5 things to know about John Cone, father of the new RAW tag team champion

Last night at WrestleMania 34, WWE fans found out after weeks of speculation that Braun Strowman's mystery tag team partner was us. All of us - each of us, as Braun cut the most babyface promo he's ever managed since his repackaging after 2016.

More specifically, his tag team partner was an elementary school-aged child pulled seemingly at random from the Superdome crowd, whom many sources report is the son of WWE referee John Cone, the referee working the RAW tag team championship match that night.

While he's on your WWE television on a weekly basis, you might not be too familiar with Mr. Cone, so here's the lowdown on what you need to know about the father of your newest (and youngest) WWE "superstar".

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#5 This wasn't his first time officiating a match for The Bar, not by a long shot

Cone is very familiar with the Celtic Warrior and the Swiss Cyborg.

Sheamus and Cesaro mentioned during a 2017 appearance on Talk is Jericho that, just like wrestlers enjoy working with other performers they know, wrestlers tend to work with the same referees on a regular basis.

Working with a referee who is intimately familiar with your move-set, pacing, timing, and selling style makes matches flow better and helps performers be safer, since the official will know much more easily if an injury is legitimate.

Look at every match since the pairing of Sheamus and Cesaro, and you'll notice that most, if not all, feature a familiar black-haired face wearing the referee's uniform.

Just like Charles Robinson for Ric Flair, John Cone seems to be the referee of choice for The Bar, and frequently for Strowman too (more on that later); additionally, Sheamus and Cesaro have made promotional appearances for one of Cone's other non-wrestling projects.

#4 His "side hustle" has made him breakfast royalty in Kansas City

Pastry fans in Kansas City have long known Cone's name.

Last night was not the first time Cone has gotten into business with a relative.

When he's not slapping the mats for WWE pinfalls, Cone along with his wife and sister-in-law are co-owners of Donut King in North Kansas City, Missouri; while many fans might not have had the opportunity to set foot inside the shop (this writer has, only because it's within walking distance), regular viewers of WWE.com content have seen the store several times.

In 2016, WWE filmed its WWE Chubby Bunny Challenge, featuring Heath Slater, Renee Young, The Ascension, and Cesaro, at the store, and superstars make occasional appearances there when WWE is in town.

The store also features a display honoring Cone's main line of work, with three of his referee shirts hanging alongside a Cena-era WWE Championship in the lobby. Cone is regularly known backstage as The Donut King as well.

Odds are, they'll have one more piece of hardware to hang now!

#3 He's not just a referee; he plays one on WWE.com

That mustachioed referee must be doing some method acting.

Recently, WWE fans were treated to a series of videos posted online seemingly made by bored superstars trying to keep themselves entertained on the road; they featured a fictional defunct wrestling promotion called Southpaw Regional Wrestling, and showed numerous WWE stars in ridiculous late 1970s - early 1980s gear playing the types of characters they grew up watching on UHF stations.

Cone played referee Chip Henderson, hiding his trademark slicked-back black hair under a mullet wig and donning a ridiculous mustache; the videos became an instant hit, and John Cone's consummate good guy official was a fan favorite of many.

#2 He was connected with another wrestling legend

Count John Cone as one of the countless WWE performers who would not be on television now were it not for "Handsome" Harley Race.

Before getting invited to referee at the highest level in professional wrestling, Cone was just a fan who tried out for a local NWA affiliate when he was 16 years old; Cone was told he was too small to wrestle, but went to train anyway, before becoming involved with Harley Race's Wrestling Academy.

Race regularly promotes shows in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area, and it was at one of these shows during a camp promoted by the academy that John Laurinaitus came to scout talent.

He invited Cone to try out, and gave the Donut King a dark match between Big Vito and Scotty II Hotty at Kansas City's Kemper Arena to referee.

Invited to a second dark match tryout in St. Louis immediately afterward, Cone was hired; Cone has been refereeing for WWE now since July of 2006.

#1 He's gone viral before

WWE fans knew this moment would be great, but had no idea John Cone would help make the moment a classic.

While Google searches for Cone's name have surely spiked in the 12 hours or so since Nicholas left the Superdome a champion, this is not the first time the referee has sparked an internet sensation.

Besides Southpaw Regional Wrestling, Cone's other bit of online stardom came during a 2017 match between Braun Strowman and The Big Show.

Selling the brute force and massive size of the two men, WWE opted to have RAW end that night with the behemoths collapsing the ring after a superplex; it's been done many times, and is always entertaining, but Cone goes over the top (literally) to add to the spectacle.

Videos and gifs of Cone flying over the top rope became an internet sensation overnight, and even inspired some joking obituaries for the official.