Rick Knox Explains Why AEW Referees Don't DQ Wrestlers For Using Tables

AEW's referee team has faced plenty of scrutiny since the Tony Khan-led company debuted in 2019. Whether it be due to holding ladders steady for wrestlers as they climb, noticeably ignoring disqualifiable offenses, or even the recent in-ring debut of Aubrey Edwards on the June 16 episode of "AEW Rampage," the officials of AEW have received criticism on several occasions.

One portion of this flack has come due to the enforcement of rules regarding weapons being used in standard wrestling matches. This subject came up on the most recent episode of "Hey! (EW)" with RJ City featuring six of AEW's referees. During their discussion, City brought up the use of tables in standard matches, questioning why they don't result in disqualification. "It kind of depends on the context of the table being used," Rick Knox noted.

Typically, tables are used during standard AEW matches on the outside of the ring, which is one of a few distinctions that make the action legal. Knox explained what questions must be asked when deciding on if the use of tables is illegal, asking, "Is it happening in the ring? Is it someone just falling on the table, or is the table being used as a weapon to assault someone?"

After Knox explained the protocol for disqualifying someone in a match, Bryce Remsberg interjected, briefly pulling back the curtain to add one more note to the disqualification protocol. "Is it not what the finish said on the sheet?" Remsberg joked before Aubrey Edwards added, "It's all 'referee's discretion.'"