Opinion: Why Aren’t There Female Referees in WWE?

Recently, we talked about Charles Robinson and how underappreciated referees are in wrestling. That line of thinking has got me thinking about referees in another light. Why aren’t there any female referees?

I’m not talking about WWE Divas becoming Special Guest Referees sometimes because that does happen a lot of the time. I’m talking about a full-time female referee that is recognized and respected as an official.

To my knowledge, there haven’t been many in the wrestling industry, and I’m not really clear why that is. The only example I can find is Taryn Terrell in TNA was the official referee for Knockout matches for awhile until she became a full-time performer.

My first thought was women that want to perform in front of a crowd in WWE arenas aren’t interested in the refereeing role. It’s not as flattering, and the spotlight wouldn’t be on them, but you’re telling me that no woman has ever presented the idea to the powers the be?

The only issue I can see is the first woman through the gate could be a distraction that takes away from the match while it’s a ref’s job to guide the match, not get in the way.

Any concerns about appearance and how female referees should dress doesn’t need to be a major issue. Simply dress them the same as the men do, black pants, ref shirt, and that’s it.

Isn’t this what NXT is designed to be? A brand to try things and develop talent? I wouldn’t be surprised to see a female referee in NXT or WWE someday soon. Just like I’m expecting a female voice at the commentary table full-time.