I'm not even a wrestling fan, but the guy being amazed at the money raised and saying "I guess those years really meant something" genuinely made me emotional
Yeah that was from the film The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. It’s about Jake the Snake fighting his addiction and trying to get healthy. Fantastic documentary and brought tears to my eyes.
It was a total eye opener for me. I had no idea that all of my favorite childhood heroes have suffered and/or are suffering as I enjoy watching them go in the ring. Thanks John.
^Or they could've been given the means while wrestling to support themselves once those days were done. Most of these wrestlers aren't able to get traditional 9 to 5 jobs, and many are so physically damaged from wrestling that they can't easily do manual labor or anything too strenuous. Like Piper said, many go back literally because they have no other choice and desperately need the paycheck
@@nightlightabcd like what genius?If ya can't stand for more than an hour,do what?McDonald's?What Real job pays for Extreme medical expenses accrued from the Previous Real Job?You fuckin shithead
I'm just a random person, reading the comments, admiring the fact that John Oliver was able to shine a light on an issue that both wrestling fans and non-fans can appreciate. 👏👏
After watching this, I realize how Incredibly Lucky Dwayne Johnson is that he found such success as an actor, he managed to Get out of Wrestling before it killed him too
People keep commenting like "wow, a non-political episode!" seemingly unaware that just because something doesn't mention a politician's name, doesn't mean there aren't politics. This is totally political, workers' rights are a very valuable political issue to discuss, including workers whose job is punching each other.
You need to do a follow up story to this. In the past two years they’ve blocked wrestlers from having twitch accounts and more, and have released wrestlers due to “budget cuts” during the pandemic despite being the most profitable they’ve ever been. Also, the Saudi blood money deal. So many ways you can go. A truly horrific company.
Huge Wrestling fan here - Bless you John Oliver, this needed to be said. Wrestling has evolved a lot for the better in many ways but a lot of change still required. Thank you for this, and I hope WWE and the fans are listening
Wwe isn’t the only wrestling company that doesn’t provide health care Indy wrestling promotions TNA Lucha Underground don’t provide health insurance either. Its all wrestlers that are independent contractors not just WWE.
@@jakesorrentino7230 I'm aware - but as the industry leader making hand over fist, especially with a 450 million dollar deal to put on a super show in Saudi Arabia for the next ten years, it is time for WWE to start giving back to their employees like any other corporate brand in other fields. Seeing them do it would compel others to as well. And let's face it the 'independent contractor' element is pretty shitty - naturally the wrestlers are signing because they know this is the game so they are in a sense responsible for anything that happens but it is for this very fact that the whole system itself needs to change
@@jakesorrentino7230 Then that makes them terrible employers and it would make people want to work for the WWE even more than before. Also, of course the WWE is always going to be the standard or scapegoat as you say - they have worked tremendously hard to be and stay on top, and as the industry leader they are going to be scrutinized harder than anyone and looked to as an example. There is no getting away from that fact
Wwe does pay for health problems for the talent as of now and been doing this for over 10 years or a little longer. They can’t get the talent insured because no insurance company will ever cover them. But the talent do make a lot more than previous talents which means they can save up for retirement and health plans if they choose to.
Gotta say man, I'm not usually the biggest John Oliver fan. You did a lot of work here man, showed heart and stood up for the performers and the industry. I respect the hell out of this.
Ultimo Bot idk, he basically told the fans to shit on the biggest show of the year for the wrestlers and to some wrestlers, the biggest moment of their career. They are trying to put on a show and it’s going to be ignored because this guy told them to hijack the show.
@@stevemygoodman7809 considering those moments of stardom may very Well lead to An early Grave i think they are still going to be better off in the long-term if this actually chances something.
Akshat Bajpai you think Kofi wants his moment to be hijacked? Becky Lynch? Seth Rollins? He wrestled in the Indys. He knows how much better WWE is compared to the Indys. What about AJ Styles. He knows how much rougher it is in the independents. Instead of hijacking the show, just don’t show up. Stop watching, but don’t ruin it for everyone else.
Yeah.... My childhood was filled with kids who loved him and all those guys who began wrestling on local TV. I think the first time I saw him I was 9 or 10, around 1977 or so, screaming at the camera, inside a broadcast booth, with chicken a wired window to fend off beer bottles being flung inside.... when I was a teen, the WWF began and that's where he went. I thought he'd "made the big time" but wow. He even did some acting..... It's just sad.
The fun part is that he will get booed and signs are being held up during the tapings and he can attribute all of that not to his actual person but the villain persona. It's actually genius.
Ramen. I'm really hoping AEW will provide some good competition that provides most/all these needed benefits and force WWE to re-evaluate how it does business. Because unfortunately as the Saudi deal shows us, Vince is happy to listen to fans, right up until he thinks it will get between him and money. (Also stop treating Asuka so poorly goddammit...)
I love how much of a genuine fan John Oliver is, and we don't have to sit here and listen to him make fun of us for being so stupid for enjoying this sport
You obviously mean "sport" cuz without competition, it's just really bad actors doing their own dangerous and ultimately unrewarded stunts for your entertainment with not so meritorious (predetermined) outcomes. Historically whichever ones Vince McMahon thinks will keep you buying merch, pay-per-views and tickets to the cartoonist crap. All that said, do you, buddy. I mean you're being had haha but the concussions, broken backs and lacerated organs ARE REAL (cuz the performers are also being had 🤑) so fuck it, ENJOY! 🤘😆
@@RyanD8293 I love how the continuous argument against pro wrestling fans is "it's predetermined", as if we're completely clueless to the notion. At least kayfabe is openly dead. If you've ever seen referees with Tom Brady, you'll know the NFL is pretty close to predetermined, too, lol. The wrestlers are athletes AND entertainers. It's just that simple, yet just that hard. But I'm sure their success in Hollywood shows how inept (I obviously mean "inept") they actually are at that 😉
Just when I thought I couldn't think any higher of John Oliver, he shows pro wrestling love AND he takes WWE to task on their "independent contractor" bs.
19:30-20:00 I kid you not, I legitimately teared up there. Bless that man and those people who helped him out. Edit: Never got this many likes before. Thanks, guys!
I haven't watched wrestling since WWF in the 90s, but this video is pretty awesome. Diamond Dallas Page, the guy sitting next to Jake the Snake in the segment you mentioned, is amazing. I'm not surprised he was somehow involved with the most touching moment of this video. If you haven't heard of DDP Yoga, his business/ organization, you should check out their TH-cam videos. Arthur Boorman's transformation is so good. I watch it like once per year. lol DDP's super inspirational and has helped a lot of people, former wrestlers and everyday people. :)
That made me sad at first but then really angry. Just another sociopath "capitalist" pawning their responsibility off on other citizens, just another form of corporate welfare.
When I started watching this I was like "really? a show about wrestlers?" and now I feel that this is something I'll never forget. These people clearly need to get better conditions from their EMPLOYER
Thanks for that. I was wondering where they were going to go with the show. I always dismissed wrestling as a joke and that the fans were idiots. This made me see that they are people, many struggling to earn a living. I hope the fans revolt and the wrestlers are treated fairly.
@@LeSethX their contract are practically illegal, one thing they have in their contract is no complete cause for 90 days if released or if you let your contract expire. You can not put a no compete clause on a independent contractor, unless their employees then yes but yeah that is illegal
WWE fans will ALWAYS choose the wrestlers first, whether from the 80's or now, the wrestlers truly have a committed and loving fanbase and I hope they know that. They made tens of millions people's childhoods incredible and we never forget that as adults.
Wrestling fans have absolutely no loyalty to WWE whatsoever, if it collapsed tomorrow and a new company took its place, no fan would really mind, wrestling fans are only loyal to the wrestlers
The near prophetic words of Roddy Piper about his death brough a tear to my eye. John rightly ripped Vince and WWE to shreds. The tiny segment involving Bret Hart was equally important. Brilliant episode.
One of the most troubling things is the fact that the wrestlers John featured in this piece were very high profile, legendary wrestlers, and were still treated incredibly poorly. Imagine the more mid-tier wrestlers who commit just as much and are even LESS valued by the WWE. This issue has been well documented for years, hopefully Oliver's piece finally shines enough light on it to see something get done.
If you're interested in seeing some of their harrowing stories, the 2015 documentary "Prescription thugs" by Chris Bell depicts some lesser known wrestlers struggles with drug abuse, and ultimately, deaths (as well as drug abuse in other sports).
Remember how the wwe still calls them independent contractors while: Having exclusive contracts, not letting them have youtube or twitch without getting a cut, LITERALLY OWNING THEIR NAMES AND IMAGES
Yep. God bless America, eh? This is about the only country on earth I can imagine a company like WWE getting away with these types of business practices. It’s not at all surprising that Vince McMahon is good friends with Trump. Good enough friends that Vince’s wife Linda was able to score a position in Trump’s cabinet. Birds of a feather 🪶
@@Pretermit_Sound Well, Linda and Vince have been separated for years, and they only haven’t divorced for the benefits. And honestly, Linda was one of the few people in Trump’s extensive history of cabinet appointees who wasn’t a complete boob.
@@redjed100 oh, I didn’t know they were separated. Interesting. You’re right though, about her being one of the more “adult” figures in the Trump admin. I don’t think she lasted the whole term either, probably because she had at least SOME scruples.
Yeah i can see trademarking something, even like Kevin Owens (real name Kevin Steen) but someone's ACTUAL birth name? There's a reason wrestlers use aliases and gimmicks
It’s not really a trait exclusive to him. It’s an old school mentality whenever someone outside of the business criticizes it. A wrestler by the name of Vader got arrested back in the 90s in Kuwait because he assaulted the interviewer for calling wrestling fake
Kinda. He legit wants the fans to think the people actually act the way they act. But yes I would absolutely put all my money on him acting that way in his personal life. Legit psychopath
I always assumed they received really good health care, surgeries needed, physical therapy, etc. I've been to one live show and holy smokes they definitely need health coverage.
Oh sure, they’ll pay for their surgeries if it gets them back in the ring quicker. But once you can’t perform, you’re screwed. You get kicked out the door. Oh and other health care and benefits, not ever. I can only hope it will improve with Vince McMahon gone but I doubt it. His daughter and that greedy thumb Nick Kahn will do the same.
Afaik the company has a policy of voluntarily providing good medical care and paying the bills of their currently active non-employees but doesn't accept any legal commitment to do so.
WWE make billions per year, absolutely no reason to not pay health insurance. This is similar to UFC, and also how the NFL treats cheerleaders. In all honesty though, if I was paid millions, I'd definitely set money aside for health Insurance. Many wrestlers, mma fighters don't make that much though, especially outside of these corporations.
As a kid I believed this too. When I got into the insurance industry did it upset me knowing they aren’t provided this by WWE because it easily would be too expensive. Expensive meaning they just don’t want to pay it.
@@thebigtimechannel9927 Painkillers he became addicted to due to the necessity of long term use directly posed by his career. Which is still on Vince. Just for clarification.
@@thebigtimechannel9927 What comes into play there is why wrestlers get addicted to drugs. You'll find stories of wrestlers using drugs (prescription or hard) and even alcohol to try to numb the pain from what they're going through. Jake was popular during a time where wrestlers were really putting their bodies through the grinder. So popping pills or doing some sort of hard drugs because for a little amount of time it causes whatever pain you're experiencing to go away wasn't uncommon. Like John mentioned, these wrestlers work through the year. Multiple shows a week and no off season like you see in other sports. There's no time for them to have their bodies rest and recover naturally. So they end up reaching for drugs to help them through those times.
