Earl Hebner was on The Apter Chat with Bill Apter powered by LegendsOfTheRing.com and the legendary wrestling official talked about reffing the Double Or Nothing classic between Cody & Dustin Rhodes. Hebner also briefly touches upon the locker room feel before the event and if he wants to officiate the AEW World Championship match between Chris Jericho and Adam Page at All Out in Chicago.
Earl Hebner on reffing Cody vs. Dustin at AEW Double Or Nothing:
“It was a great experience and a lot of thoughts and a lot of pressure because I knew those two boys when they were kids. Matter of fact, their dad was the one that gave me this job.
Dusty is the one that gave me a job at the NWA in Charlotte with Jim Crockett Promotions and seeing those kids grow up and being with them in Double Or Nothing, it was a great match, but I was in there with two great kids, two great friends and honestly, it was like family.”
On if he was nervous going into that match:
“The ring doesn’t bother me. It’s when I got two great kids—men now—in the ring that I loved all my life and seeing them grow up from babies, it was a lot of stress on me. It was like I was their dad. I’m their dad there, ‘separating the boys.’ I’m glad I got to raise Cody’s hand and leave cause I’d have probably been in tears at ringside.”
On the locker room vibe before Double Or Nothing:
“Great. There’s a happiness. Joking, laughing, it’s not like you’re in prison anymore. It’s like you’re enjoying what you do and you do it the best that you can do when you’re not under pressure and they give you the lead way. They give you the keys and you go with it.”
On if he wants to officiate the first AEW World Championship match between Chris Jericho and Hangman Page:
“I’m gonna leave it up to AEW. They can choose whoever they want. In all honestly, I’d like to see one of the other refs get the opportunity to do that because I’ve been there and it would give them a great honor and myself too, but I would rather see a new, somebody else besides Earl Hebner.”
