Earl Hebner Fired

The wrestling news sites are reporting that veteran WWE referee Earl Hebner has been fired for allegedly selling WWE merchandise without consent through a business co-owned with his twin brother Dave (a former referee himself who retired to work in the back office and, as it seems, has kept his job also been released).

Earl Hebner is notorious for his participation in two historic angles. The first was his debut back in 1988, as the 'evil twin' referee employed by Ted DiBiase to make sure Andre the Giant beat Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship (so he could buy the title from him, you see... ah, angles were so much more fun back in the day).

The second, of course, was the infamous Montreal Screwjob in 1997; Earl Hebner was the referee for that match and, though he was just the middleman, he did call for the bell to end the match and put the belt on Shawn Michaels - breaking a pledge to Bret Hart not to fuck him over.

To this day he never has refereed on another televised show in Quebec - and now it's likely he never will. So long, Earl. (And Dave, too.)