The Three Count

by Jimmy Korderas

  Another question I get asked frequently is, “How much do referees make and how difficult was it for a Canadian to work for an American company?” Let me tackle the money question first. I never liked revealing exactly how much I got paid, even to my fellow referees. Everyone’s contract was different. I was on the road over 200 days a year, travelling all over the world all on the WWE’s dime and getting paid for it. When I worked on both the ring crew and as a referee, all expenses were paid for by the company. Flights, rental cars, hotels, and a per diem were all perks when doing double duty. Of course we were the first to arrive at the arenas setting up and the last to leave taking everything down. This was the not so glamorous side of wrestling most fans didn’t see. People automatically assume that because we travelled all over the world, we got to sightsee everywhere we went. Although we did get to see some sights, most of the time we did not have the opportunity because we were so busy working. I always told friends that I could describe most airports, hotels, and arenas but not too many popular landmarks from the countries I visited.

  Getting home after long trips was challenging as well. When I got home, all I wanted to do was relax and catch up on some much-needed sleep. Unfortunately, that did not happen too often. Don’t get me wrong; for the most part my wife was fairly understanding of my needs. I understood her needs as well. Being home for two and a half days a week meant I had to cram a lot of husbandry into a short amount of time. While home, I wanted to spend as much time with my wife and family as I could, which meant I didn’t get to see my friends very much, if at all. If I was lucky enough to get a week off, my wife wanted to take a trip to somewhere. I on the other hand was not in the mood to travel anywhere and preferred to stay home and relax. Most of the time, I sucked it up and Audra and I took a little trip to somewhere. After it was all said and done, those little trips were a nice break from the usual day’s routine.

  Things changed when I was no longer a part of the crew and became what we called a “full-time” ref. This meant that I would no longer receive the perks that went along with being a part of the crew. If you only refereed, you had the same expenses that the talent had with regards to travel. Flights were paid for but rental cars, hotels, and meals were your own responsibility. That’s why the boys generally travel in small groups to split the costs of cars and hotels. I was very fortunate in that regard as I still travelled with Tony Chimel. Tony is an employee of the company and all his expenses are taken care of. Chimel, being the friend that he is, allowed me to ride in the car with him, I drove of course and he let my stay with him in his hotel room. Two beds of course. Sometimes, Charles Robinson or Larry Heck let me stay with them. This really helped me out as I didn’t have to spend money on these things. They were all a tremendous help to me and I will never forget their kindness and friendship.

  Being a Canadian working in the United States did present some challenges. When I first began working for WWF/E, it was under Jack Tunney. In essence, I worked for the WWF out of their Canadian office. I was paid by them, not the American office. This all changed when I began to work in the U.S. I needed a work permit to work there. The WWF/E took care of all the procedures in obtaining my work permit. They used their lawyers and took care of that end. They did all the leg work and all I had to do was pay the lawyer for his service. It was roughly $4,000.00 a year for my P-1, as it was called. It was a necessary expense if I wanted to continue my dream job.

  With Jack Tunney no longer in charge of the Canadian office, Carl DeMarco took over the reigns as president of the Canadian arm of the WWF/E. I knew Carl from his days before he was friends with Bret Hart. He was a wrestling fan. He was known to us as Bret’s driver because he took Bret everywhere he went. They were really good friends. Unlike Jack, Carl was never my boss. I didn’t work for him. By the time he took over, the Canadian office was more of a sales office working on developing television and licensing deals for the WWF/E in Canada. My connection to this office was merely that as a friend and colleague to those who worked there. I will give Carl credit as he worked very hard promoting the brand all across Canada and represented the company well. He was also responsible for Canadian talent getting their breaks in the WWF/E. Edge, Christian, and Test are just a few of the superstars who got their opportunity because of Carl. Carl no longer works for the WWE as they essentially run the entire operation from their home base of Stamford, Connecticut. Carl is a good guy and we still keep in touch.

  Having to cross the border from Canada into the United States and back every week was a bit of a pain in the butt. Having to arrive at the airport a minimum of an hour and a half before departure was a little annoying. It used to be the same routine every week. Get there early, line up to get my boarding pass, line up to clear U.S. customs, go through security, and then wait to board my flight.

  I never really had any trouble entering the United States. I suppose the customs agents began to recognize me from lining up every week. Once they found out who I worked for, they were more interested in what was going on in the world of WWE. I never minded filling them in on the weekly goings-on. They were friendly enough and I just chatted whenever they wanted the latest lowdown. What I found was I got hassled more when returning to Canada. It seemed to me that I was constantly questioned by Canadian customs about where I had travelled to, why I was there, and what goods I was returning with. I felt like coming home always included a game of 20 Questions. Oh well, just another minor inconvenience that I had to deal with.

  It took a few years but going through U.S. customs became a breeze. I purchased a NEXUS card. This card is issued to frequent travellers. To obtain one, any citizen of Canada or the U.S. who resides in either country and can pass criminal history and law enforcement checks may apply for a NEXUS card. NEXUS card holders are identified at land border crossings by presenting their cards for scanning and at airport kiosks by undergoing a retinal recognition scan, a process that takes about ten seconds. Needless to say, border crossing became very easy and I didn’t have to get to the airport as early anymore. Between being able to print boarding passes at home and not having to line up at customs anymore, the airport experience was relatively easy from that point forward.

