Tributes Pour In For Dave Hebner As Former WWE Referee Passes Away At 73
4 min read
Former WWE Referee Dave Hebner, who was also a part of one of the most-watched wrestling contests in history, died at the age of 73 at his home from an unexplained illness. Hebner died at his home in Mechanicsville, Virginia, at noon on June 17, 2022. Brian Hebner, Hebner’s nephew, announced the news on his Reffin’ It Up podcast and subsequently on Twitter “Dave Hebner, rest in peace. Although he is no longer with us, he will never be forgotten. I have always been adored.”
At this time, Brian, who is the son of Dave’s twin brother Earl Hebner, has not revealed the reason for his death. NASCAR racer Hermie Sadler, who has had multiple moments in pro wrestling, confirmed Hebner’s sickness on May 28. Hebner was previously diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. On Twitter, Sadler uploaded a snapshot of Hebner, in which it was clear that he was suffering from major health concerns.
RIP Dave Hebner
— Refin’ It Up w/ Brian Hebner (@RefinItUp) June 17, 2022
Gone but never forgotten
Always loved pic.twitter.com/jW4GxoGAdG
About Dave Hebner’s early life
Dave and his twin brother Earl were both born on May 17, 1949, in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up there. Dave began refereeing games in the area in the late 1970s. He was working for the WWF by the early 1980s. Randy Savage fought Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III, and Randy Savage fought Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania V, and he was there for some of the company’s most memorable moments.
Hulk Hogan and André the Giant wrestled for the WWF World Heavyweight title on NBC’s WWF The Main Event on February 5, 1988. This match was officiated by Dave. André’s manager, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, told everyone that Dave had been chained in a closet, and Earl assisted André in defeating Hogan. Hogan noticed two of Dave when he entered the ring. The referee made a huge error that sent both of them to the top of the refereeing world. This historic match was the first live pro wrestling show on television in decades. Because most people were unaware that The Hebners were twins, this garnered a lot of attention.
I’ve said many times that friendships and relationships are very important to me. Took the time today to go visit Dave Hebner. The Hebner family is so special to my family. Join me in sending some positive vibes his way !! @BrianRDJames @WWEArmstrong @RealJeffJarrett @WWE pic.twitter.com/G8SHrs9jqa
— Hermie Sadler (@HermieSadler) May 28, 2022
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III?
Dave discussed the Savage-Steamboat match in a 2009 interview with SlamWrestling.net. “That was the best match of all the Wrestlemanias,” he claimed.
“We failed to win roughly 22 times during that match.” We went through it again and again. Randy and Ricky gave it their all, I have to tell you. They have a good understanding of what they’re doing. You must know where to stand and when to move because they both know what they’re doing and are excellent athletes. There are a large number of them. You got the chills just walking from the back to the ring. There are 93,000 of them, as you can see.
Dave had to leave his job after knee replacement surgery because his knees pained. He walked away from the ring and into a career with WWE behind the scenes. He worked as a producer and road agent until he was fired in July 2005. The Hebners then worked for TNA/Impact Wrestling. Hebner and his brother Earl were sacked from WWE in 2005. In the wrestling world, this was a big deal. Earl and both of his brothers were suspended after they were caught peddling reportedly fraudulent WWE products.
Dave was also part of a class-action lawsuit filed by 50 persons against WWE. They claimed WWE purposefully concealed the risks of neurological injuries and declared wrestlers independent contractors to avoid accountability under labour laws. Dave had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, according to that complaint.
RIP Dave Hebner
— Steve Fall (@SteveFall) June 17, 2022
You were part of the greatest wrestling swerve EVER!
You’ll never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/OBf87d8faC
What was the name of Dave Hebner’s wife?
On September 20, 1968, Dave married Rebecca. They met when they were youngsters and married on September 20, 1968. Christina and Becky are Dave and Rebecca’s two daughters. He commended his wife Rebecca, whom he met as a teenager and married on September 20, 1968, in a 2009 interview with Slam Wrestling. “It’s been 40 years since we’ve been married. We married when she was 17 years old and I was 19 years old. He grinned, “I stole her out of the cradle.” “Since I’ve been in business, my wife has always been 100 percent behind me.” There isn’t a wife on the planet who can compare to my wife.”
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
