Being a WWE wrestler is one way to make big bucks in the ring. But it is not the only way to rake in dough while crowds cheer on contenders who are showmen as well as grapplers.
And that’s where the officials come in. To keep it all convincing – and sometimes to amp up the action that might even impact betting on WWE – referees in striped shirts are integral.
How Much Can WWE Referees Make A Year?
Get good at keeping heels in line and your salary can go as high as $250,000 per year while new WWE referees can look at starting salaries of $50,000 to $80,000.
But since WWE is all about being over the top, here is a survey of the refs who earn that vaunted 250K for separating brawlers and ducking the occasional chair that might go flying across the ring.
FROM PHOTOGRAPHER TO WRESTLER TO REF - CHARLES ROBINSON
If any ref knows what it’s like to be center of attention, dropkicking for an arena full of rabid fans, it is Charles Robinson.
Before becoming a referee, he was a wrestler – known as Little Natch and, fittingly, looking like Ric Flair. Prior that he was a photographer for the Pro Wrestling Federation.
As a ref with WWE, Robinson has sustained his share of injuries. Among them: an elbow blown out of its socket and a fractured index finger. But the rough stuff pays off. During 2020 and 2021, Robinson was named WWE Referee of the Year.
NATURAL BORN REF - DAN ENGLER
Some people know what they want to do from a young age and pursue it with a vengeance. Such is the case for Dan Engler, who formerly officiated under the name Rudy Charles. He refereed his first match in 1996 at age 19 and made his WWE debut in 2013.
Three years later, he got caught in a backstage tussle and wound up bashed in the leg courtesy of Triple H. It left him in need of 13 stitches.
Away from the flying fists, Engler uses his ring name to host a YouTube program called The Rudy Charles Show.
IN ON THE ACTION - CHAD PATTON
Though Chad Patton got his start in the game as a bit of a grunt – back in the early 2000s, he put up rings for matches in the Midwest – he’s since made his name as a ref who can stand up to the most notorious bullies.
During The Rock’s heralded comeback match of 2024, the wrestle-turned-movie-star warned Patton – who ended The Undertaker’s 21-0 streak with a 1-2-3 count – not to count out any of the wrestlers or else he’d lose his job.
And the Rock, one of the highest paid WWE wrestlers of all-time, punctuated this threat with the kind of profanity that might not fly in one of his G-rated movies. Patton was unmoved.
After all, he’s withstood worse: Earlier this year he endured a Samoan Spike, taking a thumb to the neck courtesy of Solo Sikoa.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS DANGEROUS DAN - ANILO ANFIBO
During his time as an IWF wrestler, Anilo Anfibo was known as Dangerous Dan – and he was a dangerous man. A two-time tag team champion and four-time junior heavyweight champ, the splashy Dan was no one to be trifled with.
Making a name for himself on the other side of the canvas, he donned his striped shirt in 2013 and became a regular presence on RAW, SmackDown, and various Pay-Per-View events.
Anfibo brings ring experience to reffing and is always a strong presence.
GAME ON! - JOHN CONE
Besides being a flesh and blood WWE referee, John Cone had his digitized likeness employed as a ref in the WWE 2K24 video game.
But life was not always so glamorous for Cone. He got his start as a referee of independent matches in 1996. Ten years later he was a WWE regular.
Not shy about merging real life with ring life, Cone, in 2018, had things rigged-up so that his grade-school-aged son was chosen from the crowd to participate in a WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Partnered with Braun Strongman, the kid became WWE’s youngest champ ever. You can bet that dad cut him some slack in the ring.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
