Jim Korderas
Encyclopedia
__FORCETOC__
Demetrius Korderas (born March 19, 1962), better known by his referee name, Jim "Jimmy" Korderas is a Canadian
professional wrestling
referee
who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment
for over 22 years.
in 1985 at Maple Leaf Gardens
. At first he was hired as a driver by his friend Elio Zarlenga. At the time Zarlenga was second in command only to Jack Tunney, and suggested making Korderas a referee. His first match was between Special Delivery Jones and Red Demon.
, Korderas was legitimately knocked unconscious by Jimmy Hart
after Hart decked him too hard with his trademark megaphone. As a result, he had to be physically assisted from the ring.
On May 23, 1999, Korderas was the referee at Over the Edge
in 1999 for the match between "Blue Blazer" Owen Hart
and The Godfather. He was in the ring when Hart fell from the ceiling into the ring and died. According to reports, Hart yelled to Korderas and told him to move because he did not want to land on him.
During a kayfabe
strike by the WWF referees in late 1999, Korderas was the only regular referee who did not join the strike, which led to him being attacked by the striking refs at Unforgiven in 1999.
At Rebellion in 2002 in a "Kiss my Ass Match" with Rikishi
vs. Albert, he made Albert kiss Rikishi's buttocks as Albert was running out of the arena.
On November 4, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, taped in St. Louis, Missouri
, during an unscripted segment of Tough Enough, Kurt Angle
, a former American amateur wrestler
and 1996 Olympic
gold medalist, challenged the finalists through a squat thrust
competition. Chris Nawrocki won the competition, and the prize Nawrocki won was a match against Angle. Angle quickly took Nawrocki down, breaking his ribs, then made him tap out with a neck crank. After Angle defeated Nawrocki, Angle challenged the other finalists. Daniel Puder
, an American professional mixed martial artist
, accepted Angle's challenge. Angle and Puder wrestled for position, with Angle taking Puder down, however, in the process, Puder locked Angle in a kimura lock. With Puder on his back and Angle's arm locked in the kimura, Angle attempted a pin, one of two referees in the ring, Korderas quickly counted three to end the bout, despite the fact that Puder's shoulders weren't fully down on the mat, bridging up at two. Puder later claimed he would have snapped Angle's arm, thus making Angle tap out on national television, if Korderas had not ended the match. Dave Meltzer
and Dave Scherer gave these following comments:
Korderas played a minor part in what was JBL
's last appearance as a wrestler on SmackDown!. Originally giving JBL the win on the May 26, 2006 edition as JBL was taking the World Heavyweight Championship
belt, Korderas spotted Rey Mysterio's foot on the bottom rope and restarted the match which Mysterio would win after JBL threw Mysterio into Korderas who was retying a turnbuckle that he had caught JBL untying, knocking Korderas out. He came to in time to see Mysterio pin JBL after an exchange of illegal objects and moves, thus ending JBL's Smackdown career. Earlier that night, Korderas had also been assigned to the JBL vs. Bobby Lashley match for the WWE United States Championship
which Lashley would win. JBL as a color commentator had bashed Korderas for being Canadian and claimed that he was screwed out of the Championship by Korderas.
In 2006, the WWE had pulled Korderas off the road briefly due to health reasons, but he returned to work shortly thereafter. In November 2008 referees were made no longer exclusive to certain brands. On January 9, 2009, WWE released Korderas from his contract.
.
He is also currently a co-host of the Hardcore Sports Radio SIRIUS Satellite Radio weekly pro wrestling radio program "Aftermath Wrestling," hosted by Arda Ocal
. The program airs from 11pm - midnight EST. He also is a co-host on the Friday episodes of "Aftermath" on theScore.
Demetrius Korderas (born March 19, 1962), better known by his referee name, Jim "Jimmy" Korderas is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestling
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...
who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
for over 22 years.
Early career
Korderas began working as a professional wrestling refereeReferee (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...
in 1985 at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
. At first he was hired as a driver by his friend Elio Zarlenga. At the time Zarlenga was second in command only to Jack Tunney, and suggested making Korderas a referee. His first match was between Special Delivery Jones and Red Demon.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1987-2009)
At WrestleMania IVWrestleMania IV
WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey....
