'The Ref Didn't See It!' is wrestling's newest must-see film
Plus–Cena delivers his own pipe bomb
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New wrestling referee documentary is must-see
Colin Hunter did it again.
The creative mind behind the Kayfabe News satire site has created a documentary–The Ref Didn’t See It!–that offers a unique look into one of wrestling’s most indispensable elements: the referee.
“Wrestling referees are supposed to be mostly invisible,” said Hunter. “We thought they deserved the spotlight, at least once.”
For the past dozen years, Hunter has brought humor and a light-hearted joy to professional wrestling through Kayfabe News. It operates as The Onion-inspired news source for pro wrestling, entertaining readers with fictional stories that are strikingly close to reality.
Within the past five years, Hunter decided to embark upon a whole new venture–make a documentary about wrestling referees. He quit his full-time job, committed himself to the project, and the end result is The Ref Didn’t See It!, which stands as an endearing perspective on the unsung heroes of every great match.
“Having spent more than a decade writing Kayfabe News, I have an eye for the quirky aspects of wrestling that we often just take for granted,” said Hunter. “I love that wrestling is like a magic show–what you’re being presented isn’t the full story. I look at the wrestling referee as the magician’s assistant in an illusion–not the star of the trick, but essential for misdirection and narrative cohesion.
“There’s an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but the supporting players in wrestling tend to go uncelebrated. I was a newspaper journalist for years, and I always looked for underdogs and unsung heroes to write about. I love finding the story that nobody else is telling, and making people care about something they’ve never really thought about.”
In many ways, the documentary is a love letter to pro wrestling. That presented itself in the way Hunter treated the wrestling stars who appeared in the film, as well as the less-heralded talent. There were certainly moments when he had fun with the spectacle known as pro wrestling, but he always treated it with dignity.
“I fell back in love with wrestling through making this movie,” said Hunter. “During the pandemic lockdowns, when there were no indie shows and WWE was broadcasting from an empty studio, my love for wrestling seriously waned. Without a live audience, televised wrestling seemed pointless and lost all appeal to me. We hatched the idea for the movie just as the world was re-opening, and we filmed it at dozens of live wrestling events over two years.
“The movie has lots of humor and levity. That shouldn’t be a surprise given that I’m the Kayfabe News guy. But we also wanted to respect the subject matter. I came to learn first-hand that refereeing is not easy. It requires fitness, timing, confidence, humility, a thick skin and endless practice. Earl Hebner tells me in the movie that he still learns something new every time he refs, and he urges me to never stop learning. We wanted the film to pay homage to the art of refereeing a wrestling match. And yes, it’s an art, just like the wrestling itself.”
Hunter shared that the film’s director, Sara Geidlinger, was not a wrestling fan at the outset of the project. Yet she is now, and that is also apparent in the way the subject matter is treated.
“Sara realized that wrestling is ultimately about joy and community–a shared emotional experience,” said Hunter. “The illusion of violence in the ring is such a contrast to the reality, where wrestling is about trust and cooperation. So this movie is Sara’s love letter to wrestling, too–her love is just new and blossoming. It’s fun to watch her appreciation of wrestling grow more with every show.”
The Ref Didn’t See It! tells the story of Hunter’s foray into becoming a referee, but it also extends deeper than that story arc. There is a look at wrestling at its highest heights, as well as an appreciation for the indie scene. A key subplot is the story of Emily Parker, whose work as a referee is a tribute to her late father, Frank Parker, who was also a wrestling referee.
“Emily is the shining star of the movie,” said Hunter. “Her passion for refereeing is so strong and pure. She is the beating heart of the film, whereas my own story tends to be the comic relief, thanks to my clumsiness and rookie flubs.”
Evan Ginsberg, who was a producer for The Wrestler, reviewed Hunter’s film and ranked it among wrestling’s best documentaries. Witnessing Hunter’s journey into the ring also raised new questions, particularly whether he would consider a sequel about becoming a wrestler.
“For the record, I have ‘wrestled’ in one match,” said Hunter. “At Deathproof Fight Club [which operates out of Toronto], I was unwittingly entered as a participant in a battle royal. I insisted that I was just supposed to be a referee, but the fans chanted and the wrestlers forced me in–as we planned. When deathmatch veteran Matt Cash arrived in the match, he started nailing everyone with brutal chops. When he got to me, I tried to bribe him with a $50 bill to not chop me. He took the money and chopped me anyway. When I regained my senses, I eliminated myself over the top rope and ran out of the venue crying. All part of the plan–it was fun, except the chop really did hurt.
“And becoming a referee has made me consider trying a lot of things I had previously considered too scary. I’m thinking about trying out for a community theatre production, or trying improv or even dance. Prior to refereeing, I was too self-conscious and nervous to try such things. But this weekend I’ll referee my 100th match–and counting, which has made me a lot more comfortable being in front of strangers. I’ve been jeered as a ref, bumped, bribed, spanked, chopped and skewered–and had fun doing it.
“As for a sequel, stay tuned. This ain’t my last rodeo.”
Hunter is eager for diehard fans to view the film, and he strongly believes that it is the exact type of movie to watch with loved ones that aren’t necessarily enthralled with pro wrestling.
“Most wrestling documentaries focus on the dark side of wrestling–scandals and drugs and deaths,” said Hunter. “We wanted to make an antidote. The Ref Didn’t See It! is a positive, upbeat love letter to professional wrestling. We want people to feel good watching it. It’s not just for wrestling fans, although I’m confident they’ll love it. The movie is largely for people who misunderstand wrestling–who decry it as fake or violent without understanding the real beauty that underlies it.
“Ultimately, I think wrestling fans should watch this movie, ideally with their non-fan friends and family, simply because they will love it. It is a film about joy, meant to spread joy. The movie costs less than a Subway sandwich and is way more nourishing to the heart and soul.”
John Cena delivers pipe bomb of his own
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