WWE’s First Female Referee in Decades Makes Her Official Debut

Independent wrestler Kennadi Brink, whose real name is Jessika Heiser, signed with WWE as a referee a couple of weeks ago and made her debut as a “full time” signed ref at an NXT live event in Orlando yesterday. She had already worked a couple of NXT house shows as a referee, but this is her first since officially being signed by WWE.

She has previously wrestled in ROH, SHIMMER, SHINE, MCW and more, and was actually trained by Duane “Gillberg” Gill at Gillberg’s Professional Wrestling Academy, and by the Dudleys at Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling.

She has been rumored to be a referee in WWE’s Mae Young Classic women’s tournament in July.

#NXTOrlando Our first ever full time women's referee, Jessica! @LadyKBrink pic.twitter.com/HyoLq2YHRP

— JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) June 1, 2017

#NXTOrlando @LadyKBrink is the first female referee for a male NXT match in history. @WONF4W pic.twitter.com/0TxMHZwko1

— JJ Williams (@JJWilliamsWON) June 2, 2017

WWE’s first (and previously last) woman referee was Rita Chatterton in the 1980s, who later appeared on “Geraldo” in 1992 and accused Vince McMahon of sexually assaulting her. Vince sued Geraldo Rivera, but eventually dropped the lawsuit.