NSFW Video: HBO's John Oliver Rips Vince McMahon, WWE for Wrestlers' Treatment

HBO's John Oliver called WWE's labor practices "morally subterranean" in a piece on the company's independent contractor employment structure during Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight.

"While the character Vince is an assh--e, it's important to know that the real Vince is also an assh--e," Oliver said in the at-times NSFW video. "Many fans legitimately hate him, because while the WWE has made him a billionaire, many wrestlers say he's treated them terribly."

Oliver went on to highlight WWE's borderline illegal skirting of laws regarding independent contractors. The wrestlers' status as "independent contractors" allows WWE to avoid providing them with health insurance, paid retirement or leave. WWE is also not legally required to follow "most discrimination and occupational safety laws," according to the segment.

WWE wrestlers sign full-time contracts with the promotion, are not allowed to take outside bookings and are restricted in the types of endorsements and outside endeavors they can promote. Oliver called it a "complete joke" that wrestlers are forced to work as independent contractors because the IRS states independent contractors are supposed to work "when and for whom he or she chooses."

"Maybe when wrestlers might work years ago for multiple different organizations, it made sense to call them contractors," Oliver said. "But now that WWE has a choke hold on this industry, it makes just as much sense to call them that as it does to call Jimmy Carter a 'panty-dropping f--k machine.' It’s just clearly not true...anymore."

WWE workers are forced to perform year-round, and their contracts state they can be terminated if they suffer an injury that keeps them out of action for more than six weeks. Oliver posits that those conditions essentially force wrestlers to continue performing even when they are unhealthy, highlighting the death of Lance McNaught (who performed as Lance Cade in WWE) at age 29 and CM Punk's battle with WWE. 

Oliver's piece began with highlighting the recent trend of wrestlers dying at a young age. He noted wrestlers have a significantly higher mortality rate than the national average and unfavorably compared WWE to the NFL on multiple occasions. 

"Even the NFL, for all its massive faults, now offers players health reimbursement accounts and has established a legacy fund for older players who may be dealing with health issues," Oliver said. "And when you've lost the moral high ground to the f--king NFL, you are morally subterranean."

WWE sent Bleacher Report a statement in response to the story, saying Oliver "ignored the facts" and inviting him to WrestleMania:

"John Oliver is clearly a clever and humorous entertainer, however the subject matter covered in his WWE segment is no laughing matter.  Prior to airing, WWE responded to his producers refuting every point in his one-sided presentation. John Oliver simply ignored the facts. 

"The health and wellness of our performers is the single most important aspect of our business, and we have a comprehensive, longstanding Talent Wellness program.  

"We invite John Oliver to attend WrestleMania this Sunday to learn more about our company."