  Before moving on with more stories, I would like to take this opportunity to mention and say thank you to all the other referees I have had the pleasure to work with during my WWE career. John Bonello, Jack Lotz, Gilberto Roman, Terry Yorkston, Dave, Earl, and Brian Hebner, Danny Davis, Danny Marsh, Mike Clarke, Goose Mahoney, Mike Posey, Marty Elias, Tim White, Jack Doan, Chad Patton, Teddy Long, Bill Alfonso, Mike Sparks, Mike Chioda, Chris Kay, Nick Patrick, Charles Robinson, Scott Armstrong, Mickie Henson. If I missed anyone, I do apologize as over a 20-year period, it is quite possible I may have. I really do want to thank you all.

  One of my referee brothers I purposely left out was the late Joey Marella. Joey was the adopted son of WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon, whose real name was Robert Marella. Joey began his career on the ring crew based out of New Jersey. His longtime friend Tony Chimel joined him on the crew and a few years later they were joined by Mike Chioda. Joey performed double duty as part of the ring crew and the referee team. He quickly made his way to the top, becoming one of the promotion’s premier officials, refereeing many main event matches, his biggest possibly being the famed WrestleMania III encounter between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, which drew over 93,000 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome.

  On July 4, 1994, Joey was driving home to New Jersey after an event in Ocean City, Maryland. Bruno Lauer, better known to wrestling fans as Harvey Wippleman, was riding with him. At some point, Joey fell asleep at the wheel. The car veered off the road and crashed. Bruno was wearing his seatbelt, which in all likelihood saved his life. Joey was not and was killed in the accident. It was a terrible blow to his friends, but it was an even heavier blow to his family. His father was devastated and in my opinion was never the same. Gorilla passed away five years later at the age of 62. Som
e say he never quite got over the loss of his son Joey.

  This was the first time that I had to deal with the death of a friend and colleague. None of us knew how to deal with the loss. These were uncharted waters for us on the crew. It could have happened to any one of us as we have all made similar long drives after an event. This changed our approach to night travel. We were told that if we were tired, not to continue driving. If your travelling partner was up to driving then fine; otherwise we were instructed to stop at the nearest hotel or motel and get some rest before carrying on.

  As with any loss of a friend, it took some time to get over it. As terrible as we all felt, we also learned a harsh lesson about life in the world of sports and entertainment: the show must go on. Yes, we mourn our friends but we must also move forward. It is not meant to disrespect their memory but rather to honour their contributions to our industry. Some may not understand that sentiment but that is the nature of the business. This is how we pay homage to our fallen colleagues.

  As a tribute to his best friend, Tony Chimel named one of his children after Joey, as did Joey’s sister Valerie. We all remember him in different ways. I choose to remember Joey as the friend who helped pave the way for us referees who were also on the ring crew. He was one of the most recognizable referees of that era. I always found it funny that sometimes as I would make my way to the ring to referee a match, the fans would call me Joey. Dick Ebersol from NBC Sports labelled Joey and me the “Bookends” because he said we looked alike. I guess we did as the fans seemed to agree with Mr. Ebersol. I got a kick out of it but I think Joey wasn’t too impressed.

  I wish I were able to thank Joey for helping me along the way, at least for the early part of my journey.

  Chapter 17

  The Celebs

  One of the perks of travelling and being a part of World Wrestling Entertainment is the celebrities you get to meet. Many people would be astounded at the long list of famous people outside of the wrestling business who enjoy and attend the WWE events. I’m talking celebs from sports, TV, the big screen, the music world — even politicians are frequent attendees to live events. The list is a veritable who’s who in the world of pop culture. Some I didn’t get to interact with very much, while others I had the pleasure of getting to meet and talk to.

  I met the “Baddest Man on the Planet” the day after the 1998 Royal Rumble. Monday Night Raw aired live from Fresno, California. There was a definite buzz all day long around the venue as everyone waited for the arrival of Mike Tyson. When Tyson entered the arena, he looked like a kid in a candy store. Not only were the WWE superstars anxious to meet the heavyweight boxer, Mike Tyson himself was ecstatic to meet the “boys.” He seemed genuinely happy to meet and say hello to everyone, including a young, balding referee from Canada.

  The day seemed to go by very quickly; we were about to go live when I happened to bump into Tyson again. I was talking to Headbanger Chaz in a narrow hallway when Iron Mike walked over trying to squeeze by. He excused himself. As we made room for him, he passed by and thanked us. That wasn’t good enough for one half of the Headbangers. Chaz has an odd sense of humour and is not afraid to say pretty much anything to anyone. As Tyson walked away, Chaz cavalierly said, “No problem, Mike. I didn’t want to lose part of my ear.” Thank goodness, Tyson just kept on walking and didn’t acknowledge the comment. I was not entirely sure he heard it anyway.

