John Cone
Encyclopedia
John Cone is an American professional wrestling
referee
currently working for WWE.
He is also the official referee for smartwrestlingfan.com.
John has said he is most proud of his performance in the boxing match between Matt Hardy and Evander Holyfield, which took place in August, 2007 in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Other notable moments include:
In 2009 Cone was featured in the documentary, KC on the Mat: The History of Professional Wrestling in Kansas City.
Cone was featured in the WWE Magazine, and the Kansas City Star newspaper. He was also interviewed on local television station KSHB-TV 41's Midday News.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
currently working for WWE.
Career
Cone started refereeing independent wrestling matches in August 1995. He worked for Harley Race World League Wrestling from 1999 to 2006 and got his big break when a WWE official attended a match he refereed. Cone tried out for WWE and was quickly signed. He was sent to WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling and later Deep South Wrestling. John was one of the first referees to work for all three WWE brands ECW, SmackDown, and Raw. Since signing with WWE, John has refereed in 15 countries and on 5 continents.He is also the official referee for smartwrestlingfan.com.
John has said he is most proud of his performance in the boxing match between Matt Hardy and Evander Holyfield, which took place in August, 2007 in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. Other notable moments include:
- Two trips to IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
for WWE Tribute to the TroopsWWE Tribute to the TroopsWWE Tribute to the Troops is an annual event held by WWE together with Armed Forces Entertainment in December around Christmas since 2003 as a way of honoring the men and women of the United States armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Selected WWE wrestlers and employees travel to the said...
; - Money in the Bank ladder matchMoney in the Bank ladder matchThe Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
at WrestleMania XXIVWrestleMania XXIVWrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
; - New York City Parking Lot Brawl between John CenaJohn CenaJohn Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
and JBLJohn LayfieldJohn Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
at the Great American Bash (2008)The Great American Bash (2008)The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
; - Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXVWrestleMania XXVWrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
; - Jeff HardyJeff HardyJeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
vs. Matt HardyMatt HardyMatthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
"I Quit" match at Backlash (2009)Backlash (2009)Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 26, 2009 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The 11th and final event under the Backlash banner, it featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw,...
; - CM PunkCM PunkPhillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
cashed in his Money In The Bank contractMoney in the Bank ladder matchThe Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
with Cone at 'Extreme Rules (2009); - John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
match) on SmackDown in late 2009; - Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson (Final ECW ChampionshipECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
match) in early 2010; - LegacyThe Legacy (professional wrestling)The Legacy was a villainous alliance of professional wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment. The group was led by Randy Orton and contained the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase....
Triple Threat match at WrestleMania XXVIWrestleMania XXVIWrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
(Cone wore gloves due to a cut on DiBiase); - Jack Swagger vs Randy OrtonRandy OrtonRandal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
(World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (WWE)The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
match) at Extreme Rules (2010)Extreme Rules (2010)Extreme Rules was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 25, 2010 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the second event promoted under the Extreme Rules name...
; - Edge vs Christian (Commercial Free RAWWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
from TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) in May 2010; - The 7 on 7 Bragging RightsBragging Rights (2010)Bragging Rights was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on October 24, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the second and final Bragging Rights event. Seven matches took place at the event...
Match in October 2010; - Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XXVIIWrestleMania XXVIIWrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
. - At Vengeance 2011 Cone refereed 3 Matches. 1) Air Boom vs Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger 2) Dolph Ziggler vs Zack Ryder 3) Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton
In 2009 Cone was featured in the documentary, KC on the Mat: The History of Professional Wrestling in Kansas City.
Cone was featured in the WWE Magazine, and the Kansas City Star newspaper. He was also interviewed on local television station KSHB-TV 41's Midday News.