a storyline bribe from Ted DiBiase to screw over Hulk Hogan. He also mentioned the Montreal Screwjob, which he says made a name for him despite the decades-long controversy around it.
The interviewer asked him for his take on a more recent controversial ref call — the finish of the Universal Championship Match between Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt at Hell in a Cell, but Hebner answered that question matter-of-factly:
I don’t watch their product.
Whatever your take on Earl Hebner and his opinions, it’s a good to see a veteran worker land somewhere where they’re happy.