As soon as Jake The Snake came on I sobbed so hard. You can really see the pain in his eyes, even the shame he feels. Yet the freaking fan pull through for him. My heart hurts. Bless him.
@@williammccormick2802 i think he meant more like all the years he put himself through that hell and all that happened to his body meant something in the end if we, the fans, care about him and want to help.
I'd so love a follow up to this one, Vince's hush money payments, releasing 180 people during a pandemic, the Saudi blood money, and how AEW was essentially started in spite of WWE as a true alternative, or how just last week they fired a superstar (who's whole gimmick was that she's sexy) because her fantime page got leaked and she was being too sexy (it's the whole not actually an independent contractor bit).
I really want to see how this goes. Was never into wrestling as a fan, but knew a few wrestlers and/or their loved ones. Many start careers here in Louisville at Ohio Valley Wrestling. This was a great episode but it does need an update. Especially with all the recent news. 👍
Having only independant contractors also mean McMahon does not pay any payroll taxes. He is stiffing FICA (social security and medicare) out of taxes he should be paying.
"When you've lost the moral high ground to the NFL, you are morally subterranean." There is something seriously wrong with Vince. I hope this report makes things better for wrestlers. 👍
I hope so but that may not even happen. When Jesse the Body Ventura attempted to start a Wrestler's Union, he stated that Hulk Hogan snitched on him to Vince McMahon, so Vince stamped it out. With unions, health insurance, benefits and off-seasons, wrestlers could get more benefits and possibly more money, but those who make tons of money take a pay cut. If Jesse was able to establish a wrestler's union, Hulk Hogan would've made a lot less money, and he was making millions of dollars per pay-per-view. The SummerSlam event with Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth's "wedding" (God rest their souls), Elizabeth made $50,000, and Macho Man made $75,000 for holding a fake wedding. Those who wrestled at that Summerslam and risked injuries didn't make anywhere near that amount of money.
@@job489 wow! Thanks for this great info. Ya, it'd be tough to start a union if some people, especially the ones with the biggest voices and paychecks, don't want it. Hope the small time wrestlers come up with something, or the more successful ones join them anyway. 👍
As a hardcore wrestling fan i keep revisiting this video again and again and always get amazed how true this is. This isn't even half of the stuff terrible and toxic about WWE.
I seriously expected that by the end John would be slammed into a table, with a graphic that said: LAST WEEK TONIGHT, NOW WITH A GUY EXPLODING THROUGH A TABLE with John Oliver
To be sincere, Oliver doesn't have the balls to take a decent bump. I mean, even David Arquette has wrestled. Jim Cornette is not a true wrestler, and he has taken massive bumps. Oliver is a comedian, not a wrestler.
I'm glad someone is finally going after the WWE and calling out there BS... I really hope this makes a wave of change in that place, CM Punk tried to warn the masses but everyone hated him.
No one hates CM Punk. The WWE crowds still frequently chant his name! No one took notice when he spoke out because CM Punk doesn't have a huge audience outside the wrestling world.
Yes we need to help those people that get paid $3 million a year. Let's help Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Wal-Mart ceos too. Let's raise money for Jeff bezos cause he only gets an $83,000 a year salary which isn't even a living wage according to teachers that work 180 days for the same pay that poor Jeff has to work 12 hour days year round for. And who is paying for Jeff bezos health insurance?
@Hadi Purwanto tell them to quit then. Tell tripple h to quit is $2.8 million a year job and go flip burgers so he can have benefits and not get hurt. Tell the rock....whos best year made $65 million between movies and wrestling to quit letting himself be exploited in crappy action movies and to go lay brick with the Mexicans so he has work comp.
@Hadi Purwanto why don't you call the wrestlers up and tell them come work for you. You are going to start a new wrestling league. And you'll work for free so they aren't exploited. You'll give them an hourly wage and benefits.
Contrary to how OP’s comment unintentionally might make it seem, Razor Ramon did not die due to complications for having spent his youth in professional wrestling, he died after falling in his home and then them fixing it caused a blood clot, which then lead to him suffering *three* heart attacks that finally killed him. He did not leave this world at 63 due to the direct fault of WWE like Owen Hart at 34, or Chris Benoit at 40, or Eddie Guerrero at 38.
Yes, but everyone knows how much of an alcoholic he was in the 90s. Even his coworkers back then knew it. There were attempts to help him, but sadly it didn’t work until the 10s when DDP helped him with yoga. Even WCW didn’t do much either. Let me remind you that even an AA program didn’t exist back then. His past of alcohol abuse did diminish his years. It was an indirect cause, but it still hurt his body.
@cpk1994 what is your issue with Oliver, you made a very similar comment on another part of the comments section for this video. are you being a smarmy little cynic because you need attention??? Are you an ex- wrestler named chad who had a dream and it didn’t come true? Not in the way you’d hoped and now your just being cynical toward J.O. because at this point you just dare not hope, because that would be another little death...?
MechaMew2 it’s a broad statement. Do you want them banned? Do you want them fined? Do you want them to fire Vince? How is it clear to you what that vague statement means? There is only one way to hold someone accountable?
Yeah I think we’re all figured out that Vince McMahon was a bit of a scumbag but now🤷♂️I just accepted the fact he’s been a punching bag for every wrestler coming his way since forever talk about “pitching”ideas😈.
Thank you for this, as a die hard fan, I want to see these wrestlers live long and healthy lives. They put their body on the line every single night, this is the least they can do for them.
I, being a naive, always thought that WWE would take care of their insurance/medical bills like many other companies do in US. How wrong I was. Really sad condition of the wrestlers.
That's nice and all... but why the hell wouldn't you care until now? A lot of his shows are dedicated to helping people who need help! Highlighting issues that affect common, "salt of the Earth", folk. Just because he's British and snarky doesn't mean he or his staff don't give a fuck about blue collar people just trying to provide for themselves and their families. Seriously, I don't get how anyone could not like him or this show.
@@delugesofgrandeur likely it's because of the type of elitism you are displaying now. He came from the daily show. That is a left leaning show. Therefore it is expected that Last Week Tonight would also be a left leaning show. As you said though he generally tries to take a more populist stance, though he does bag on the trump administration a lot.
This is true. I kind of follow the wrestling industry and a lot of WWE guys talk about this. Check out Sam roberts, Wrestletalk, Cultaholic, any wreslters podcasts/radio shows, any wrestling channel because they go in depth about these issues. Also, listen to CM Punks interview on Colt Cabanas podcast he elaborates on his problem
7:55 And Owen Hart didn't just die from health complications. He died by falling nearly 80 ft into the ring because the WWE thought it was a good idea to not only force him to do a stunt that he only performed a couple times before, but to use a quick release harness that couldn't properly support his weight.
While the “character” Vince is an asshole, it’s important to note that the real Vince is also an asshole. -John Oliver, 2019 Never has a more perfect phrase been uttered. Thank you, John.
Ian Nedved It’s also important to note that Vince’s face has also been deep in the actual asshole of one of his wrestlers so if you need any solace out of any of this, there’s one.
Can say how happy it makes me that John covered this.. He is only scratching the surface of WWE’s dark underbelly, so I’m glad the public gets a glimpse of it.
@@ariaalexandria3324 So are the people who eat meat, drive gasoline based cars, watch porn, and so on and so on. It's very complex, as the video showed. It's not perfect, true, you are right, but as Oliver said WWE fans are ridicously vocal so it's not a passive relationship.
This type of "independent contracting" is actually a crime here. It's called "disguised employment". Those who caught doing this pays a huge fine and must end the practice. In case of workplace accidens, must be full responsible.
@@leebarbs7176 I don't know where GT is from, but in Sweden this type of arrangement wouldn't be allowed. A company can't replace employees with independent contractors in order to avoid liabilities as an employer.
@@felinemoonchildthis is fact, just throw money at politicians and then they can pass laws that deregulate the rich people business so they make more money.
The saddest thing about Dr. Oz is that his fan base was not diminished even after all the news came out about him. My 80 year old grandmother just sees the word doctor and believes that it is a real medical show; of course she is going to take a "real" Doctor's word over mine. People like Dr. Oz should be stopped
@@roberttorres4116 good question. I looked it up and yes it is. This shows when some "drug dealer " has cult followers and some people still quote him as " science ", it means he still makes the network money and it's hard to get them off the air. Also, guess what channel it is on.
@@333angeleyes Yeap, and even government tried and they couldn't do anything about it. Which kinda, sorta makes scenes because freedom of speech is for everyone or no one. But there has to be something that someone can do about people like him, psychics, rehab places, cults and fake churches
Thank you John Oliver. Been a WWF/E fan ever since and you speak the truth. I hope Vince and/or Paul Levesque will be able to give the wrestlers full benefits for Health Insurance.
Hopefully the fed gov will get involved and force them to be signed as employees and force Vince to provide all the benefits that entitles them to as well as payroll taxes he has skirted for 40 yrs
Fun fact: while not in the WWE, Lincoln is very much enshrined in the wrestling hall of fame. Apparently the gangly lawyer was defeated only once in nearly 300 matches.
@@caseking3656 I meant gangly in the terms of having a massive reach advantage due to his height. He's also quoted concerning the cultivation and enjoyment of cannabis.
I love how Jake is wearing a shirt that says "Failure Is Not an Option", while being in tears. A prime example, showing us that expressing real emotions is not a failure, even for the bravest of men.
Or maybe that the american and capitalistic creed of disqualifying people who fail or who don't achieve the most prominent goal is wrong and that we should accept failiure as part of life and learning process.
The UFC should be Next Weeks Topic. The situation is virtually identical. Except the death rates, because the UFC hasn't been around as long and the work load isn't as intense.
Gerry O'Brien I think I have to check the definition of “independent” again in the dictionary. I had the belief that it is the exact opposite of this, but I might be wrong...
Not only was Owen's death an avoidable accident, there is also the Montreal Screw Job... so yeah, that Brett Hart has reason to be pissed at Vince is a massive understatement.
bret’s gripe with how vince handled owen’s death was that the show continued, which was unbelievably digesting and disrespectful. he’s said “what if it was shane, austin” would the show have continued? vince has no capability for emotions im sure
@@rima7286No capability for emotions? He bawled his eyes out talking about Andre being gone. He surely cares about people. Just a very select few, and still in the wrong ways. He lost that money train and it destroyed him. Has to wipe his tears with 1mil dollar bills every night.
@@Illusive1313 It was a pretty bad move on his part. He'd already dismissed the guy interviewing him because he was being asked "Tough" questions. Smacking the sheets of paper out of his hands made it worse because it made him look less believable (in context, didn't see the full interview that the footage is taken from).
So who is he responsible for? Vince has taken care of the families of wrestlers who were either severely injured in the ring and Owens family after he died.
This is a public service for everyone. You are welcome. (Useful for after watching the entire video.) Vince gets hit with trash can lid - 7:07 Vince gets kicked in the face - 10:44 Vince gets his leg cast punched and gets bed-panned - 11:53 Vince gets a face full - 17:05
jeffmakesgames1 All is needed now is Vince signs different contracts that include the word “employee” for his workers, health insurance and other benefits for them and their families.
