REF WEEK: My Time At The Impact Down Under Tour, Referee Hannah
My time at the Impact Down Under Tour.
When working in wrestling, many have a goal to work as many promotions as possible – as a referee this can be extremely difficult. Most shows only have 2-3 referees, meaning the chances of getting selected to work can be slim. I was one of three referees fortunate enough to be asked to work the Impact Down Under Tour in Wagga Wagga of 2023.
My journey to Impact began with a conversation with Cam Vale, current owner of Oceanic Pro Wrestling. I had put myself forward and introduced myself as a referee as he was beginning his journey into the professional wrestling world. After a few months, the shows were announced, and I was asked my availability. Immediately, I knew this was something to be involved with, and said yes. Fast forward a few weeks and the time had come. After a long 6 hour drive, I arrived in Wagga Wagga and learnt I would work along side Referee Michael Anderson (Riot) and Referee Edwin (MCW). I had heard great things about both and was eager to learn and get to know them.
Jumping into night 1 – Seeing the basketball stadium turned into a wrestling arena was amazing. Everything looked professional, the arena was huge and fit an enormous amount of people. I learnt very quickly how different production meetings were compared to where I normally work. Sitting down and hearing Scott D’Amore talk though the show was an experience I never expected to be a part of. D’Amore was also the reason I almost got a last name! When I explained to him that I only really referred to myself as ‘Referee Hannah’ he thought it was important to give myself a last name as it would be mentioned on the main event of Night 2. It almost became “Hannah Knight” due to wearing a Newcastle Knights jersey, but it didn’t end up getting mentioned, so it never really stuck.
Wearing an ear-piece was a first-time experience – D’Amore was the one giving us time queues, letting us know if there was time to slow down or whether the match needed to get quicker. I originally thought this was going to be odd, but it worked out being very useful and helped me keep control of the match when necessary.
For the first match of the tour, I got to referee Slex vs Adam Brooks. This calmed my nerves down a lot – I had worked with both wrestlers in the past and this made me feel a bit more comfortable. The rest of the show that I refereed consisted of Joe Hendry vs Eddie Edwards, Chris Sabin vs Frankie Kazarian vs Robbie Eagles, and Deonna Purrazzo vs Steph De Lander. Two title matches and two singles to start off a huge three-day event.
Night two we had Edwin jump in, so our matches were split up a bit more. I was able to referee The Natural Classics vs The Velocities, Steph De Lander vs Killer Kelly, and the main event – Deonna Purrazzo vs Gisele Shaw for the Impact Knockouts World Championship. The main event felt like the biggest match for me, and it was a fast-paced match. I spoke with both after the match and they said I did a great job, so that really helped my nerves post-match.
Day 3 was the Australian Showcase, and this show made me feel very happy, as a lot of those on the show were friends I work with regularly, so it was nice to see some familiar faces. Once that was complete, I said bye to everyone before taking the 6-hour drive back.
This was a once in a lifetime experience, and being able to work these shows as a referee was truly a blessing. All the feedback received from the Impact wrestlers and Scott D’Amore was all taken in with such gratitude, and I have continued using their feedback today. It is experiences like this that make me grateful I chose the referee life.
