The Three Count

by Jimmy Korderas

  Whenever I am asked what my favourite WrestleMania memory was or what match was the most significant in my career, the answer to both is the same: WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando. The main event was the world heavyweight title match, where the champion Edge faced the Phenom, the Undertaker. This moment might never have happened if it wasn’t for Edge.

  Originally, I was pencilled in to referee the Money in the Bank ladder match for the third WrestleMania in a row. I was told by management that because I had been in so many matches of that type, my experience was needed. I was flattered, but I wanted a bigger challenge. WrestleMania is the WWE’s biggest event of the year. It is the culmination of many months’ worth of storytelling and the resolution to most rivalries. Every wrestler’s goal is to appear and one day headline the showcase of the immortals. This is also the goal of all the WWE referees. I would be shocked if it wasn’t. I know it was my desire to be in the ring officiating the final match at a WrestleMania. Don’t get me wrong here, just being on the WrestleMania card is a huge honour, but it doesn’t get any better than working the main event.

  The week before WrestleMania XXIV at the final TV tapings before the big event, I was sitting in the locker room preparing to get changed into my ref gear. Seemingly out of nowhere, Edge tapped me on the shoulder. He quietly said that he was going to request me as the referee for his match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania. I couldn’t believe it. He said it wasn’t a slight against any of the other refs. I had been the ref for many of his biggest matches and he felt I should be in there for this one as well. Wow! What an honour! I was stunned, shocked, and numb. You name it, that’s what I was. At the same time I felt some pressure as well.

  I thanked Edge and he left the room. Still a little shocked, I went to get a coffee and ran into the Undertaker in the hall. He asked me if Edge had spoken to me yet. I told him he had and he then asked if I was okay with that. I replied that I certainly was and that I would do my very best not to disappoint either of them. Taker then said, “You won’t. That’s why we are requesting you.”

  Did I mention what an honour it was to be requested for the match by the superstars in the match? As elated as I was, it was a subdued elation. This was the main event, the final match of the night. I was putting extra pressure on myself, but this was the biggest match of my career. It doesn’t get bigger than being the referee for these two legends.

  The night before WrestleMania, I had trouble getting to sleep. I was wired and couldn’t relax. I decided to go for a walk outside the hotel at about two a.m. It was peaceful as I sat on a bench going over the match in my head. The thing that worried me the most was the Big Boot I was taking from Taker. I wasn’t concerned about the kick itself; I was more worried about it looking as good as it possibly could. I didn’t want it to look telegraphed or weak. After much thought, I realized that the more I thought about it the more I might mess it up. I said to myself, Just do what you do best and stop over-thinking.

  It was show day. I was nervous as hell, but it was a good type of nervous. We went over the match one more time; they were ready and so was I. Walking down to the ring and looking out into the crowd gave me goosebumps. When the Undertaker’s music hit, a chill went through my body. Not to worry, because the flames shooting up from the stage warmed me up very quickly. I was amazed how much I could feel the heat from so far away. As Taker walked to the ring, the only thing I could think was how breathtaking his entrance is. Then Edge made his grand entrance into the stadium, strutted down the ramp, and called for his signature pyro.

  Standing in the middle of the ring between them holding up the world title, I felt this was the crowning achievement in my career and if it were to end the next day, I would be fine with that. The match itself was a clinic in psychology and storytelling. These two greats were having a mat classic as the drama built to the point where the entire stadium was standing. Then my big moment came with the Big Boot to the face. I don’t think I gave it away beforehand, but I’ll let those who saw it be the judge. I didn’t see the boot coming at all. I didn’t want to look at it in case I flinched at the last second and make it look weak. I felt the contact but it didn’t really hurt. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing. With the boot to the noggin, I was done for the rest of the match. Charles Robinson made the very long run to the ring to finish the match. Me, I was lying outside the ring selling.

  After being helped to the backstage area by two of the WWE’s athletic trainers, Larry Heck and Jason Crivello, I tried desperately to tone down my excitement. Not quite sure how that worked out because I was pumped. The first person I ran into backstage was Matt Striker. Matt gave me a thumbs up, which made me feel good. I was still a bit worried that Taker or Edge might not have been pleased with my performance. Hopefully they didn’t notice me except for those times when I was relaying time cues and setting myself up for that Big Boot.

  While waiting for those two to return from the ring, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat came up to me, shook my hand, and said, “Great job, Jimmy. The boot looked like it took your head off.”

  My reply was, “Awesome! How did the rest of the match look?” I wasn’t content with having only the boot look good; the rest had to look good as well.

  Ricky looked me in the eyes and said, “To tell you the truth, I really didn’t notice you during the match. I was so focused on the story Taker and Edge were telling that I didn’t notice you. Sorry, Jimmy.”

  That was music to my ears. “Thanks, Ricky,” I shot back. “If you didn’t notice me, then I was doing my job properly. I really appreciate the feedback.” Now, I just needed to check with the guys in the match to make sure they were happy with everything.

  Both men were very tired to say the least after 30 gruelling minutes of excitement and drama. I waited for Edge and Taker to congratulate one another on their masterful exhibition as well as for them to catch their breath. Edge was the first one I approached and thanked for the match. He grabbed me, gave me a big hug, and said, “Thank you, buddy. I’m glad you were a part of it.”

