Tim White (wrestling)
Timothy Rhys White (born March 25, 1954) is an American former professional wrestling referee. He worked with World Wrestling Entertainment as a producer on the SmackDown! brand. During the 1980s and 1990s, White worked as André the Giant's assistant in addition to his referee duties.[1] Jim Ross would call Tim White, ‘The Fighting Irishman.’
Tim White | |
|---|---|
| Born | Timothy Rhys White March 25, 1954 Cumberland, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional wrestling referee |
| Years active | 1985–2004 |
Professional wrestling career
Referee
White started as a part-time referee in 1985 while working as Andre The Giant's agent. In 1993, White became a full-time referee appearing more frequently on Pay Per Views and WWE TV tapings.
On June 28, 1998, White was the referee for the legendary Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and The Undertaker. After Mankind fell through the top of the cell and landed hard in the ring, White, fearful that Foley was seriously injured and needed immediate medical attention, came close to declaring the match over at that point, but Foley begged him not to. The match continued and is now remembered as one of the most legendary matches in wrestling history.
In 2002, White suffered a shoulder injury during a Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Chris Jericho at Judgment Day.[2] At WrestleMania XX in 2004, White returned to referee the match between Chris Jericho and Christian; he re-injured his shoulder during the final three count of the match, forcing him to end his referee career.
The Lunchtime Suicide Series
On December 18, 2005 White made a controversial on-screen appearance at the Armageddon pay-per-view.[3] In a segment, a "despondent" White was interviewed by SmackDown! reporter Josh Mathews inside the bar he owned, the Friendly Tap in Cumberland, Rhode Island.[3] He was depicted drinking large amounts of alcohol, claiming that the aforementioned Hell in a Cell match "ruined his life."[3] He then proceeded to take a shotgun out from under the bar and, off screen, fired the gun, apparently intending to kill himself. This sketch was considered distasteful, in part due to the death of Eddie Guerrero a month earlier.[3]
On January 6, 2006, it was revealed that White had shot his foot accidentally during the "ordeal." But when asked by Mathews about his new year's resolutions, he proceeded to scarf down a box full of rat poison, and subsequently fell over in his chair. This segment was leaked onto the internet several days earlier and included was the uncut footage of the post-segment which included the producers as well as White goofing around using some mildly foul language. On January 15, 2006, White was interviewed by Mathews again, but this time he tried to hang himself; the rope broke. For weeks afterward, WWE's official website uploaded a new video showing Matthews trying to interview White who is about to commit suicide each week in a different way. This became a regular segment on WWE's website and was given the name of Lunchtime Suicide, uploaded every Thursday at lunch time.
On April 6, 2006, WWE.com uploaded a video where White did not attempt to commit suicide. In fact, he invited Mathews to a party at the Friendly Tap to take place the following week. The next week, Mathews attended the party, and ended up getting shot by White.
White was released from WWE on January 9, 2009, ending his 24-year tenure with the company.[2]
White now provides security for WWE superstars during appearances and autograph signings.
On April 10, 2018 White appeared in numerous interviews in the HBO documentary André the Giant.
Championships, awards and accomplishments
- New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
- "New England Icon" Award (2010)
References
- Mooneyham, Mike (2009-01-11). "Steroids report puts heat on wrestling business". The Post and Courier. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- Csonka, Larry (January 9, 2009). "WWE Releases Tim White and Kevin Thorn". 411mania. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- Sokol, Chris (December 19, 2005). "Taker-Orton rises above Armageddon". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-09-15.