WWE Superstars must adhere to a certain order of things inside the ring. There are rules that fans might need to realize like saves in tag team matches. One very firm rule is that pulling a referee out of the ring while they are counting is strictly prohibited and for a good reason.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that “WWE doesn’t do that as much anymore,” but that statement doesn’t hold true at all.
During The Rock and Kurt Angle’s era, there was a time when they included a similar spot in “every one of those matches.” The referee would go for a three-count but get pulled out of the ring, preventing the match from ending.
Eventually, Vince McMahon banned that spot. Meltzer described it as a “stupid” move to include in so many matches.
While WWE has made that spot a disqualification, AEW stars can still execute it. Dick Togo, for example, pulls that trick out of his bag during every House of Torture match.
While we may occasionally see that referee spot show up, those days are over. If it ever happens again, it would be a very special occurrence in the world of professional wrestling.