Finally! Too many news outlets and journalists dismiss wrestlers while painting them as millionaire primadonnas Thank you for the empathy you've shown these entertainers. I've grown out of wrestling but I'll never forget the awe and joy i had as a child watching these men and women. Justice for the wrestlers!
I was thinking the same thing. Earlier I wrote: John that was a great segment! I really love, how you and your team were able to make this show, taking Vince McMahon to town and exposing the dark side of wrestling, or more precisely the WWE, without ridiculing wrestling itself or the wrestlers or the fans, as so many other show hosts and journalists have done in the past. It was compassionate, informative, critical and funny. Well done!
Of all topics you can talk about I never thought you would choose WWE... it makes me question myself why I thought that :D John can literally talk about anything
*Yea pretty convenient he chose to not spend the entire show on the entire Mueller investigation you insane leftists have been desperately pushing for 2.5 years. They probably wanted to but he kept trying to commit suicide between takes*
Just an additional detail to Jesse Ventura’s failed attempt at unionizing: Vince was able to stop Ventura because he was tipped off about it by another wrestler. That other wrestler’s name? HULK HOGAN. The big superhero wrestler of the 80s who got the top spots in shows and got the fattest check and was hailed as a moral paragon of justice and freedom in his day, basically stepped over all his peers because he knew that a wrestlers’ union would help them but also cut into his payday. THAT’S how corporate America gets you: the age old divide and conquer-privilege a select few to build up loyalty in them, as well as resentment in everyone else, so that they can never really band together and get anything done.
16:51 In a whole segment of depressing reveals, for a brief moment I swear you could just feel the air leave the studio when John revealed Roddy's untimely death.
WWE never lost anything because they weren't involved... it was the doctor that sued CM Punk for defamation. Although WWE were supposedly bankrolling him.
Fun fact, Roman gladiators had unions in place for fares needs for fallen gladiators funerals and provide aid to families. They were well conpincated and given the best medical care of their time. Roman gladiators were seen as valuable commodities and well treated in response. So remember an empire built by slaves that kidnapped people and preyed on the poor, used them for a literal BLOOD SPORT were better treat then WWE wrestlers.
According to Forbes, a WWE wrestler on the roster makes $500,000 a year, with top-wrestlers making $1 million or more a year. Not saying that excuses everything, however they can definitely afford their own health insurance.
@@robcoIncorp If I ever see a person get hit by a car I'd imagine you would just walk up to me and shout "WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT THIS PERSON THAT WAS HIT BY A CAR, THERE ARE CHILDREN DYING AROUND THE WORLD YOU INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE" You don't have to be a genius to find out why that logic is flawed.
As an American who has been a wrestling fan for my whole life, I cannot stress how much I love the UK wrestling audience. They are the greatest fans ever.
This is a nationwide problem where sociopathic "capitalists" are using people to make their fortunes then discarding them. The funny thing is, we're so brainwashed that many defend these actions and even admire them.
ImAGdDmnDragn That’s the American education system at works. It was designed in the 1800s to make Americans willing to work over 40 hours a week for minimal pay for greedy bosses... literally. Bernie 2020
I've been a Die Hard Wrestling fan since 1983, and I will continue to Be a Wrestling fan.. That being said, I agree with Everything John Oliver is saying...
@@billyray5232 yeah but Natural causes CAUSED by wrestling. Do i really have to say this? So because they didn't die in the ring, wrestling didn't cause their health problems? Okay i get the fact that hurting yourself is part of the job but they should be able to get healthcare from the WWE after they retire. And if you did the research of your own claim you would realize a lot of these former WWE wrestlers can't afford the healthcare they would need like surgeries, physical therapy or any medication for their long term head/body trama. Even though WWE is fake that doesn't mean these guys aren't getting hurt
As awesome as it would be, hes not a trained professional. Wresting is staged yes obviously, no doubt, but the things they do are still very dangerous and can very much hurt a normal person that doesnt bust through tables for a living.
I used to hate fake wrestling but as I learned more about history and how gruesome humanity can be just for entertainment ... I began to appreciate wrestling entertainment. This new information is mind blowing, these wrestlers deserves better rights
It lets him ignore any criticism and deflect from actual problems. >"He's a piece of shit" >>>"oh, but that's just a character, it's all a script" >"No, he's like, *actually* a piece of shit. Like, he's worse IRL" >>>"He's a heel, it's just a wrestling thing"
Because he knows the fans will eat it up like candy. And he's right. Long as they get their daily dose of sweaty men and even sweatier women they couldn't care less.
I remember not too long ago WWE made a documentary where everyone close to Vince tried to make the distinction between Vince McMahon and the "Mr. McMahon" character on TV. The general consensus of his family and former employees was they were the same guy despite Vince believing otherwise. If anything, Vince isn't self-aware that his character on TV and the man behind the camera are one in the same.
It’s easy to not get pissed off at someone being a shit person if right before you would the Man has one of his own “independent Contractors” shove His Face into Another one of his “Independent Contractors” Asses.
I was even more sad that it was only $7000! People back the dumbest crap with thousands more than the goal amount, and this poor guy needs something actually important.
Humans Zuck I mean it was $7,000 on just the first day of a 30 day Indiegogo campaign. He was asking for $9,000 which means it was a resounding success. I don’t know how much he got in the end but if he got 7 out of 9 thousand on day 1 of 30 I’m willing to bet that crowdfund ended way over the minimum they were asking for.
The sad part is that this applies to a shitload of other professions now. For instance, Upwork is trying to become the WWE of everything but wrestling. I'm lucky to make 10k a year, they take 30% of everything I make, and I have to cover *all* of my own overhead like advertising, heath coverage, retirement, disability/comp, etc. all while not having *any* OSHA protections, no union, and not even any help with something as simple as W2 tax forms.
I will give Vince this. It was an acknowledgement that things needed to change, and that he had to protect his assets. Mind you I'd try to glide on accrued revenue, and cut future matches, but I'm also someone who wouldn't treat my workers as disposable meat.
I have and will watch this many times, because it's another great episode, but almost exclusively to hear him deliver the line: "Wrestling is better than the things you like.". The joy. The glee.
The NFL's plan for retired players has been a literal lifesaver for my grandfather. They pay for most of his nursing home expenses and he has a pension from them.
Their PLAN for retired players? Lol they don't even give them financial advisors when they're in the NFL they don't give a fuck about the players after they leave. There have been so many cases of players with brain injuries getting NO treatment and killing themselves or someone else, people ending up dirt poor and homeless. Just look at all the state money the NFL gets from contracts with cities where stadiums are. Its a multi billion dollar mafia
Man I really hope the fans that go really do this. Some parts of this episode really struck a nerve and I hope the wrestlers get some medical coverage at the very least.
-- Unfortunately, Vince McMahon will never listen to the fans. I mean, to show how self-absorbed and a control-freak Vince is... He's a man who gets legitimately upset if he sneezes. Something that is a bodily reaction and he looses his mind over it. All that matters to Vince is money.
18:37 No the crowd isn't saying "BOOOOO!" They're saying "BOOOOOOOOOY Do we love that Roman Reigns!" To anyone who gets this reference, I legitimately love you.
They're not saying "BOOO!" They're saying "Huuugh!" having made the common mistake of confusing Roman Reigns with Hugh Grant. What with his dashing looks and charisma.
Just when I think I understand how he chooses topics to discuss the nerdy parrot man does 23 minutes on the WWE. And I somehow love him even more than before. Keep doing your thing Mr. Oliver.
@@kikilo9647 yeh I honestly thought the same. Too bad cuz hearing that the British government is as screwed up as mine makes me feel much better somehow.
Wish you’d do an episode like this for military medical care. I was an airborne infantryman allergic to NSAID’s (aspirin, basically). I got dropped into a tree line during an airborne operation and completely screwed my hip and knee. The way medicine works in the army is you have to see your platoon medic (some kid with about as much medical training as someone who volunteers at the Red Cross on weekends), who refers you to a company medic, who refers you to a battalion medic, who refers you to an actual doctor. My platoon level medic, a 17 year old kid, had a platoon sergeant telling him to put off my care until after upcoming training... for two years... Additionally, trying to get anything for the literal constant pain had them accusing me of pursuing narcotics. Despite having a known NSAID allergy. And I’m one of a ton of guys I personally knew with similar stories.
When did this happen? I ask because the Army doctors I know gave out Vicodin and Percocet like it was candy. Tiny cut? Here’s 30 Vicodin. Random pain? Percocet. When my husband left the military, we probably disposed of around 10 bottles full of narcotics. We didn’t have to buy Advil for years due to the amount of NSAIDS we received from Army doctors.
Unfurling Lotus Flower I was in 2013 to 2018. Now, I got all sorts of addictive shit for other injuries but that injury was met by a dickhead medic who stuck with his “this guy is a drug addict” first impression the whole time I was there. I had muscle relaxer prescriptions for days though. Could never take them when I was given them as I was always driving the LMTV and that shit was no joke.
@@unfurlinglotusflower6939 It's all a roll of the dice. It depends on who you get. I had a herniated disc that would flare up if aggravated. About every 2 years on average I did something to fuck it up. The last time was right before JRTC and our PA didn't believe I was in pain as bad as I said I was, so he didn't give me shit. The next morning I couldn't move right when I woke up. It took me 30 mins for my wife to drag me downstairs (I still had to get dressed in my ACU's) and into my vehicle so she could drive me to the hospital where I waited another couple of hours. Once I had some percocet I could move around but they sure were stingy as fuck with it. I was taking 3 800mg Ibuprofen every 3 hours. The dumbass doctor asked why I would do that and I told him because the PA wouldn't give me anything stronger. It just depends on who you get, what rank you are, whether or not the doc likes you, believes you, what training is coming up. My injury was well documented and I only asked for those pain pills when my back hurt (happened about 4-5 times) over an 8 year period and lasted about 2-4 weeks each time. I understand they don't believe every little bitch screaming for pain pills but mine was well documented. So....yeah....good times. Airborne, ATW!!
@@bjam89 The clause that he mentioned, where if they are out with injury for a certain amount of time they can be fired, instead of firing they can also just tack that time onto the end of the contract as well. Despite the fact that said injury happened on the job.
Leilani Dru Yes, as states in their contract. They can not only get fired if they’re out for 6+ weeks but WWE has the option to instead add on your contract by the time you’re out. They got three choices: Do Nothing, Fire You or add time on your contract
I would like to humbly suggest as a chant, for people attending RAW and particularly Smackdown today and tomorrow, "GIVE THEM HEALTH CARE *CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP*"
We can also tweet #GiveThemHealthcare to @VinceMcMahon and @WWE and @WrestleMania . There's enough of us following across different WWE social media pages that our voice can't be ignored if we can mobilize even 0.1% of the followers
God help the entirety of WWE if Vince McMahon does more than just "sell the shares" from his end, which I hope is nothing to concern about for the moment.
I'm not even a wrestling fan, but the guy being amazed at the money raised and saying "I guess those years really meant something" genuinely made me emotional
That’s Jake Roberts. It’s worth watching the documentary about his recovery.
Same but I felt that way when I saw rody rody piper.
