"Ron Mils has a great knowledge of the role of a referee, and has the ability to make a good match great by being a part of it."
-from Carolina Independent Wrestling.com, after being named Referee of the Year, 2007.The only thing that superceeds West Potter's numerous professional and personal accomplishments is the fact this young man is just 25. An accomplished writer, athlete, coach, performer and sports personality, Potter has reached the pinnacle of his many chosen fields within a time frame those twice his age never see in a lifetime.
A self-taught tennis standout at Ayden Grifton High School in the late 90s, West went undefeated in his 2001 senior campaign, finishing the regular season at 11-0. Also an accomplished trumpeter in the AG marching and concert bands, he was one of the few local musicians chosen to perform 'Hail to the Chief' for the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, on a tour of the area. At 18, Potter was also highlighted in an internationally published book, The Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling: 100 years of the good, the bad and the Unforgettable By Kristian Pope and Ray Whebbe, Jr, which documented his wrestling memorabilia collecting accomplishments. At one time, West held the mantle as the owner of the largest privately held collection of original Ric Flair ring worn robes on planet earth.
His final year of high school was marked with other laurels that included receiving The Scholastic Journalist Award from the The Daily Reflector, being named a North Carolina Academic Scholar, as well as being the recipient of numerous academic scholarships to attend East Carolina University. Perhaps his most noteworthy achievement came not in the classroom, but within the squared circle of a professional wrestling ring. That very same year, West embarked on a yearlong, school-related project on the sport that would lay the groundwork for many of his professional accolades in the years to come. To this day, his Senior Project that included a 30-minute speech and presentation, 18-page detailed research paper and numerous interviews is regarded by the faculty as the very best in school history.
That fall, Potter entered ECU as an ambitious freshman with goals of graduating with honors while pursuing a communications degree in television. Never one to follow a single path, Potter officially entered the world of pro wrestling, this time, as an active referee. He officiated his first match in Greenville, NC in front of over 300 fans for the local Universal Wrestling Council promotion. Since that time, he's never looked back! While continuing his higher education, Potter adopted the ring persona of 'Ron Mils,' a name lifted from one of his favorite entertainers, country music legend Ronnie Milsap, for his moonlight wrestling pursuits.
A student during the weekdays and a referee by night, Potter began to travel eastern North Carolina to learn his craft. At 20, West was again published and credited for his contributions to the publication, The North Carolina State Fair: The First 150 Years, authored by Melton McLaurin. During this period he was also interviewed by Raleigh, NC-based News and Observer writer Richard Stradling in an article detailing the history of the city's famed Dorton Arena sports coliseum.
At age 21, Mils landed the biggest break of his career when he was hired by the Virginia-based Ward Family Promotions outfit. At the company's annual charity event, Mils was honored to be the official selected to charge Dusty Rhodes v. Kamala in front of a record 2,700 fans, the largest crowd for a non-World Wrestling Entertainment event of 2004. In November of that same year, he became the first referee to officiate a wrestling match at North Carolina's famed Spindale House in nearly 24 years since a riot shut the building down to wrestling in June of 1981. During this time, Mils work began to establish close associations with many wrestling legends such as Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Tully Blanchard, the Rock N Roll Express and Midnight Express among others. During this period, Potter also found paid work locally as an actor performing in several dinner-theater productions around eastern Carolina.
Just one year later, he graduated cum laude in 3 1/2 years from ECU with a BS degree in Communications, and was the recipient of the faculty-selected Outstanding Student Award from the Communication department for the fall of 2004. Shortly after ending his college career, West received a call that would take him back home, literally. In February of 2005, Potter became the youngest head coach (age 22) in Pitt County Schools history when he assumed coaching duties as the head of his high school alma mater's boys tennis team. His sports journey had taken him full circle as the team he led to success as a player in the late 90s was now his to lead to success as a coach in 2005. That team finished the 2008 season as Carolina Conference Champions, suffering just one loss the entire year. As a coach, he can boast of having sent at least one player to the NC High School Athletic Association regional tennis tournament in each of his seasons as a coach, currently 5 seasons running!
Working as a high school coach, West also began giving private tennis instruction throughout the community in addition to his weekend work as referee, a tradition he continues to this day. His wrestling travels began taking him throughout the South, as well as to parts of the Midwest. Mils began working in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina as well as Missouri and Illinois. He found himself working before the largest independent crowds in the country with Ward Family Promotions in VA and with Carolina Championship Wrestling in Lenior and Shelby, NC, and at SC's famed Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in November of 2005 in front of a sold out crowd of over 3,500 rabid fans at the company's highly promoted 'Tribute to 'Cade' event.
In August of 2005, the 22 year old was allowed to referee the opening contest of a WWE Smackdown worldwide television taping at the historic Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC, and his list of accolades tells the rest of the story. During the telecast, Mils had a brief appearence on UPN TV, making him the first broadcasting student from ECU to reach a network TV level so quickly, doing so in just over 8 months from graduation. In March of 2006, he refereed for a Total-Nonstop-Action houseshow which completed his run of working for the two largest wrestling groups in America by age 23.