  I was shocked, chagrined, and stupefied. What the heck did he just say to Mike Tyson? I asked Chaz what was up with the “ear” comment. He looked at me with this surprised expression of innocence on his face and said, “What? He has done it before ya know.” I have to admit it was funny but still, what if Tyson got really upset? Who knows what he would have and could have done? Chaz I’m quite sure can handle himself. I, on the other hand, might have had just a bit of trouble with Iron Mike. However, the first thing I remembered was that Tyson was a world-class boxer, not a sprinter. I was ready to test that theory if the moment called for a quick exit. I was fairly fast in those days.

  Back to the main reason Tyson appeared on WWF television: his eventual confrontation with “The Rattlesnake” Stone Cold Steve Austin. Their interaction in the ring that night was off the hook awesome. When Austin flipped Tyson the double bird and Tyson retaliated by shoving Stone Cold, it was on like Donkey Kong. All hell broke loose. As we all tried to restore order, the crowd in the arena was going absolutely crazy. Everyone in the building was on their feet. Right then and there, I knew this was one of those special moments that do not occur very often and I was a part of it. A small part, but a part nonetheless. This was likely the incident, along with Survivor Series 1997, that catapulted the WWF past the WCW in the ratings war, where they remained until WCW closed their doors a few short years later. It was undeniably one of the defining moments in sports entertainment history and I was there.

  Another celebrity I had the good fortune of meeting and interacting with was Drew Carey. One question that everyone constantly asks me is, “Did you keep any of the money you scooped up that Kane slapped out of Drew Carey’s hand?” Before I finally tell you all the truth about this, let me paint the picture from my vantage point. Truth be told, even my Aftermath Radio co-host Arda Ocal hasn’t heard the real story about this night, so this will be news to him as well. (I’ll explain the Aftermath Radio gig later.)

  As a referee in the Royal Rumble match, you have to be prepared for anything that can and might happen. We all knew that comedian Drew Carey was to be a participant in the match, but I was not fully aware of how involved he would be. As the clocked clicked down to zero while Matt and Jeff Hardy fought to eliminate each other, who should appear in the number five position but Drew Carey.

  The Cleveland, Ohio, native was in no hurry to enter the ring. The Hardys managed to eliminate one another simultaneously, leaving Carey as the only entrant standing in the ring. As the time counted down to the number six entrant, Drew anxiously awaited the next superstar to enter. The look of utter fear in his eyes told the story as flames and pyro lit up the New Orleans arena and Kane walked confidently to the ring. Once inside, Kane raised his arms above his head and quickly brought them down and more flames shot out from all four ring posts. A terrified Carey extended his hand in an attempt to shake hands with Kane, but the Big Red Monster just stared a hole through Drew. Carey then reached into his pocket and pulled out several $100 bills. Kane slapped the money out of his hand, wrapped his extra large hand around Drew’s throat, and was about to choke slam the future Price Is Right host.

  This is where I leaped into action. Seeing all that money just lying there in the ring, and with all those photographers hovering around ringside, I decided that the only smart thing would be to scoop up all the cash. Raven, who was the next entrant in the Rumble, stormed into the ring, hitting Kane with a Kendo Stick and making him release Carey who, in the blink of an eye, jumped over the top rope, thus eliminating himself from the Rumble.

  Here’s where I’ve had fun with the story over the years. I have told people that I gave it back when the match was over. I’ve told others that I may have kept some of the cash before returning the rest of it. The actual truth is, and this is the very first time I am telling this, is that I was so concerned about what “the office” might think that I gave the money right back to Drew Carey as soon as he eliminated himself from the Royal Rumble. I didn’t hold onto it, I didn’t keep any of it, I just figured the sooner I gave it back, the less chance of me being blamed if it were to disappear. I could always put the blame on the millionaire comedian. In hindsight, I’m not so sure who they would have believed had the money gone missing. It would’ve been one hell of a trial. Drew Carey took the cash back, and it was out of my hands from there. I remember getting to the back after the match and Gerald Brisco asking me what I did with the cash I scooped up. I told him I gave it all back to Carey, and he nodded as if to say that was the right thing to do. That was the last I heard about the mon
ey.

  Well, there it is. It only took 11 years for the truth to rear its head. I just couldn’t live this lie any longer. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Well, maybe not, but it was fun letting fans think I might have copped a few dollars that night. For one night, people thought I was the bad guy. Probably not, but a guy can hope.

  When celebrities attend a WWF/E event, they usually get an opportunity to visit backstage and mingle with the superstars. It’s incredible to see how genuinely excited the celebs get when they meet the wrestlers and vice versa. I have to confess that with certain notables who came to our shows, I went out of my way to try to meet them. There was one time at WrestleMania 2000 where I was accosted by a celebrity who was sitting in the front row.

  One of the matches on the show was the Hardcore Battle Royal for the hardcore championship. It was not your traditional Battle Royal. This iteration of the match included some unusual rules. As far as I knew, it was a first. The rules were as follows: the match would go on for 15 minutes. The championship could exchange hands an unlimited number of times during the time limit. The final wrestler in possession of the hardcore championship, when the bell rang to end the match, won and would be declared the hardcore champion. I was one of the referees assigned to the match; Tim White was the other official working the match. I had a great deal of respect for Tim and I was glad we were working together for this match.