Yeah that was from the film The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. It’s about Jake the Snake fighting his addiction and trying to get healthy. Fantastic documentary and brought tears to my eyes.
I became emotional too. You could feel his pain and joy.
@@paolaquiroz581 why don't you make like the WWE and get the F out? ayyyyy
It was a total eye opener for me. I had no idea that all of my favorite childhood heroes have suffered and/or are suffering as I enjoy watching them go in the ring. Thanks John.
Majority of the well-known wrestlers from the 80s are almost becoming extinct. That is scarily concerning.
They could always get real jobs!
@@nightlightabcd They have real jobs.
^Or they could've been given the means while wrestling to support themselves once those days were done. Most of these wrestlers aren't able to get traditional 9 to 5 jobs, and many are so physically damaged from wrestling that they can't easily do manual labor or anything too strenuous. Like Piper said, many go back literally because they have no other choice and desperately need the paycheck
@@nightlightabcd like what genius?If ya can't stand for more than an hour,do what?McDonald's?What Real job pays for Extreme medical expenses accrued from the Previous Real Job?You fuckin shithead
Jake The Snake saying "I guess all those years meant something" utterly broke my heart.
he's alive and well on aew
I love Jake, thats so sad
Literally made me cry
He certainly made it mean something again when he joined AEW
Eirika Stokes Hey Jake is a damn trooper still being his bad self on AEW.
What a perfect time to make a part 2 of this segment.
I have a feeling that's coming this season now that the new season starts in a few days. There's no way they're letting the Vince scandal slide by.
I would like an update. This one was so good and with Vince and the treatment of women wrestlers, it'll be interesting to see how he tackles it.
Yes, God yes yes!!
Your reply has me looking for the suggestion box lmao.
Let’s hope so… cuz the shit Vince has done is horrible. No pun intended
I'm just a random person, reading the comments, admiring the fact that John Oliver was able to shine a light on an issue that both wrestling fans and non-fans can appreciate. 👏👏
Agreed.
After watching this, I realize how Incredibly Lucky Dwayne Johnson is that he found such success as an actor, he managed to Get out of Wrestling before it killed him too
Agreed and same with Batista. I'm just happy for them.
Fuck I thought about it too. I even started to think that's the case for most superstars.
@@whitesoxrules and John Cena is moving into the acting career too now
@@tomhill3248 Mark Calaway (Undertaker) almost broke character because he was genuinely worried that Mick Foley was seriously hurt.
@@caseykendall5506 He was seriously hurt, but he's Mick Foley, he didn't give a fuck.
People keep commenting like "wow, a non-political episode!" seemingly unaware that just because something doesn't mention a politician's name, doesn't mean there aren't politics. This is totally political, workers' rights are a very valuable political issue to discuss, including workers whose job is punching each other.
As a huge LWT fan, I was kinda happy to watch an episode that didn't feature an ugly ass politician like Pelosi, or McConnell or AOC.
Fake punching but you got the jist.
politics is life
Add in that Oliver's boss lost the Monday Night Wars to a man who put Trump in his hall of fame, and this is Kayfabe News.
Considering Vince's wife is part of Trump's cabinet, it's actually very political.
You need to do a follow up story to this. In the past two years they’ve blocked wrestlers from having twitch accounts and more, and have released wrestlers due to “budget cuts” during the pandemic despite being the most profitable they’ve ever been. Also, the Saudi blood money deal. So many ways you can go. A truly horrific company.
👀👀
No kizzy
Just make one in general about combat sports/combat entertainment being monopolies that exploit their workers with no real security (UFC and WWE)
Didnt you watch the vid lol. Wwe already is blood money. Why all americans lack self awareness
@@souleymaneadellah1176 😭 ok guy
Huge Wrestling fan here - Bless you John Oliver, this needed to be said. Wrestling has evolved a lot for the better in many ways but a lot of change still required. Thank you for this, and I hope WWE and the fans are listening
Wwe isn’t the only wrestling company that doesn’t provide health care Indy wrestling promotions TNA Lucha Underground don’t provide health insurance either. Its all wrestlers that are independent contractors not just WWE.
@@jakesorrentino7230 I'm aware - but as the industry leader making hand over fist, especially with a 450 million dollar deal to put on a super show in Saudi Arabia for the next ten years, it is time for WWE to start giving back to their employees like any other corporate brand in other fields. Seeing them do it would compel others to as well. And let's face it the 'independent contractor' element is pretty shitty - naturally the wrestlers are signing because they know this is the game so they are in a sense responsible for anything that happens but it is for this very fact that the whole system itself needs to change
Sujoy Chakravarthi And what if WWE does do it and other companies still don’t follow suit? People are always going to use WWE as a scapegoat
@@jakesorrentino7230 Then that makes them terrible employers and it would make people want to work for the WWE even more than before. Also, of course the WWE is always going to be the standard or scapegoat as you say - they have worked tremendously hard to be and stay on top, and as the industry leader they are going to be scrutinized harder than anyone and looked to as an example. There is no getting away from that fact
Wwe does pay for health problems for the talent as of now and been doing this for over 10 years or a little longer. They can’t get the talent insured because no insurance company will ever cover them. But the talent do make a lot more than previous talents which means they can save up for retirement and health plans if they choose to.
Gotta say man, I'm not usually the biggest John Oliver fan. You did a lot of work here man, showed heart and stood up for the performers and the industry. I respect the hell out of this.
are you an ex wwe wrestler by any chance..?? just curious
Naw mang. Just a dude.
Ultimo Bot idk, he basically told the fans to shit on the biggest show of the year for the wrestlers and to some wrestlers, the biggest moment of their career. They are trying to put on a show and it’s going to be ignored because this guy told them to hijack the show.
@@stevemygoodman7809 considering those moments of stardom may very Well lead to An early Grave i think they are still going to be better off in the long-term if this actually chances something.
Akshat Bajpai you think Kofi wants his moment to be hijacked? Becky Lynch? Seth Rollins? He wrestled in the Indys. He knows how much better WWE is compared to the Indys. What about AJ Styles. He knows how much rougher it is in the independents.
Instead of hijacking the show, just don’t show up. Stop watching, but don’t ruin it for everyone else.
"I'm not gonna make 65"
Still hurts me today when Piper said that.
Alex rest in peace Roddy, I watch They Live annually in his honor
R.i.p. piperq
Yeah.... My childhood was filled with kids who loved him and all those guys who began wrestling on local TV. I think the first time I saw him I was 9 or 10, around 1977 or so, screaming at the camera, inside a broadcast booth, with chicken a wired window to fend off beer bottles being flung inside.... when I was a teen, the WWF began and that's where he went. I thought he'd "made the big time" but wow. He even did some acting..... It's just sad.
It's a punch in the gut. Every. Single. Time.
Watching him portray "The Maniac" on Always Sunny makes it even sadder.
Here after Vince McMahon’s resignation, this episodes segments about Vince have aged like a fine wine.
Legit. This popped up as a suggestion and I thought, "oooh how does it hit now McMahon is gone?"
Who took over?
@@wolfe6819 a big company that holds also the UFC and in charge is HHH, a former wrestler
Playing the role of the evil villain while being the evil villain is som pretty meta stuff..
The fun part is that he will get booed and signs are being held up during the tapings and he can attribute all of that not to his actual person but the villain persona. It's actually genius.
Playing an asshole character while being an asshole IRL, yeah. It's a move we like to call the "Doug Walker."
@@apollorainer1991 It's a prophylactic for his ego.
*Kevin Spacey left the group chat*
That is the only thing I give Vince any credit for
Seeing Jake get teary when he realized his fans still care really pulled my heart strings.
Same. I don’t even watch wrestling and I almost cried. It was powerful.
Jake gave the people everything he had to give.
Me, too, and I don’t know anything about the guy.
I was just sitting there: "I'm not crying...I'm not crying...I'm not crying...I'm not crying"
@@Casey5693 same here.
As a diehard WWE fan, this is so true. John, you are a beast. This is truth.
Spread the word...
it's true it's damn true
Aaaand today mcmahon sues
ashuhleaaa I want to see these people chant and have signs.
Ramen.
I'm really hoping AEW will provide some good competition that provides most/all these needed benefits and force WWE to re-evaluate how it does business. Because unfortunately as the Saudi deal shows us, Vince is happy to listen to fans, right up until he thinks it will get between him and money.
(Also stop treating Asuka so poorly goddammit...)
I love how much of a genuine fan John Oliver is, and we don't have to sit here and listen to him make fun of us for being so stupid for enjoying this sport
You obviously mean "sport" cuz without competition, it's just really bad actors doing their own dangerous and ultimately unrewarded stunts for your entertainment with not so meritorious (predetermined) outcomes. Historically whichever ones Vince McMahon thinks will keep you buying merch, pay-per-views and tickets to the cartoonist crap.
All that said, do you, buddy. I mean you're being had haha but the concussions, broken backs and lacerated organs ARE REAL (cuz the performers are also being had 🤑) so fuck it, ENJOY! 🤘😆
@@RyanD8293 I'm just a stupid wrestling fan I don't understand your big words
@@RyanD8293 One of the douchiest replies I've seen in a long time.
@@RyanD8293 I love how the continuous argument against pro wrestling fans is "it's predetermined", as if we're completely clueless to the notion. At least kayfabe is openly dead. If you've ever seen referees with Tom Brady, you'll know the NFL is pretty close to predetermined, too, lol. The wrestlers are athletes AND entertainers. It's just that simple, yet just that hard. But I'm sure their success in Hollywood shows how inept (I obviously mean "inept") they actually are at that 😉
@@casualeann Hollywood? 😂😂😂😂😂😂...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Just when I thought I couldn't think any higher of John Oliver, he shows pro wrestling love AND he takes WWE to task on their "independent contractor" bs.
Same here John is good in my book!!
19:30-20:00
I kid you not, I legitimately teared up there. Bless that man and those people who helped him out.
Edit: Never got this many likes before. Thanks, guys!
Hama Hama the whole documentary is a massive cry fest. I couldn't recommend it enough.
Hama Hama same here
I haven't watched wrestling since WWF in the 90s, but this video is pretty awesome. Diamond Dallas Page, the guy sitting next to Jake the Snake in the segment you mentioned, is amazing. I'm not surprised he was somehow involved with the most touching moment of this video.
If you haven't heard of DDP Yoga, his business/ organization, you should check out their TH-cam videos. Arthur Boorman's transformation is so good. I watch it like once per year. lol DDP's super inspirational and has helped a lot of people, former wrestlers and everyday people. :)
Hama Hama and also consider that Jake Roberts is one of the people who made McMahon rich. He should be living comfortably.
That made me sad at first but then really angry. Just another sociopath "capitalist" pawning their responsibility off on other citizens, just another form of corporate welfare.
When I started watching this I was like "really? a show about wrestlers?" and now I feel that this is something I'll never forget. These people clearly need to get better conditions from their EMPLOYER
The Rowdy Roddy Piper bit hit me really hard. 16:10
I had no idea WWE was so popular or that they had these conditions. I hope for a good result this Sunday.
Thanks for that. I was wondering where they were going to go with the show. I always dismissed wrestling as a joke and that the fans were idiots. This made me see that they are people, many struggling to earn a living. I hope the fans revolt and the wrestlers are treated fairly.
