Mainstream Media And Wrestling World Responds To John Oliver Ripping Apart WWE

My oh my, John Oliver certainly ruffled a few feathers over in Titan Towers with his comments about WWE on HBO last night. WWE has not responded to the piece directly (nor will it) but the mainstream media and many in the industry have taken note.

Jim Cornette, never one to shy away from his feelings, jumped into the debate on the side of Oliver, declaring it the most truthful outside media piece on wrestling he has seen in over 40 years.

Well, after a complete viewing, this is the absolute most truthful outside media piece I've seen on wrestling in over 40 years:https://t.co/CKsAnqbGUS

— Jim Cornette (@TheJimCornette) April 1, 2019

Former WWE stars Lance Storm and Chavo Guerrero also chimed in. Storm did not give any indication one way or another as to whether he supported Oliver’s stance but Chavo was more than happy to celebrate the presenter’s words:

I guess if they induct a Celebrity into the WWE HOF this year it won’t be @iamjohnoliver 😳 pic.twitter.com/Fmop7NXmno

— Lance Storm (@LanceStorm) April 1, 2019

@LastWeekTonight Thank you John Oliver!! #keepingupthefight #notindependentcontractors #union

— Chavo Guerrero jr. (@mexwarrior) April 1, 2019

Former NXT ring announce Alex Del Barrio also thanked Oliver for “exposing the fraud” of WWE’s claims that its talent are independent contractors with a long statement, which he ended by asking AEW to do things differently:

Thank you John Oliver for exposing the fraud that is the Independent Contractor status of WWE talent. Guess what, it doesn’t just apply to the wrestlers but also their announce team. I was an “independent contractor” that was required to report to work on certain days, for certain hours. I was given a corporate email address, a corporate computer, a corporate cell phone. I was given no health insurance or any other benefits.

I was given the ability to expense clothing and meals on the main roster, except the reimbursement was paid to me with my normal salary, which just increased the tax liabilities. So I essentially was double taxed on things I was told to buy. ‘Hey, go buy a $1000 suit with your money, we will reimburse you, oh but that increased your salary and tax burden.’

Ask Justin Robers or Rich Bocchini or anyone else on the announce team. Guess what,  the NXT coaches? They are ICs too. They have to have meetings, have corporate emails, travel for company, and provide reports for supervisors. US Labor Department – time for you to look into them.

Let me also say before I get the tweets that say that’s what I signed up for: Yes I did, I signed up for that treatment because they are (were) a monopoly of the entertainment genre I loved. They used my fandom against me, because it is/was our dream to work there. I would even do it again.

I’m not a lawyer though and I wasn’t the one bending and actually breaking labor laws. It’s not my responsibility to follow commerce and labor laws correctly. That’s on them. I’m not trying to ruin that company. I love it still even after my release I want so many talents to continue to do well including those on the announce team (except for those that bullied me and caused my exit with lies and deceit).

I will be watching WrestleMania but something needs to change. For the talent, in-ring, referees, announcers Agents, NXT coaches and others who are improperly labeled as independent contractors. It’s 2019 and that company is richer than it has ever been, time to take care of your most valuable product, the people who work for you.

I only hope Tony Khan, Cody Rhodes, Brandi Rhodes, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson do things the right way for their talent at AEW. Based on what I’ve heard so far, they already are. Thanks Last Week Tonight for tonight’s episode.

AEW wrestler Hangman Page also commented on the show, tweeting:

https://twitter.com/theAdamPage/status/1112715980004823043

In addition to comments within the wresting fraternity, the mainstream media worldwide has picked up on the story, with pieces appearing in Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Newsweek, Time, The Huffington Post, GiveMeSport, Forbes and many others.

Headlines such as “HBO’s John Oliver encourages chants for workers’ compensation at WrestleMania 35 in WWE hit piece” (Forbes), “John Oliver calls WWE ‘morally subterranean’, slams Vince McMahon over wrestlers’ health issues” (Hollywood Reporter) and “John Oliver body slams WWE ahead of WrestleMania” (Time) will have likely infuriated the WWE boss and panicked company officials one week out from the promotion’s biggest show of the year.

WWE is likely furious to have finally received the widespread media coverage they covet the week before WrestleMania and yet none of the focus is on the wrestlers, the matches or the historic women’s main event, but rather placing the promotion under the microscope and examining its business practices and treatment of talent.

This threatens to rage on well beyond today.

• john oliver
• last week tonight
• WrestleMania
• wwe

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