  I was elated to be a part of the match and Edge knew how much it meant to me. I had been a part of other moments in Edge’s career, but this one topped them all, in my opinion. I was starting to get emotional but was able to keep my composure; that is until visiting the Undertaker where he was relaxing before getting changed. I entered the locker room and thanked the Dead Man for the match and allowing me to be a part of this special moment. He shook my hand, thanked me back, and said it was a pleasure working with me. Remember when I said I was feeling a little emotional but was in control? Well, that didn’t last too long. After hearing that from the Dead Man, I tried real hard to keep it together, but tears began to flow. No one has ever heard me tell this ever — not even my wife. I had tears of joy from what was the biggest moment of my referee career. I always thought that most of the boys knew how I felt about the wrestling business. I’m sure the Undertaker knew, but if there were ever any doubts, I believe he understood how I felt that night.

  WrestleMania XXIV would be my last, but what a way to go out — refereeing the main event with two of the most respected men in the wrestling industry. I could not have asked for a better scenario than that. Thank you, Undertaker and Edge, for making this night the highlight of my refereeing career.

  Chapter 21

  It Was Just Time

  Sooner or later, all good things must come to an end. That statement may be true, but it’s what you do after the fact that matters. As much as I wanted to believe that I would be a part of the wrestling business forever, I had to be a realist as well. After all, at the end of the day, it is a business and must be treated as such. In the back of my mind, I knew there would come a day when I would have to leave the ring in pursuit of other goals. I hoped that when that time came, it would be the right time.

  As I’ve already mentioned, the most important thing in my life is my family. As passionate as I felt about the WWE, it was alway
s family first for me. It was October 2008 and my family needed me. On a day off from work, I took my father to his doctor’s appointment. He had always been able to drive himself before, but for some reason he felt he couldn’t go alone and asked me to take him. The doctor examined my dad and then told me that I needed to get my father to the hospital. The doctor said the best course of action was to take my dad home first, make sure he had something to eat, then call an ambulance to take him to Emergency. He explained that if he were to arrive by ambulance, they would look after him more quickly than if we were to walk in. So I did what the doctor ordered and then called my brother and sister to update them. My wife came with me to the hospital and just played the part of glue. She was the calming influence that kept me composed.

  Once inside the hospital, they put him right into a bed and began running a battery of tests. Blood work, urine tests, X-rays, the whole nine yards. Looking at his expression, I had an eerie feeling that my dad knew what to expect. I can’t explain it, but he wasn’t afraid. We waited several hours for the test results to come back and, when they did, we were told that they were referring dad to an oncologist. That was a word we really didn’t want to hear. They admitted him that evening so we stayed for a while to make sure he was settled in and that he had everything he needed for the night. As we said goodnight and filed out of the room, no one spoke. I held my wife’s hand tightly as my brother comforted my mom. We had an idea this wasn’t going to turn out well, but sometimes you just can’t bring yourself to accept things.

  Two days later we all gathered at the hospital to meet with an oncologist. We were informed by this doctor that my father had been diagnosed with Stage Four Adenocarcinoma. In layman’s terms, he had final stage lung cancer. We were floored. We were not expecting good news, but this was the worst case scenario. My sister asked the doctor what the treatment options and prognosis were. The doctor said they could perform radiation and chemotherapy but that they would have little to no effect. As it stood, they gave my father between four and six months to live or with treatment possibly eight months. My mother refused to believe it was anything other than a mistake. She was definitely in denial.

  We conferred with Dad. He decided he didn’t want the chemo because it would be too hard on his body and that he would just do the radiation. Someone had to be available to take him to his treatments and run errands for my parents. My brother couldn’t take the time off work, and he was dealing with a health problem in his family. My sister lived in Napanee, Ontario, and worked in Kingston — almost three hours away — which made it impossible for her to be on call. I figured that the only logical choice would be me. Taking some time off from the road, I spent the next few months looking after my dad, and my mom for that matter. I say I looked after my parents, but we would be more accurate. My wife, my brother, and his wife all helped tremendously as well. Even my sister made the commute on weekends to lend a hand. My cousin Julie was also a great support for us. It was truly a team effort, a real family effort.

  A few months had passed and my dad was back in the hospital; this time we all kind of knew he was not coming home. He had gone downhill more quickly than anticipated, and it showed. We really didn’t know how much time he had. My sister took a leave of absence from her teaching job and was staying with my mom. I don’t mean to sound crass, but it had become a waiting game.

  Then on January 8, 2009, while driving to the hospital to visit my dad, I got a call from John Laurinaitis. He’s the executive vice president of Talent Relations and my direct boss. Now, no one at the WWE really knew how grave my father’s situation was. I chose to keep that matter private. All they knew was that I was dealing with a personal family issue. He said that the company was downsizing their workforce by 10%. Without getting into too much detail, after a good conversation with John, we agreed it was time for me to part ways with the WWE. Some things are best left private, and I feel our talk should remain that way. I never had and still do not have any hard feelings toward the WWE. As I mentioned many times, wrestling and in particular the WWE is my passion, and John told me the door was always open. At this juncture in my life there were other priorities that took precedence. Besides, with my father deteriorating rapidly, my heart was not in wrestling at that point. I heard John’s words, understood what he said, but it really didn’t sink in until much later.

