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Yeah, I've wanted to see different referee personalities for a while, too. Not necessarily angles or anything, but just guys who are more strict about the rules, and will call for a DQ more often than others. A guy like Mike Chiota who has been around the block, for example, might be more willing to let the guys fight -- whereas John Cone, a newer referee who seems to have a more "sportsman" approach, might throw out a guy for punching too much in the corner.
Some new refs might be out to prove themselves, and some others might be more reluctant -- especially in there with the bigger stars. I think it would be a nice touch if Chad Patton was not used for Chris Jericho's matches, considering that Jericho at one stage beat him down and had a "match" with him under orders from Eric Bischoff. I know an announcer like Matt Striker would be more than up to the challenge of knowing each referee's personality and being able to bring that up when relevant in a match. And that's the sort of detail that made Jim Ross such a respected announcer.
As for the premise of the thread: A referee like that would be awesome. Not really a tough guy, but just a referee who would stand his ground and make sure nothing funny went down. I recall Earl Hebner almost being like that. I recall a few instances where Triple H disputed his decision, and Hebner would push him and lay down the law and Trips would be all "Shit! Whatever, man!"
I'd actually really love to see a former wrestler step in as a referee. Scott Armstrong was with the WWE for a while, but his in-ring stuff never really came up, and wasn't really relevant to the WWE audience. Someone like Finlay, Dean Malenko or even a guy like Ricky Steamboat, if they were up to it, could make brilliant referees. Even Jamie Noble could do it.
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