Former WWE Referee Tim White Dies At 68, The Pro Wrestling World Pays Homage

Timothy Rhys White aka Tim White, who worked with World Wrestling Entertainment as a producer on the SmackDown! brand, passed away at the age of 68 on Sunday (June 19).

The news of Tim’s death comes days after the passing of another longtime referee Dave Hebner. Read on to learn more about his death.

Tim White, a longtime WWE referee and assistant to Andre the Giant passed away on Sunday (June 19) at the age of 68. WWE broke the news of his passing, with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp writing, “Unfortunately have learned that former WWE referee Tim White has passed away, per the company. Sending love to his friends, family, and colleagues.”

White began working as a WWE referee in 1985 and later took the position full-time in 1993 shortly after Andre passed away. White suffered several shoulder injuries that would cause his refereeing career to end in 2004, though he remained with the company until 2009. News of White’s death comes mere days after the passing of another longtime WWE referee, Dave Hebner.

In 2022, Tim White suffered a massive shoulder injury during a Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Chris Jericho at Judgement Day. 

However, he returned as a referee in 2004 for a match between Chris and Christian but re-injured his shoulder during the final hours of the match. This led to the end of his referee career.

White was also a referee for the legendary Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and The Undertaker in 1998. During the match, Mankind fell through the top of the cell and landed hard in the ring. 

Fearing that Mick Foley was seriously injured, the match came close to over but he begged not to. This match is remembered as one of the most legendary matches in wrestling history.

Tim’s death has come as a shock to the pro wrestling world. A man who left a long impact in the field, passed away suddenly yesterday. The cause of his death remains undisclosed but WWE released a statement shortly after the news of his death broke. In its statement, WWE wrote:

Many wrestlers came forward to pay tribute to the legendary referee and shared instances of their interactions with Tim White. BIG E wrote, “I lit up every time I saw this man! Tim White often was the man tasked with shepherding us at appearances and conventions the last several years. 

He was always extraordinarily kind and warm. I will miss you, my friend. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.”