, Korderas was legitimately knocked unconscious by Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Hart
James "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
after Hart decked him too hard with his trademark megaphone. As a result, he had to be physically assisted from the ring.
On May 23, 1999, Korderas was the referee at Over the Edge
Over the Edge (1999)
Over The Edge was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on May 23, 1999, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, USA...
in 1999 for the match between "Blue Blazer" Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
and The Godfather. He was in the ring when Hart fell from the ceiling into the ring and died. According to reports, Hart yelled to Korderas and told him to move because he did not want to land on him.
During a kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
strike by the WWF referees in late 1999, Korderas was the only regular referee who did not join the strike, which led to him being attacked by the striking refs at Unforgiven in 1999.
At Rebellion in 2002 in a "Kiss my Ass Match" with Rikishi
Solofa Fatu
Solofa F. Fatu, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Rikishi.-The Samoan Swat Team:...
vs. Albert, he made Albert kiss Rikishi's buttocks as Albert was running out of the arena.
On November 4, 2004, episode of SmackDown!, taped in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, during an unscripted segment of Tough Enough, Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
, a former American amateur wrestler
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
and 1996 Olympic
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
gold medalist, challenged the finalists through a squat thrust
Squat thrust
A squat thrust is a calisthenic exercise. Similar to a Burpee it typically is performed as follows:# From a standing position, drop to a squat position with your hands on the ground near your feet....
competition. Chris Nawrocki won the competition, and the prize Nawrocki won was a match against Angle. Angle quickly took Nawrocki down, breaking his ribs, then made him tap out with a neck crank. After Angle defeated Nawrocki, Angle challenged the other finalists. Daniel Puder
Daniel Puder
Daniel Puder is an American professional mixed martial artist, who is currently undefeated in MMA competition, holding a a record of eight wins and zero losses...
, an American professional mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, accepted Angle's challenge. Angle and Puder wrestled for position, with Angle taking Puder down, however, in the process, Puder locked Angle in a kimura lock. With Puder on his back and Angle's arm locked in the kimura, Angle attempted a pin, one of two referees in the ring, Korderas quickly counted three to end the bout, despite the fact that Puder's shoulders weren't fully down on the mat, bridging up at two. Puder later claimed he would have snapped Angle's arm, thus making Angle tap out on national television, if Korderas had not ended the match. Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
and Dave Scherer gave these following comments:
Korderas played a minor part in what was JBL
John Layfield
John 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...
's last appearance as a wrestler on SmackDown!. Originally giving JBL the win on the May 26, 2006 edition as JBL was taking the World Heavyweight Championship
World 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...
belt, Korderas spotted Rey Mysterio's foot on the bottom rope and restarted the match which Mysterio would win after JBL threw Mysterio into Korderas who was retying a turnbuckle that he had caught JBL untying, knocking Korderas out. He came to in time to see Mysterio pin JBL after an exchange of illegal objects and moves, thus ending JBL's Smackdown career. Earlier that night, Korderas had also been assigned to the JBL vs. Bobby Lashley match for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
which Lashley would win. JBL as a color commentator had bashed Korderas for being Canadian and claimed that he was screwed out of the Championship by Korderas.
In 2006, the WWE had pulled Korderas off the road briefly due to health reasons, but he returned to work shortly thereafter. In November 2008 referees were made no longer exclusive to certain brands. On January 9, 2009, WWE released Korderas from his contract.
Personal life
After leaving WWE, Korderas began spending more time with his wife and family, as well as taking classes in broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
.
He is also currently a co-host of the Hardcore Sports Radio SIRIUS Satellite Radio weekly pro wrestling radio program "Aftermath Wrestling," hosted by Arda Ocal
Arda Ocal
Arda Ocal is a Turkish Canadian TV personality, announcer and writer, currently with The Score Television Network...
. The program airs from 11pm - midnight EST. He also is a co-host on the Friday episodes of "Aftermath" on theScore.