@@LeSethX their contract are practically illegal, one thing they have in their contract is no complete cause for 90 days if released or if you let your contract expire. You can not put a no compete clause on a independent contractor, unless their employees then yes but yeah that is illegal
For all the snobbish sophistication people assume of TV and Hollywood writers, a significant portion of them love WWE.
WWE fans will ALWAYS choose the wrestlers first, whether from the 80's or now, the wrestlers truly have a committed and loving fanbase and I hope they know that. They made tens of millions people's childhoods incredible and we never forget that as adults.
Wrestling fans have absolutely no loyalty to WWE whatsoever, if it collapsed tomorrow and a new company took its place, no fan would really mind, wrestling fans are only loyal to the wrestlers
The near prophetic words of Roddy Piper about his death brough a tear to my eye. John rightly ripped Vince and WWE to shreds. The tiny segment involving Bret Hart was equally important. Brilliant episode.
Damn, I was wondering why he was no longer appearing on its always sunny, so sad to hear.
Relevant documentary: 'Hitman Hart - Wrestling with Shadows'
th-cam.com/video/L3wZhA5s3kI/w-d-xo.html
Wasn't that clip he showed of Bret Hart from before Owen died? I thought the clip he showed of Bret was from after the Screwjob?
All along during that bit i was thinking about Kurt Angle. SO glad he's finally retiring but it might already be too late for him...
Brilliant episode from a brilliant man!
This is just a promo to John Oliver taking over and reforming WWE by defeating McMahon in a hell in the cell match
Wrestlemania 36 Main Event. BOOK IT!!!!!
I wish.
If they did a match, they would do like they did in the Trump angle and have John and Vince use surrogates to fight for their causes.
"OH MY GAAAAWD!"
Wrestlers should do a walk out with the fans.
One of the most troubling things is the fact that the wrestlers John featured in this piece were very high profile, legendary wrestlers, and were still treated incredibly poorly. Imagine the more mid-tier wrestlers who commit just as much and are even LESS valued by the WWE. This issue has been well documented for years, hopefully Oliver's piece finally shines enough light on it to see something get done.
Imagine living in a country where you can't afford healthcare even if you're a famous wrestler...
Lol we seen it where because someone looked at Vince a bad way he got fired oh and yes he was a mid card
If you're interested in seeing some of their harrowing stories, the 2015 documentary "Prescription thugs" by Chris Bell depicts some lesser known wrestlers struggles with drug abuse, and ultimately, deaths (as well as drug abuse in other sports).
@@LordDragox412 being famous doesn't mean you are paid well. It's pretty obvious with these wrestlers.
@@davidboniface858 I think they ARE paid well, it's just that having to pay for their own health care eats up practically everything they make.
Remember how the wwe still calls them independent contractors while: Having exclusive contracts, not letting them have youtube or twitch without getting a cut, LITERALLY OWNING THEIR NAMES AND IMAGES
Yep. God bless America, eh? This is about the only country on earth I can imagine a company like WWE getting away with these types of business practices. It’s not at all surprising that Vince McMahon is good friends with Trump. Good enough friends that Vince’s wife Linda was able to score a position in Trump’s cabinet. Birds of a feather 🪶
@@Pretermit_Sound Well, Linda and Vince have been separated for years, and they only haven’t divorced for the benefits. And honestly, Linda was one of the few people in Trump’s extensive history of cabinet appointees who wasn’t a complete boob.
@@redjed100 oh, I didn’t know they were separated. Interesting.
You’re right though, about her being one of the more “adult” figures in the Trump admin. I don’t think she lasted the whole term either, probably because she had at least SOME scruples.
WWE get paid every time John Cena is in a movie or TV show because they literally own the name John Cena. Y'know, The name he was born with.
Yeah i can see trademarking something, even like Kevin Owens (real name Kevin Steen) but someone's ACTUAL birth name? There's a reason wrestlers use aliases and gimmicks
How he reacted on that real sports interview tells you everything you need to know about the guy.
It’s not really a trait exclusive to him. It’s an old school mentality whenever someone outside of the business criticizes it. A wrestler by the name of Vader got arrested back in the 90s in Kuwait because he assaulted the interviewer for calling wrestling fake
And the undertaker was there too just watching. Doing nothing.
He was just playing you and the interviewer. That's his character. You're a mark.
Kinda. He legit wants the fans to think the people actually act the way they act. But yes I would absolutely put all my money on him acting that way in his personal life. Legit psychopath
@@BigBadJerryRogers sure but he isn't an asshole.
Why doesn't he provide proper care/pension etc for his wrestlers?
Seems like people covered most of the good comments already so I’ll just point out how nice John’s tie is in this. Great color choice.
How perceptive. Thank you for pointing this out.
Great perspective, man! 😁
You could've brought up trump on wwe
He's British so it's colour.
Just noticed he is dressed.
John Oliver, I think you should do a follow-up on this story. Two more wrestlers died this week.
Who?
@@spider-keithasmr38 The Silver King and Ashley Massaro.
@@cedmondsdragonwing oh right
4more
Should've done real wrestling. Pins and submissions are more fun.
I always assumed they received really good health care, surgeries needed, physical therapy, etc. I've been to one live show and holy smokes they definitely need health coverage.
Oh sure, they’ll pay for their surgeries if it gets them back in the ring quicker. But once you can’t perform, you’re screwed. You get kicked out the door. Oh and other health care and benefits, not ever. I can only hope it will improve with Vince McMahon gone but I doubt it. His daughter and that greedy thumb Nick Kahn will do the same.
Nothing. It's the most brutal job I know of and there's no safety net at all.
Afaik the company has a policy of voluntarily providing good medical care and paying the bills of their currently active non-employees but doesn't accept any legal commitment to do so.
WWE make billions per year, absolutely no reason to not pay health insurance. This is similar to UFC, and also how the NFL treats cheerleaders. In all honesty though, if I was paid millions, I'd definitely set money aside for health Insurance. Many wrestlers, mma fighters don't make that much though, especially outside of these corporations.
As a kid I believed this too. When I got into the insurance industry did it upset me knowing they aren’t provided this by WWE because it easily would be too expensive.
Expensive meaning they just don’t want to pay it.
This is my new favorite segment from Unfortunately Not a Guy Exploding Through a Table
Sad Jake is getting emotional over $7k from fans, he helped make McMahon rich, he should be living more than comfortably. Vince sucks
Jake blew all of his money on drugs. He said so himself. It's not all on Vince.
@@thebigtimechannel9927 Painkillers he became addicted to due to the necessity of long term use directly posed by his career. Which is still on Vince. Just for clarification.
@@smoketnt5290 Ah, I'm impressed. The vast majority end up with opioid addictions. If what you say is true, congrats on finding a good exception.
@@saradanhoff6539 Jake was addicted before he was with wwf, just like so many wrestlers were. 80's wrestling were full of tragic stories like Jake's.
@@thebigtimechannel9927 What comes into play there is why wrestlers get addicted to drugs. You'll find stories of wrestlers using drugs (prescription or hard) and even alcohol to try to numb the pain from what they're going through. Jake was popular during a time where wrestlers were really putting their bodies through the grinder. So popping pills or doing some sort of hard drugs because for a little amount of time it causes whatever pain you're experiencing to go away wasn't uncommon.
Like John mentioned, these wrestlers work through the year. Multiple shows a week and no off season like you see in other sports. There's no time for them to have their bodies rest and recover naturally. So they end up reaching for drugs to help them through those times.
As soon as Jake The Snake came on I sobbed so hard. You can really see the pain in his eyes, even the shame he feels. Yet the freaking fan pull through for him. My heart hurts. Bless him.
He's working in AEW now.
Don't forget ddp. Ddp has helped save a few wrestler lives at this point
@@williamrosmer8381 However DDT's not so much.
It genuinely upsets me that Jake ever doubted how much we cared. Jesus Christ, dude.
@@williammccormick2802 i think he meant more like all the years he put himself through that hell and all that happened to his body meant something in the end if we, the fans, care about him and want to help.
I'd so love a follow up to this one, Vince's hush money payments, releasing 180 people during a pandemic, the Saudi blood money, and how AEW was essentially started in spite of WWE as a true alternative, or how just last week they fired a superstar (who's whole gimmick was that she's sexy) because her fantime page got leaked and she was being too sexy (it's the whole not actually an independent contractor bit).
Also apparently Vince stepped down last year and now his daughter is in charge. Nepotism, ain't it great?
And now Vince tries to sell the company, Steph steps down as CEO. And all that when the product is objectly better now
I really want to see how this goes.
Was never into wrestling as a fan, but knew a few wrestlers and/or their loved ones. Many start careers here in Louisville at Ohio Valley Wrestling.
This was a great episode but it does need an update. Especially with all the recent news. 👍
After all this, we better get a WWE II this season.
I don’t even watch wrestling, and even I know you could make a full video on just Vince
Having only independant contractors also mean McMahon does not pay any payroll taxes. He is stiffing FICA (social security and medicare) out of taxes he should be paying.
Ooo who can fix that?
@Cinnabar Island wow I didn't know that. Dear God help us !!!! Voting for me is worthless, my vote never counts. I'm in a red stupid state
Eat the rich!
@@beeonthyme5760That's when your vote matters the most.
Yeah. But since the wrestlers are independent contractors, they pay for FICA via the self employment tax.
"When you've lost the moral high ground to the NFL, you are morally subterranean."
There is something seriously wrong with Vince. I hope this report makes things better for wrestlers. 👍
to the *fucking* nfl
I can assure you it will do absolutely nothing
I hope so but that may not even happen. When Jesse the Body Ventura attempted to start a Wrestler's Union, he stated that Hulk Hogan snitched on him to Vince McMahon, so Vince stamped it out. With unions, health insurance, benefits and off-seasons, wrestlers could get more benefits and possibly more money, but those who make tons of money take a pay cut. If Jesse was able to establish a wrestler's union, Hulk Hogan would've made a lot less money, and he was making millions of dollars per pay-per-view. The SummerSlam event with Macho Man Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth's "wedding" (God rest their souls), Elizabeth made $50,000, and Macho Man made $75,000 for holding a fake wedding. Those who wrestled at that Summerslam and risked injuries didn't make anywhere near that amount of money.
@@job489 wow! Thanks for this great info. Ya, it'd be tough to start a union if some people, especially the ones with the biggest voices and paychecks, don't want it. Hope the small time wrestlers come up with something, or the more successful ones join them anyway. 👍
As a hardcore wrestling fan i keep revisiting this video again and again and always get amazed how true this is. This isn't even half of the stuff terrible and toxic about WWE.
Wrestling Intersection everyone I’ve seen with your profile pic has said something very sensible or meaningful
Tell us more
Given how WWE has been treating its stars, and the rise of AEW, I would love John to revisit this.
yeah expose aew for joining and not making the change
yeah damn. WWE has been killing it and aew is likely to die soon
@@thenycestmc apparently AEW ain't any better.
I'm from 2030, and wwe just released The Rise and Fall of Aew
Wwe still on top
I seriously expected that by the end John would be slammed into a table, with a graphic that said:
LAST WEEK TONIGHT, NOW WITH A GUY EXPLODING THROUGH A TABLE with John Oliver
There should be a follow up show to show what happened at the WrestleMania. And John, please do this in that.
Exactly! I'm highly dissapointed!