  This may sound strange, but I thought I would have been more upset about it. I didn’t understand it myself at first, but I was okay with it. Still, no one at WWE really knew how bad the situation was at home. That day I spent with my father. My brother took the evening shift and watched a hockey game with my dad. My dad’s favourite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, played the Montreal Canadiens. My brother was surprised at how much energy he had. He actually got out of bed and watched the game from a chair. Dad hadn’t been out of a bed in days so this was remarkable.

  Early the next morning, I went to stay with my father for a while. He was in a lot of pain and had nowhere near the energy he had had the night before. Later that afternoon, with the entire family present, Christos Korderas passed away. No matter how much you think you are prepared for this kind of thing, you never really are. It was a difficult time for all of us, but we managed to pull through it as a family.

  For the longest time after my father’s death, I had no desire to get back to work. We were fine financially, for a while at least, but sooner or later I had to begin working again. That was when it really sunk in. I was no longer working for the WWE. Now the only question was what line of work did I want to pursue? All I had done for almost all of my adult life was wrestling. After much deliberation and discussion with my wife, I decided I wanted to get into some type of broadcasting. It was because of her encouragement and support that I made the choice to give it a shot. I always wanted to try it; all I needed was just a little push. Audra not only gave me that push, she gave me a shove, which was fine by me.

  Before I had a chance to do that, my wife’s father got sick and was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was another major blow to the family. We had to make a difficult decision. Audra would essentially move to her parents’ home in Quebec to care for her parents while I stayed in Toronto to go back to school. Not having Audra around was very tough to deal with but I understood she had to be there for her parents. On a side note, Audra’s dad is now healthy and doing fine, fine, fine! I honestly believe that my father-in-law is alive and doing well today because of Audra’s TLC. Just ask him, and he’ll tell you the same thing.

  In the meantime, I went to broadcasting school and set my sights on a career behind the microphone or in front of a camera. Tony Chimel always told me that I had a great face for radio. Little did he know that was exactly where I would end up. While still in school, I was contacted by Arda Ocal, an energetic young man with a mathematics degree from Waterloo University. He was working at the Score, an all-sports television and radio station here in Canada. He and another young man by the name of Corey Erdman had a radio show called Right After Wrestling that aired every Monday night right after Monday Night Raw. Arda asked me if I would like to do an interview for their show and talk about my time with the WWE. Of course I said yes. The interview went well, and Arda said he wanted to do it again one day. I said sure and didn’t think more of it. I thought he was just being nice.

  Then I ran into Arda at an independent wrestling show in Vaughan, Ontario. We talked for a while and got along very well. We became fast friends. Then we came up with an idea for his show. Every week we would record a 30- to 45-second bit called Ask the Ref. For the most part it was going to be a tongue-in-cheek segment on the show with the occasional serious answer thrown in. This went on for several weeks. I was having a lot of fun doing the segment and Arda and Corey seemed to like it as well. Then things changed. Corey was reassigned, leaving Arda to do the radio show alone. After recording an Ask the Ref segment, I suggested to Arda that maybe I could come in-studio for a show. Much like the WWE was doing
on Raw at the time, I could be the guest host for the week. He liked the idea, and I sat in with Arda as a co-host of the show. I guess Arda liked how it went because he asked me if I could come back the next week. “Damn right I can” was what I wanted to say. Instead I said, “Sure, no problem,” trying to act cool. That was the break I was looking for and thanks to Mr. Ocal, I had my foot in the door. As the weeks passed, we began to gel as a team. I was learning so much from him and the show was gaining a significant audience. Things were going great and Arda, slowly but surely, was becoming the Canadian version of Tony Chimel.

  I was enjoying the radio show immensely, and Arda and I had a good chemistry that was constantly getting better. I continued to learn on the job as I still do to this day, heeding the advice Bobby Heenan gave me many years before. We have fun on the show, and I believe that translates well to our listeners. Things were rolling along as I paid my dues by not getting paid. No complaints; I was new to the industry so that’s what you do. Kind of reminds me of the wrestling business. There are many similarities between the two industries, but the biggest difference is you don’t have to take bumps on the radio. TV is a different story though.

  Again, fortune smiled on me when I was asked to fill in one week for Greg Sansone on the television version of Right After Wrestling. Greg was one of the regular analysts on the show and the boss. Now I had been on TV hundreds of times and performed in front of huge crowds, but speaking on TV was a different animal. During all those years I was in the WWE as a ref, fans seldom heard me speak. I only had a few rare speaking roles. Now people could hear what I had to say and that scared me at first. But this was a huge opportunity and I wanted to make the most of it. I was very nervous; however, the duo of Arda and Renee Paquette made me feel comfortable and guided me through the show. I filled in a few more times; then I was asked to be the regular fill-in guy whenever Mauro Ranallo or Greg Sansone was unavailable to do the show. I loved it because I knew I had found my new calling.