Justin King Reveals Former WWE VP Mark Carrano Said Company Has A New Black Referee

Former WWE referee Justin King revealed that former Vice President of Talent Relations Mark Carrano explicitly told him he was being replaced because the company had a new Black referee.

King made the revelation during an appearance on The Wednesday Hang, a show hosted by former WWE superstar David Otunga.

The former official explained that the remark came during his final moments with the organization.

King had spent several years with WWE before being handed his walking papers in February 2014.

According to King, the phone call with Carrano took a shocking turn when his release was addressed directly.

"Mark [Carrano] told me, 'You are no longer our black referee. We have a new black referee. His name is Mark Harris,'" King recounted.

King, known across the professional wrestling circuit by the nickname "Bones," recalled remaining calm in the moment.

"And I said, that's fine. But what about my medical?"

King stated during the broadcast.

The response from talent relations was immediate and cold.

Carrano allegedly shut down any further discussion about medical care on the spot.

"'Well, we no longer need to talk to you about medical. You can talk to our attorneys. We’re done with you,'" King remembered Carrano saying.

King emphasized that those statements were not exaggerated or misremembered.

"That was my conversation with Mark. Verbatim word for word," King added.

A DIVISIVE BACKSTAGE DYNAMIC

The remark was especially painful for King because of his personal relationship with his replacement.

King explained the deep frustration of being pitted against his best friend, Mark Harris, purely on the basis of their race.

Rather than evaluating each official on merit, performance, or seniority, the executive allegedly framed the roster position as a single slot.

The allegations shine a harsh light on internal management practices and talent relations during that era.

King had been dedicated to WWE long before that termination call arrived.

His journey with the sports entertainment giant officially began when the company hired him in October 2008.

He worked extensively in Florida Championship Wrestling, which served as WWE's official developmental territory at the time.

In that system, developmental talent and crew members handled many physically demanding tasks behind the scenes.

THE HORRIFIC FCW ACCIDENT

King's WWE career took a tragic and painful turn during a work accident at the FCW warehouse in 2011.

While hanging a championship banner inside the facility, King fell from a 23-foot ladder.

The catastrophic fall caused severe structural damage to his lower leg.

King's foot became completely detached in the horrific workplace accident.

Surgeons worked tirelessly to rebuild the limb, inserting three metal plates and 17 screws to stabilize the damage.

An ordeal of that scale normally requires a lengthy and uninterrupted period of rehabilitation.

Yet King felt the pressure to get back into the ring as quickly as possible.

He rushed his extensive rehabilitation process to ensure he would not lose his footing in the company.

Against significant medical odds, King returned to action ahead of schedule.

He officiated major bouts on high-stakes stages, including the WWE Bragging Rights pay-per-view and WrestleMania 28.

SIDELINED BEFORE TERMINATION

Despite King's determination to perform on the biggest stage in wrestling, WWE's plans for him soon stalled.

Following his return matches, the company abruptly sent the referee back home.

King was kept waiting on the sidelines for a full year and a half.

During that prolonged hiatus, he remained under contract while sitting at home away from television programming.

The extended period of limbo finally culminated in his official release in February 2014.

That release culminated with the conversation where Carrano reportedly made the racial comment.

King's detailed account on The Wednesday Hang went beyond his painful exit.

The former referee also opened up about the daily pressures and high-strung culture inside WWE during his tenure.

UNFORGIVING PRODUCTION CULTURE

King recalled another surreal experience working under former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon on Monday Night Raw.

The incident took place during a guest host episode featuring the iconic characters from The Muppets.

Before going live, McMahon issued a strict and very specific command to King regarding the puppet Beaker.

McMahon explicitly ordered King not to look at Beaker under any circumstances during the segment.

During rehearsals, King accidentally turned around and caught sight of the character.

The mistake caused McMahon to immediately halt the entire arena production.

"He said, 'Are you f***ing hard-headed? Don't turn around. Don't look at Beaker. You like your job?'" King remembered.

The dressing down was so intense that King confessed he was utterly terrified inside the ring.

He admitted that the extreme scare almost caused him to have a bathroom accident right on television equipment.

CUTTING THE LINE AT FCW

King also witnessed contrasting paths taken by aspiring performers trying to break through the company's doors.