I was about to write that. good that I saw the comments first
To be sincere, Oliver doesn't have the balls to take a decent bump. I mean, even David Arquette has wrestled. Jim Cornette is not a true wrestler, and he has taken massive bumps.
Oliver is a comedian, not a wrestler.
I would’ve paid real money to see that ..
I'm glad someone is finally going after the WWE and calling out there BS... I really hope this makes a wave of change in that place, CM Punk tried to warn the masses but everyone hated him.
No one hates CM Punk. The WWE crowds still frequently chant his name! No one took notice when he spoke out because CM Punk doesn't have a huge audience outside the wrestling world.
People love CM Punk. What planet are you on?
I like Punk but he was a little overrated and his fans are really toxic.
@@Zack_410 stupid ass comment
@@ChaelSonnen000 lol must be a toxic CM Punk fan
This is extremely eye opening for all of us wrestling fans. We need to help current and former superstars. This cannot continue
Your not a wrestling fan if you didn't know about this , the ultimate warrior was doing this Dance with Vince in the 80s
Yes we need to help those people that get paid $3 million a year. Let's help Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Wal-Mart ceos too. Let's raise money for Jeff bezos cause he only gets an $83,000 a year salary which isn't even a living wage according to teachers that work 180 days for the same pay that poor Jeff has to work 12 hour days year round for. And who is paying for Jeff bezos health insurance?
@Hadi Purwanto tell them to quit then. Tell tripple h to quit is $2.8 million a year job and go flip burgers so he can have benefits and not get hurt. Tell the rock....whos best year made $65 million between movies and wrestling to quit letting himself be exploited in crappy action movies and to go lay brick with the Mexicans so he has work comp.
@Hadi Purwanto and the rock wouldn't be making $65 million a year if it wasn't for that capitalist leader.
@Hadi Purwanto why don't you call the wrestlers up and tell them come work for you. You are going to start a new wrestling league. And you'll work for free so they aren't exploited. You'll give them an hourly wage and benefits.
Scott Hall just passed away at the age of 63, Roddy's words of not making it to 65 are haunting even to this day
Wasn’t he a crackhead
Contrary to how OP’s comment unintentionally might make it seem, Razor Ramon did not die due to complications for having spent his youth in professional wrestling, he died after falling in his home and then them fixing it caused a blood clot, which then lead to him suffering *three* heart attacks that finally killed him. He did not leave this world at 63 due to the direct fault of WWE like Owen Hart at 34, or Chris Benoit at 40, or Eddie Guerrero at 38.
Yes, but everyone knows how much of an alcoholic he was in the 90s. Even his coworkers back then knew it. There were attempts to help him, but sadly it didn’t work until the 10s when DDP helped him with yoga. Even WCW didn’t do much either. Let me remind you that even an AA program didn’t exist back then.
His past of alcohol abuse did diminish his years. It was an indirect cause, but it still hurt his body.
@@dannyhargreaves1326AA was founded in 1935,so I reckon that a program existed in the 80's 😂
@@rockarola55 I meant for wrestlers, mostly in WWE. They didn’t have a rehab program I meant.
Once again Jon Oliver sheds light on an issue that nobody is talking about. WWE needs to be held accountable for their actions
Jerminator 356 what do you mean “held accountable”?
Kurt S You really don't know what the phrase "held accountable" means?
@@stevemygoodman7809 How is that unclear
@cpk1994 what is your issue with Oliver, you made a very similar comment on another part of the comments section for this video. are you being a smarmy little cynic because you need attention??? Are you an ex- wrestler named chad who had a dream and it didn’t come true? Not in the way you’d hoped and now your just being cynical toward J.O. because at this point you just dare not hope, because that would be another little death...?
MechaMew2 it’s a broad statement. Do you want them banned? Do you want them fined? Do you want them to fire Vince?
How is it clear to you what that vague statement means? There is only one way to hold someone accountable?
"While the character Vince is an arsehole is important to know that the real Vince is also an arsehole..."😂😂
#Facts
Yeah I think we’re all figured out that Vince McMahon was a bit of a scumbag but now🤷♂️I just accepted the fact he’s been a punching bag for every wrestler coming his way since forever talk about “pitching”ideas😈.
And apparently got some intimate time with a Mirror at one point.
He’s actually not an asshole in real life he’s not that bad of a person
Oh it's true-- it's DAMN true!
Thank you for this, as a die hard fan, I want to see these wrestlers live long and healthy lives. They put their body on the line every single night, this is the least they can do for them.
I, being a naive, always thought that WWE would take care of their insurance/medical bills like many other companies do in US. How wrong I was. Really sad condition of the wrestlers.
Vince will see this as a hit piece.
I salute those valiant hero’s
They die early because they are junkies or alcoholics.
I still have back and neck problems from a short stint in mma, these guys do it nonstop.
I love it when John makes a "Call to Action" because sometimes it works, but always raises awareness.
As a life long wrestling fan. I want to say thank you for bringing attention to this.
THIS IS AWESOME 👏 👏 👏👏👏
Please. For the love of god, share it with your fellow fans.
I was never a fan of John Oliver until now. He’s 100% right about everything he said and it needed to be said. Thanks from wrestling fans everywhere.
That's his real shtick. He tries to find problems in society that are being ignored and bring them to light.
And he's usually right
That's nice and all... but why the hell wouldn't you care until now? A lot of his shows are dedicated to helping people who need help! Highlighting issues that affect common, "salt of the Earth", folk. Just because he's British and snarky doesn't mean he or his staff don't give a fuck about blue collar people just trying to provide for themselves and their families. Seriously, I don't get how anyone could not like him or this show.
@@delugesofgrandeur likely it's because of the type of elitism you are displaying now.
He came from the daily show. That is a left leaning show. Therefore it is expected that Last Week Tonight would also be a left leaning show.
As you said though he generally tries to take a more populist stance, though he does bag on the trump administration a lot.
This is true. I kind of follow the wrestling industry and a lot of WWE guys talk about this. Check out Sam roberts, Wrestletalk, Cultaholic, any wreslters podcasts/radio shows, any wrestling channel because they go in depth about these issues. Also, listen to CM Punks interview on Colt Cabanas podcast he elaborates on his problem
7:55 And Owen Hart didn't just die from health complications. He died by falling nearly 80 ft into the ring because the WWE thought it was a good idea to not only force him to do a stunt that he only performed a couple times before, but to use a quick release harness that couldn't properly support his weight.
Over the Edge, May 23 1999, Kemper Area, Kansas City Missouri. Thanks Vince. 😡
also they penny pitched when it came to hiring the Rigging company. if WWF used a professional Rigger, Owen would still be alive.
@@HarbingerOfBattle McMahon, and more pointedly, Vince Russo
And McMahon went on with the pay-per-view telecast after the paramedics wheeled Hart's corpse away. "The show must go on...and no refunds!"
Yep, he was 34 by the way. We still get sickened by that. Obviously.
While the “character” Vince is an asshole, it’s important to note that the real Vince is also an asshole.
-John Oliver, 2019
Never has a more perfect phrase been uttered. Thank you, John.
couldn't believe how bloody true he is
I was watching the video and then went into the comment and he said that right at as I read that lol
He has Trump lips. Just sayin'.
Ian Nedved It’s also important to note that Vince’s face has also been deep in the actual asshole of one of his wrestlers so if you need any solace out of any of this, there’s one.
He's so good at it, isn't he? 😂
Can say how happy it makes me that John covered this..
He is only scratching the surface of WWE’s dark underbelly, so I’m glad the public gets a glimpse of it.
This was awesome. I love pro wrestling and John nailed it!
@WhoDatUniverse John should also tackle the recent string of horse deaths in California too.
Wow, somehow you simultaneously got me into wrestling and hating the people who run it at the same time...
No problem, that's pretty much standard for the average wrestling fan.
@@CarlMarxPunk But the average wrestling fan still puts money into McMohan's pockets. They're participating in the exploitation.
@@ariaalexandria3324 So are the people who eat meat, drive gasoline based cars, watch porn, and so on and so on. It's very complex, as the video showed.
It's not perfect, true, you are right, but as Oliver said WWE fans are ridicously vocal so it's not a passive relationship.
Just like FIFA and football
It's pretty usual for any wrestling fan to have a love/hate relationship with WWE. xD
This type of "independent contracting" is actually a crime here. It's called "disguised employment". Those who caught doing this pays a huge fine and must end the practice. In case of workplace accidens, must be full responsible.
Where?
@@leebarbs7176 I don't know where GT is from, but in Sweden this type of arrangement wouldn't be allowed. A company can't replace employees with independent contractors in order to avoid liabilities as an employer.
It's also illegal in the US...
@@TheEternalVortex42how come? its happening? genuinely asking
@@felinemoonchildthis is fact, just throw money at politicians and then they can pass laws that deregulate the rich people business so they make more money.
John Oliver talking WWE is the amazing commentary I didn’t know I needed
"DR." Oz burn right in the middle. It brought me joy
Is dr Oz still a thing ? Haven't looked at TV in quite a while. All i know is he was removed from several medical panels, bout it.
Is that show The Drug Dealers I mean the Doctors still on TV? Just wondering.
The saddest thing about Dr. Oz is that his fan base was not diminished even after all the news came out about him. My 80 year old grandmother just sees the word doctor and believes that it is a real medical show; of course she is going to take a "real" Doctor's word over mine. People like Dr. Oz should be stopped
@@roberttorres4116 good question. I looked it up and yes it is. This shows when some "drug dealer " has cult followers and some people still quote him as " science ", it means he still makes the network money and it's hard to get them off the air. Also, guess what channel it is on.
@@333angeleyes Yeap, and even government tried and they couldn't do anything about it. Which kinda, sorta makes scenes because freedom of speech is for everyone or no one. But there has to be something that someone can do about people like him, psychics, rehab places, cults and fake churches
Thank you John Oliver. Been a WWF/E fan ever since and you speak the truth. I hope Vince and/or Paul Levesque will be able to give the wrestlers full benefits for Health Insurance.
I am sure they will, because Cody Rhodes promised all of the roster in AEW that he will give them health insurance in the foreseeable future.
It's notca question of "can he", it's a question of "will he".
Hopefully the fed gov will get involved and force them to be signed as employees and force Vince to provide all the benefits that entitles them to as well as payroll taxes he has skirted for 40 yrs
@@LuciferLizardo I hope that promise like health insurances and much better wage doesn't go to waste
Fun fact: while not in the WWE, Lincoln is very much enshrined in the wrestling hall of fame. Apparently the gangly lawyer was defeated only once in nearly 300 matches.
Well, lawyer are rager in law profession albeit polite ones.
He was NOT gangly lmao, Lincoln was jacked!
@@caseking3656 I meant gangly in the terms of having a massive reach advantage due to his height. He's also quoted concerning the cultivation and enjoyment of cannabis.
I love how Jake is wearing a shirt that says "Failure Is Not an Option", while being in tears. A prime example, showing us that expressing real emotions is not a failure, even for the bravest of men.
That's a helluva good quote. Did you come up with it, or read it somewhere? Love
Or maybe that the american and capitalistic creed of disqualifying people who fail or who don't achieve the most prominent goal is wrong and that we should accept failiure as part of life and learning process.
