First Referee Headed To The WWE HOF, Early Look At The WrestleMania Stage, Rey Mysterio NOT Retiring Yet
Long-time referee Tim White will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Referee Tim White Announced As Final Inductee For WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023
The late Tim White is heading into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Just days before WrestleMania 39, White was announced as the final member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as the recipient of the Warrior Award on "The Bump." He joins the esteemed company of Rey Mysterio, The Great Muta, the late comedy legend Andy Kaufman, and Stacy Keibler for this year's induction ceremony and becomes the first wrestling referee to receive the honor. The festivities, hosted this year by Kayla Braxton, will take place Friday evening, streaming on Peacock immediately following the conclusion of "WWE SmackDown."
White spent almost 25 years working with WWE. He joined the company in 1985 as Andre the Giant's agent, but he worked as a part-time referee during that time as well. When Andre died in 1993, White took up refereeing duties full-time and became one of the most recognizable performers to don the black-and-white stripes during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras.
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It has been a while since we have seen a custom stag design in WWE, but early pictures show we will be getting a special design for WrestleMania 39! Photos revealing the WrestleMania 39 set have surfaced on social media, with a post on Reddit's r/SquaredCircle page and several tweets spoiling the backdrop for WWE's "grandest stage." The unofficial images show the "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood" set up at SoFi Stadium from a few different angles. The massive stage features staircase-like sides, a few layers of enormous LED screens, screens on the side that appear to mock the way movie posters are traditionally hung outside of theaters, and of course a long entrance ramp that reaches its way to the ring.
With the announcement that Rey Mysterio will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame, many wondered if this signaled the end of Mysterio’s in-ring career. While speaking to the “New York Post,” Mysterio was emphatic that wasn’t the case. "It was very shocking to me. It was like, 'Wow.' I remember the first words that came out of my mouth were just like, 'I'm not ready to retire.' He's like, 'No, it's not like that.'"
In other WrestleMania news, WWE is reportedly bringing in big money through sponsorships for the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The AP reported Wednesday morning that the sports entertainment company has already doubled its advertising revenue for its annual WrestleMania events, with this year's edition bringing in $20 million. That's according to WWE, whose senior vice president and head of global sales and partnerships Craig Stimmel told the news wire that the pro wrestling will incorporate sponsorships into some of its matches at WrestleMania 39 this weekend, sort of "blurring of the fourth wall" for fans.
Pat McAfee has been a big asset for WWE given his brand and reach throughout the world. While the relationship is good between the two sides; McAfee isn’t expected at WrestleMania as of right now. "What does McAfee bring? He brings a young, diverse audience," Khan said appearing on "The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast." "He'll determine ultimately where he wants his home to be and, you know, our hope is that he does more with us."