In April, Mils refereed at Hog-a-Mania, a Ward Family event with country artists, Little Big Town in front of 3,000 fans, the largest non-WWE crowd of 2006. The year was capped off with a 10-2 run by his Ayden Grifton girls tennis team. He has worked with WWE in an extra capacity four years running, has appeared on nearly 2-dozen internationally traded DVDs and held a slew of head referee posistions in dozens of outfits around the country. He cites his WWE extra talent talent booking in December of 2007 as one his greatest professional accomplishments: "I was coming off of a long dry period with WWE, so it was great to be back, and it was even more of an honor to be there in a working capacity sharing the evening as a peer of Ric Flair when he faced Triple H in Greensboro in what was one of the last meaningful matches of his legendary career; it was like watching Babe Ruth hit what you undoubtedly knew was one of his last home runs in Yankee Stadium." Mils has worked with the WWE, TNA/UWF, NWA, AWA and WFP in addition to hundreds of groups around the country.
Never short of ambition, in the summer of 2006 Potter launched his own promotions company, Big Time Wrestling , and promoted successful Sunday matinees for the remainder of that year in NC. Shortly after the creation of BTW, Mils became the subject of an independent film which he co-wrote and helped produce, Tapped Out. The attention required to organize such an undertaking took Mils away from his refereeing duties in other companies and he missed touring.
All the accomplishments he has amassed take a back seat, however, to his first love. Ron Mils lives for the ring. "I have produced events for my own company and I have produced events for others, but nothing compares to being in front of a live crowd, in the ring, under those bright lights," Mils explains. Fans who have seen him work, agree. Known as one of the sport's hardest-working hands, maintaining a hefty events schedule and a steady presence both in the ring and behind the curtain, Ron's dedication to be the best is unsurpassed. Ron has been on the road since he was 18; his 2007 "Road to 200" tour was a world record-setting effort that culminated in an astonishing 204 matches officiated in the 2007 calendar year.
He is one of professional wrestling's true treasures. He's celebrated not only for his in-ring contributions, but also for his tireless efforts to document and preserve the sport's history as well. Critics have hailed him as a classic, traditional performer of the first order and some of the business' most legendary figures from Ric Flair, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes to referees Ron West and Tommy Young echo this sentiment.
Mil's status as an iconic figure grows with each live event. His stature in the industry is easily gauged; he has officiated over 500 matches in less than 7 years, had the call for a World record 204 matches in 2007 alone, been the most oft-utilized official on the independent circuit. In the summer of 2008, Mils appeared briefly as a security guard on the Sci-Fi Network's production of ECW, where he starred along side of Teddy Long and Tommy Dreamer. Fresh off the heels of his various WWE stints and his celebrated 2007 campaign, this year you will find Ron doing what his does best, touring and working the dimly lit bars and recreation halls of his rookie years around the South. "The armories and rec. centers are home for me; that's where I cut my teeth and learned my craft. No matter where I go, I will always remember where I came from, and I will never forget these towns or the fans," Mils said. Aptly dubbed 'The Pilgrim' for his propensity to journey alone in his quest for success, he is in a constant struggle to improve, "I'm always trying to get better. I want to be the best."
Currently, West coaches tennis at South Central High School, gives private tennis instruction and continues to referee events each week throughout the South. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, running, playing golf and cooking.
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Reffing George South v. Jason Jones at the old Independence Arena in Charlotte, NC. Dec. 2005:
What others in the industry are saying about Ron Mils:
"I really like your work." -Matt Hardy, "Good job, baby!" -Dusty Rhodes, "Good work." -Harley Race, "Good job out there!" -Jerry Lawler, "I thought you did ok." -Sgt. Slaughter, "You're work is fine" -Ricky Steamboat, "Your work looks great!" -Tommy Young, "You did a good job out there tonight." -Earl Hebner, "Solid job tonight." -Tully Blanchard, "When can you give me tips?!" -Nikita Koloff, "You looked fine" -Tim White, "I thought you did great, kid." -Nick Patrick, "You are one of the greatest refs I have ever seen." -Norman Smiley, "You have that referee look" -Larry Zbyszko, "You're one of the best refs today." -Jimmy Valiant, "You are a good referee." -Tommy Dreamer, "You are a real professional!" -Ivory.
"You've got between 4 and 6 minutes on that tv to show the promoter and everybody watching you what makes you special and what makes you different." - Ric Flair, referencing Blackjack Mulligan, at the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame.
"You've never walked in that man's shoes or saw things through his eyes/Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies/Some were paupers some were kings and some were masters of the arts/But in their shame they're all the same these men with broken hearts" -Hank Williams, Sr. (as sung in 'Men with Broken Hearts')
"Tell the gossipers and the liars I'll see 'um in the fire, let the train blow the whistle when I go." -Johnny Cash (I really like that quote!)
"Defeat is a great equalizer among men; rising from that defeat is what seperates them."
"Only those bold enough to chase dreams are the ones who catch them." -Unknown
"If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style!" -Unknown
The Greatest:
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