This is just a set up for a storyline feud that will culminate with John Oliver vs Vince McMahon in next year's Wrestlemania.
trylobyte07 I’d honestly watch, and I don’t really care about wrestling
If John Oliver wins wrestlers get classified as employees but if McMahon wins John has to go back to England or get his head shaved or something lol
Great comment. Hat off to you sir
Probably a tables match
@@alimarzooq1395 Desk match.
This applies to the UFC as well. They are also independent contractors that aren't allowed to work anywhere else while under contract
Gerry O'Brien Yes, they can! They can save up their Reebok bonuses and buy out their UFC contract after 2,387 years... 🤛🏾
The UFC should be Next Weeks Topic. The situation is virtually identical. Except the death rates, because the UFC hasn't been around as long and the work load isn't as intense.
Tango Nevada I see what you did there! 😂
Gerry O'Brien I think I have to check the definition of “independent” again in the dictionary. I had the belief that it is the exact opposite of this, but I might be wrong...
Really by now, who else will they fight for? Dana has bought just about every reputable fighting organization.
Not only was Owen's death an avoidable accident, there is also the Montreal Screw Job... so yeah, that Brett Hart has reason to be pissed at Vince is a massive understatement.
bret’s gripe with how vince handled owen’s death was that the show continued, which was unbelievably digesting and disrespectful. he’s said “what if it was shane, austin” would the show have continued? vince has no capability for emotions im sure
@@rima7286No capability for emotions? He bawled his eyes out talking about Andre being gone. He surely cares about people. Just a very select few, and still in the wrong ways. He lost that money train and it destroyed him. Has to wipe his tears with 1mil dollar bills every night.
"I would accept no responsibility for their deaths. None whatsoever."
Now that's what I call negligence.
Proceeds to act like a little child.
@@Illusive1313 It was a pretty bad move on his part. He'd already dismissed the guy interviewing him because he was being asked "Tough" questions. Smacking the sheets of paper out of his hands made it worse because it made him look less believable (in context, didn't see the full interview that the footage is taken from).
Volume 16!
So who is he responsible for? Vince has taken care of the families of wrestlers who were either severely injured in the ring and Owens family after he died.
Tempi Tempster he was in character. He did the same thing with Jim Acosta and later told him in the second interview he was in character.
This is a public service for everyone. You are welcome. (Useful for after watching the entire video.)
Vince gets hit with trash can lid - 7:07
Vince gets kicked in the face - 10:44
Vince gets his leg cast punched and gets bed-panned - 11:53
Vince gets a face full - 17:05
jeffmakesgames1 All is needed now is Vince signs different contracts that include the word “employee” for his workers, health insurance and other benefits for them and their families.
@@clauce7953 Yep, unfortunately that would probably be too painful and embarassing for him to do.
@@chaoslord8918 Indeed.
Stink Face - Okay sure.
Cutting into your profits for the benefit of your employees - NOW WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE!
@@Memespam aint that the god dam truth of it!.
Public service for everyone: Watch the whole thing and understand it like adults instead of being an attitude era obsessed mouth-breather
I'm surprised there was no mention of Chris Benoit. One of the main reasons they banned chair shots to the head.
They banned chair shots to the head but not the flying headbutt thing Chris Benoit used to do.
That’s a lot of ground to cover. There probably should be a part two just about that.
Probably has more to do with the fans disgust after Mick Foley's THIRTEEN unprotected chair shots to the head by The Rock.
Might have been a purposeful omission because what he did went way beyond the scope of what John is talking about.
You mean Crispen Waaaaahhhhh!?
So with some recent Vince McMahon stuff coming out, perhaps a part 2 is warranted?
Edit : So now there's MORE stuff.
I agree
Fuck yes
He Has Just Announced His Retirement Because Of That.
God I hope so
What happened
Finally! Too many news outlets and journalists dismiss wrestlers while painting them as millionaire primadonnas Thank you for the empathy you've shown these entertainers. I've grown out of wrestling but I'll never forget the awe and joy i had as a child watching these men and women.
Justice for the wrestlers!
Same, on all fronts. Well said sir.
I was thinking the same thing. Earlier I wrote: John that was a great segment! I really love, how you and your team were able to make this show, taking Vince McMahon to town and exposing the dark side of wrestling, or more precisely the WWE, without ridiculing wrestling itself or the wrestlers or the fans, as so many other show hosts and journalists have done in the past. It was compassionate, informative, critical and funny. Well done!
Of all topics you can talk about I never thought you would choose WWE... it makes me question myself why I thought that :D John can literally talk about anything
*Yea pretty convenient he chose to not spend the entire show on the entire Mueller investigation you insane leftists have been desperately pushing for 2.5 years. They probably wanted to but he kept trying to commit suicide between takes*
@Chris_Gullett Shut up Saudi Shill
Well, he did do a in depth look at Saudi Arabia when the journalist was killed and dragged WWE for their Crown Jewel event during it a few times.
@Chris_Gullett I know you think there is some massive agenda, but there isn't.
@@yobased2872 They only upload the main story so he probably addressed that. Though he loves to talk about shit other people ignore
Just an additional detail to Jesse Ventura’s failed attempt at unionizing: Vince was able to stop Ventura because he was tipped off about it by another wrestler. That other wrestler’s name? HULK HOGAN. The big superhero wrestler of the 80s who got the top spots in shows and got the fattest check and was hailed as a moral paragon of justice and freedom in his day, basically stepped over all his peers because he knew that a wrestlers’ union would help them but also cut into his payday. THAT’S how corporate America gets you: the age old divide and conquer-privilege a select few to build up loyalty in them, as well as resentment in everyone else, so that they can never really band together and get anything done.
exactly how they have gotten control of the U.S. govt
16:51 In a whole segment of depressing reveals, for a brief moment I swear you could just feel the air leave the studio when John revealed Roddy's untimely death.
It's incorrect to say they're treated like circus animals. Most circus animals are treated better by law.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE UNDERTAKER SAID TO JOHN CENA!
Ohh man, that's a brutal truth.
Exactly! When's the last time we let circus's explode tigers through a table?
So humans are the real animals...
@@HeilRay
No. It's the unending human greed. That is the real problem.
CM Punk could have died from a staff infection that WWE misdiagnosed & blatantly lied about. WWE lost against CM Punk in court.
John Oliver: Vince McMahon listens to the fans
WWE Fans: WHAT
WWE never lost anything because they weren't involved... it was the doctor that sued CM Punk for defamation. Although WWE were supposedly bankrolling him.
Just give him a Z-Pack he’ll be fine
@@christopherpham2784 Oliver said it with a very emphasised "occasionally" so it's a fairly disingenuous quote there :D
You mean a staph infection?
Fun fact, Roman gladiators had unions in place for fares needs for fallen gladiators funerals and provide aid to families. They were well conpincated and given the best medical care of their time. Roman gladiators were seen as valuable commodities and well treated in response.
So remember an empire built by slaves that kidnapped people and preyed on the poor, used them for a literal BLOOD SPORT were better treat then WWE wrestlers.
Gladiators were also slaves fighting to the death for their freedom.
Only the ones that were freed and kept fighting got paid....
According to Forbes, a WWE wrestler on the roster makes $500,000 a year, with top-wrestlers making $1 million or more a year. Not saying that excuses everything, however they can definitely afford their own health insurance.
According to work.chron.com/much-money-professional-wrestler-usually-make-year-24583.html, the average wrestler makes $47,000 per year.
*compensated just fyi but thanks for the info
@@simul8rduude Gladiators actually very rarely fought to the death.
"Morally subterranean" is a perfect phrase. John Oliver is timeless.
yeah i'm adding it to my vocab
I really mean it: Thank you John Oliver
Adel Sayadkooh we should rlly thank him for making fun of donald largegassyorb alone
@Adel Sayadkooh Fuck you, Gaza is under the bombs, babies are dying and you worry about wrestlers...
You oughta be ashamed of yourself...
@@robcoIncorp Shut up
@@robcoIncorp If I ever see a person get hit by a car I'd imagine you would just walk up to me and shout "WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT THIS PERSON THAT WAS HIT BY A CAR, THERE ARE CHILDREN DYING AROUND THE WORLD YOU INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE"
You don't have to be a genius to find out why that logic is flawed.
@@Fojabass if they joined a industry where one of the job requirements is getting hit by cars, I wouldn't feel too bad.
Seeing that Rowdy Roddy interview in this context was like a knife to the gut.
So sad. Great wrestling personality gone way too soon.
I don't even watch Wrestling and that bit really got to me..
madpuppet He was my guy, ya know? 😔
You should watch his interview about sodomy, than. It'll make the tightest of ButtHoles feel victimized. (It IS a thing)
I am crying
JOHN OLIVER! DO AN UPDATE ON WWE AFTER "BRIBING THE FLORIDA GOV'T that WWE is an 'essential business'" as well as the mass exodus of the wrestlers!
John Oliver: ah shiet... here we go again... **grabs tophat**
please do it
Not an exodus a mass firing
Mass firing :(
They're still bleeding people.
As an American who has been a wrestling fan for my whole life, I cannot stress how much I love the UK wrestling audience. They are the greatest fans ever.
100% love this episode. This is so much bigger then just wrestling. Health and mental care are needed!
I stopped watching WWE years ago. Vince will not care until they start losing viewers.
This is a nationwide problem where sociopathic "capitalists" are using people to make their fortunes then discarding them. The funny thing is, we're so brainwashed that many defend these actions and even admire them.
ImAGdDmnDragn That’s the American education system at works. It was designed in the 1800s to make Americans willing to work over 40 hours a week for minimal pay for greedy bosses... literally.
Bernie 2020
I've been a Die Hard Wrestling fan since 1983, and I will continue to Be a Wrestling fan.. That being said, I agree with Everything John Oliver is saying...
Been a wrestler fan since ‘73... but never a fan of the WWE.
@WOMANpukumaru Yeah, a couple of the Wrestlers he mentioned that passed away did so from Natural causes..
BIlly Ray that’s racist
@@firstnamelastname9215
wut
@@billyray5232 yeah but Natural causes CAUSED by wrestling. Do i really have to say this? So because they didn't die in the ring, wrestling didn't cause their health problems? Okay i get the fact that hurting yourself is part of the job but they should be able to get healthcare from the WWE after they retire. And if you did the research of your own claim you would realize a lot of these former WWE wrestlers can't afford the healthcare they would need like surgeries, physical therapy or any medication for their long term head/body trama. Even though WWE is fake that doesn't mean these guys aren't getting hurt
I'm not going to lie I really thought we would see Oliver exploding through a table by the end of the episode
agreed.
Right?!
But then he'd have to change the name of his show a second time...
The show was just renamed to "unfortionatlly not a man exploding through a table" so you know he wouldn´t do it.
As awesome as it would be, hes not a trained professional. Wresting is staged yes obviously, no doubt, but the things they do are still very dangerous and can very much hurt a normal person that doesnt bust through tables for a living.
I used to hate fake wrestling but as I learned more about history and how gruesome humanity can be just for entertainment ... I began to appreciate wrestling entertainment. This new information is mind blowing, these wrestlers deserves better rights
He is an evil Ceo who plays an evil Ceo on his storylines? That's some serious self-awareness there.
Some people revel in the role of a villain...
It lets him ignore any criticism and deflect from actual problems.
