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

#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.