>"He's a piece of shit"
>>>"oh, but that's just a character, it's all a script"
>"No, he's like, *actually* a piece of shit. Like, he's worse IRL"
>>>"He's a heel, it's just a wrestling thing"
Because he knows the fans will eat it up like candy. And he's right. Long as they get their daily dose of sweaty men and even sweatier women they couldn't care less.
I remember not too long ago WWE made a documentary where everyone close to Vince tried to make the distinction between Vince McMahon and the "Mr. McMahon" character on TV. The general consensus of his family and former employees was they were the same guy despite Vince believing otherwise. If anything, Vince isn't self-aware that his character on TV and the man behind the camera are one in the same.
It’s easy to not get pissed off at someone being a shit person if right before you would the Man has one of his own “independent Contractors” shove His Face into Another one of his “Independent Contractors” Asses.
That man reacting to the 7000 dollars fans raised for him genuinely made me cry.
I was even more sad that it was only $7000! People back the dumbest crap with thousands more than the goal amount, and this poor guy needs something actually important.
Humans Zuck I mean it was $7,000 on just the first day of a 30 day Indiegogo campaign. He was asking for $9,000 which means it was a resounding success. I don’t know how much he got in the end but if he got 7 out of 9 thousand on day 1 of 30 I’m willing to bet that crowdfund ended way over the minimum they were asking for.
I had a pretty emotional response, also.
@@humanszuck5155 He wound up raising $29,547, so no worries.
Same. I had to fight back the tears cause its too early for that.
17:05 shows wrestler Rikishi. His brother, wrestler Umaga/Jamal, died at age 36 from a heart attack caused by drug intoxication (pain meds)
and all they did for him was a minor spot on WWE . com smh
@ted kaczynski Wow so edgy bro
I thought I was Roman Reigns is brother Jamal
@ted kaczynski Seems like a troll.
@ted kaczynski looks like someone's mother didn't say "I love you" enough.
The bad pan to the melon actually gave McMahon a concussion from what I've heard over the yrs. Stone Cold straight cracked him with it 🤣
Makes sense, it's not an opportunity most people get , to hit their boss in the face and try to make it look real, so why not put your back into it?
Couldn't've happened to a nicer guy.
😊🎉🎉🎉🎉
You say the butt thing is cathartic, but knowing Vince approved that bit beforehand kinda gives it a different meaning...
😂😂😂
Don't ruin it!
My thoughts exactly 😆 he loves the 🍩
@@Nicole-in5od it's all kayfabe
This shines a whoooole new light on that clip
WOW! This video is hard to watch, but necessary to watch. Bravo for calling out the WWE!
yeah if that british guy wasnt in it i could watch it
The sad part is that this applies to a shitload of other professions now. For instance, Upwork is trying to become the WWE of everything but wrestling. I'm lucky to make 10k a year, they take 30% of everything I make, and I have to cover *all* of my own overhead like advertising, heath coverage, retirement, disability/comp, etc. all while not having *any* OSHA protections, no union, and not even any help with something as simple as W2 tax forms.
@@mixiekins Welcome to the precariat
And, now even during COVID-19, their weekly shows Raw, Smackdown and even Wrestlemania 36 are still on! Without audience!
I will give Vince this. It was an acknowledgement that things needed to change, and that he had to protect his assets. Mind you I'd try to glide on accrued revenue, and cut future matches, but I'm also someone who wouldn't treat my workers as disposable meat.
And it's called an essential business
Also WWE just fired a crap ton of wrestlers in the middle of the pandemic.
TURN ON NEXT WEEK, FOR THE MATCH OF THE CENTURY:
KING CORONA VS ANTIVAXX KAREN!!!!
@@guilhermefranco2930 I'd watch that
I have and will watch this many times, because it's another great episode, but almost exclusively to hear him deliver the line: "Wrestling is better than the things you like.". The joy. The glee.
The NFL's plan for retired players has been a literal lifesaver for my grandfather. They pay for most of his nursing home expenses and he has a pension from them.
who is your grandfather? if I may ask.
Anthony Peyton Manning
@@anthony639 Ernest Clark, linebacker for the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals in the 1960's.
@@ReapTheWhirlwind I have his ultimate legend card in Madden Ultimate Team.
Their PLAN for retired players? Lol they don't even give them financial advisors when they're in the NFL they don't give a fuck about the players after they leave. There have been so many cases of players with brain injuries getting NO treatment and killing themselves or someone else, people ending up dirt poor and homeless. Just look at all the state money the NFL gets from contracts with cities where stadiums are. Its a multi billion dollar mafia
I'm genuinely surprised that John Oliver is into professional wrestling. I just expected him to be into whatever Puffins do.
That got a chuckle from me.
greatest comment on youtube, well done sir
@@ricksanchez6777 but I thought puffins loved wrestling!
This comment sounds like it was written by John Oliver somehow.
Fun fact: They wrestle.
Man I really hope the fans that go really do this. Some parts of this episode really struck a nerve and I hope the wrestlers get some medical coverage at the very least.
I may watch just to see if they do.
-- Unfortunately, Vince McMahon will never listen to the fans. I mean, to show how self-absorbed and a control-freak Vince is... He's a man who gets legitimately upset if he sneezes. Something that is a bodily reaction and he looses his mind over it.
All that matters to Vince is money.
No worry I got u. I’m almost at front row
Danielle, Ethan's got you covered. If it's the fans that will be heard & not the talent....them speak to them where it hurts!
God speed!
That interview where Vince shows open disdain for being asked about wrestlers who died early...smh.😕
18:37 No the crowd isn't saying "BOOOOO!" They're saying "BOOOOOOOOOY Do we love that Roman Reigns!"
To anyone who gets this reference, I legitimately love you.
Booooourns!!!!
They're not saying "BOOO!" They're saying "Huuugh!" having made the common mistake of confusing Roman Reigns with Hugh Grant. What with his dashing looks and charisma.
Just when I think I understand how he chooses topics to discuss the nerdy parrot man does 23 minutes on the WWE. And I somehow love him even more than before. Keep doing your thing Mr. Oliver.
ZEVA LAST LEGION the nerdy parrot man. lol
I know! I tought it was going to be about Brexit cause you know OOORRRRRDEEERRR🗣
@@AllenSJ5 lmao first thing that came to mind. I mean he was zazu after all!
@@kikilo9647 yeh I honestly thought the same. Too bad cuz hearing that the British government is as screwed up as mine makes me feel much better somehow.
Wish you’d do an episode like this for military medical care.
I was an airborne infantryman allergic to NSAID’s (aspirin, basically). I got dropped into a tree line during an airborne operation and completely screwed my hip and knee.
The way medicine works in the army is you have to see your platoon medic (some kid with about as much medical training as someone who volunteers at the Red Cross on weekends), who refers you to a company medic, who refers you to a battalion medic, who refers you to an actual doctor.
My platoon level medic, a 17 year old kid, had a platoon sergeant telling him to put off my care until after upcoming training... for two years...
Additionally, trying to get anything for the literal constant pain had them accusing me of pursuing narcotics. Despite having a known NSAID allergy.
And I’m one of a ton of guys I personally knew with similar stories.
When did this happen? I ask because the Army doctors I know gave out Vicodin and Percocet like it was candy. Tiny cut? Here’s 30 Vicodin. Random pain? Percocet. When my husband left the military, we probably disposed of around 10 bottles full of narcotics. We didn’t have to buy Advil for years due to the amount of NSAIDS we received from Army doctors.
Unfurling Lotus Flower I was in 2013 to 2018.
Now, I got all sorts of addictive shit for other injuries but that injury was met by a dickhead medic who stuck with his “this guy is a drug addict” first impression the whole time I was there.
I had muscle relaxer prescriptions for days though. Could never take them when I was given them as I was always driving the LMTV and that shit was no joke.
Christopher Northcutt ah that’s why. My husband left in 2009.
@@unfurlinglotusflower6939 It's all a roll of the dice. It depends on who you get. I had a herniated disc that would flare up if aggravated. About every 2 years on average I did something to fuck it up. The last time was right before JRTC and our PA didn't believe I was in pain as bad as I said I was, so he didn't give me shit. The next morning I couldn't move right when I woke up. It took me 30 mins for my wife to drag me downstairs (I still had to get dressed in my ACU's) and into my vehicle so she could drive me to the hospital where I waited another couple of hours. Once I had some percocet I could move around but they sure were stingy as fuck with it. I was taking 3 800mg Ibuprofen every 3 hours. The dumbass doctor asked why I would do that and I told him because the PA wouldn't give me anything stronger.
It just depends on who you get, what rank you are, whether or not the doc likes you, believes you, what training is coming up. My injury was well documented and I only asked for those pain pills when my back hurt (happened about 4-5 times) over an 8 year period and lasted about 2-4 weeks each time. I understand they don't believe every little bitch screaming for pain pills but mine was well documented.
So....yeah....good times.
Airborne, ATW!!
btw 2004-2013
"What are you doing you weird weird man?!" John... that is something WWE fans have been asking for decades and we STILL have no idea!
samuraitiger19 best comment 😂 hell, he could have talked all day about Vince McMahon and his stories in and outside of the ring- that guy is weird
The Lincoln joke hits a lot harder when you remember he’s the only president in the wrestling hall of fame (his trademark move was the choke slam)
I'm shocked he didn't mention wwe can extend contracts without the employee consent.
How the hell is that a thing?
Just like that... Luke Harper just got another 6 months on his contract
@@bjam89 The clause that he mentioned, where if they are out with injury for a certain amount of time they can be fired, instead of firing they can also just tack that time onto the end of the contract as well. Despite the fact that said injury happened on the job.
Don’t you mean they can extend contracts without the independent contractor’s consent?
Leilani Dru Yes, as states in their contract. They can not only get fired if they’re out for 6+ weeks but WWE has the option to instead add on your contract by the time you’re out. They got three choices: Do Nothing, Fire You or add time on your contract
John Oliver's doing God's work this week. Huge wrestling fan and yeah, I can't stand Vince or his treatment of his talent.
I'm curious to know what you disagreed with in the past
Oliver should do an episode on LIVING ON THE EDGE
Haven't been able to stand Vince since he broke KFab. Idiot.
I mean you seen like one of those wrestling fans who doesn't watch WWE, you're not a wrestling fan if you don't like every promotion.
I'm not trying to be mean or be disrespectful to you, it just seems that way to me.
I would like to humbly suggest as a chant, for people attending RAW and particularly Smackdown today and tomorrow, "GIVE THEM HEALTH CARE *CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP*"
We can also tweet #GiveThemHealthcare to @VinceMcMahon and @WWE and @WrestleMania . There's enough of us following across different WWE social media pages that our voice can't be ignored if we can mobilize even 0.1% of the followers
That’s a catchy protest chant. I love it!
Good God, they deserve it.
daverboy17 DUDE!!!! If every arena does that it will be amazing
I can guarantee that you are getting to see this echo at WrestleMania
I keep coming back to this video, again, and again, and again hoping he'll cover WWE again cause as of 2023 the situation is only crazier
God help the entirety of WWE if Vince McMahon does more than just "sell the shares" from his end, which I hope is nothing to concern about for the moment.
RIP Bray Wyatt
Wow. I had no idea. I thought this was going to be a silly episode. How wrong I was. Thanks for talking about this.