John Oliver Slams WWE On “Last Week Tonight” Over Mistreatment Of Wrestlers, WWE Responds

“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver blasted WWE on the latest episode of his show … and the full segment is now available.

The top story began with Oliver praising WWE for being awesome and a spectacle unlike any other. He then talked about wrestlers having a higher death rate at a younger age than other athletes, and called Vince McMahon an “asshole” for the way he treats his performers.

As an example of this, he played clips of wrestlers saying negative things about Vince.

The show’s host went on to detail how wrestlers in WWE are considered “independent contractors” and how this means they don’t get paid annual leave, retirement pensions or health insurance.  Oliver then pointed to why this shouldn’t be allowed by the IRS.

As you may recall, Oliver last put WWE on blast over their Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.

The whole thing ended with John Oliver kinda-sorta telling viewers to make their voices heard at WrestleMania if they want some sort of change by chanting or making signs.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Watch the full, twenty-three minute segment from “Last Week Tonight” at this link.

WWE released the following statement in response to John Oliver and his piece on WWE:

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.

WWE SmackDown Live Preview 4/2/19

The final WWE SmackDown Live before WrestleMania 35 will take place tonight from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

* WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston to make their WrestleMania match official with contract signing

* AJ Styles and Randy Orton set to appear on The Kevin Owens Show just five nights before WrestleMania

* Rey Mysterio and Andrade to rekindle their already classic rivalry on SmackDown LIVE

* What will be the fallout of Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch’s arrest?

* Is The Miz prepared for Shane McMahon and Falls Count Anywhere?

WWE 205 Live Preview 4/2/19

Tonight’s WWE 205 Live will take place tonight from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

* Mike Kanellis w/Maria vs. Akira Tozawa w/The Brian Kendrick

* Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese’s rivalry turns bitter – Will Murphy and Nese confront each other with their battle on The Grandest Stage of Them All on the horizon?

WWE Announces Several WrestleMania 35 Week Events For The New York & New Jersey Area

WWE is officially kicking off WrestleMania 35 Week in the New York and New Jersey area today.

They issued the following announcement to us with details on events planned for the next 7 days, including WWE NXT “Takeover: New York”, the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony and WrestleMania 35. Stay tuned for coverage from all WrestleMania Week events here on the site.

WRESTLEMANIA® WEEK TAKES OVER NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEYSTAMFORD, Conn., April 2, 2019 – Fans from around the world will descend upon the New York and New Jersey region for a week-long lineup of festivities in celebration of WrestleMania, taking place in front of a capacity crowd at MetLife Stadium and streaming live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on Sunday, April 7. WWE® will also host more than a dozen community outreach events designed to give back to the local region. WrestleManiaWeek begins today and includes the following events:

* New York Yankees Batting Practice – Today, April 2, Yankee Stadium
WWE Superstars Braun Strowman®, Natalya® and Titus O’Neil® visit Yankee Stadium to interact with players and take part in batting practice prior to their game vs. the Detroit Tigers.

* Hackensack Children’s Hospital and Brooklyn Children’s Hospital Visits – Tomorrow, April 3
WWE Superstars EC3™, Lacey Evans™ and Ember Moon™ and NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano™ will visit the Hackensack Children’s Hospital while WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks® and Bayley®, and NXT Superstars Steve Cutler™, Wesley Blake™ and Jaxson Ryker™ will visit the Brooklyn Children’s Hospital. At each visit, Superstars will spend time with children and their families, provide gifts, participate in arts and crafts, take pictures and sign autographs.

* Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game – Tomorrow, April 3, Patterson Boys & Girls Club
WWE, an international partner of Special Olympics, is hosting a Unified Basketball Game at the Patterson Boys & Girls Club. Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Special Olympics athletes and their Unified partners will participate in the game as WWE Superstars Big Show® and Ricochet™, NXT Superstar Kacy Catanzaro™ and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior serve as honorary coaches. WWE Announcer Renee Young™ will host the event.

WrestleMania Axxess – Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8, Brooklyn Pier 12
WrestleMania Axxess is the ultimate fan experience. This year’s WrestleMania Axxess will take place from Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8 at Brooklyn Pier 12. Fans will have unprecedented access to meet their favorite WWE Superstars and Legends through a host of interactive fan experiences, including autograph signings and live matches.

* Susan G. Komen Zumba Class – Thursday, April 4, Newport Centre Mall
WWE Superstars Carmella®, Titus O’Neil and Mojo Rawley™ and WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior will lead a Zumba class at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City to raise awareness and funds to support Susan G. Komen’s mission of investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

* New York Jets Uniform Reveal – Thursday, April 4, Gotham Hall
WWE Superstars Nia Jax®, Braun Strowman and Dana Brooke™ will be special guests at the New York Jets uniform reveal where they will walk the green carpet and meet with players at Gotham Hall.

* Connor’s Cure Kid Superstar Reveal – Friday, April 5, Hard Rock Café
WWE will host pediatric patients from Hackensack Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital at Montefiore for a Kid Superstar reveal at the Hard Rock Cafe. Co-hosted by WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and WWE Announcer Renee Young™, patients will unveil their WWE Superstar personas with their own ring gear and entrance music. WWE Superstars Roman Reigns®, Daniel Bryan®, Elias™ and Nia Jax, WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior and former NFL player Devon Still, will be on hand to lend support. The event will also include a special performance from O.A.R.

* New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Closing Bell – Friday, April 5
WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair®, Rey Mysterio® and Titus O’Neil will ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

* Empire State Building Lighting Ceremony – Friday, April 5, Empire State Building
WWE Superstars Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch® and Bobby Lashley™ will participate in the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building. Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, “The World’s Most Famous Building” will be lit up in red and gold colors to celebrate WrestleMania.

* Superstars for Hope – Friday, April 5, Aspire, One World Observatory
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair® and WWE Superstars Roman Reigns, The Bella Twins®, Seth Rollins® and more will walk the red carpet at ASPIRE, One World Observatory, prior the Superstars for Hope reception. WWE’s Superstars for Hope campaign also features a global online auction at Charitybuzz.com, featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

NXT TakeOver – Friday, April 5, Barclays Center
Emanating from Barclays Center, NXT TakeOver will stream live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET. In the aftermath of Tommaso Ciampa having to relinquish his NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano will take on Adam Cole™ in a 2-out-of 3 Falls Match to determine the new NXTChampion; NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler™ will face off against Kairi Sane™, lo Shirai™ and Bianca Belair™ in a Fatal 4-way Match; NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream faces Matt Riddle; Pete Dunne defends his UK Championship against WALTER; and The War Raiders compete against Ricochet and Aleister Black for the NXT Tag Team Championship.

* Make-A-Wish Circle of Champions – Saturday, April 6, National Geographic Encounter
Make-A-Wish and WWE will host 30 Wish kids and their families at the National Geographic Encounter. WWE Superstars Finn Bálor®, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Sin Cara® will meet with the Wish kids and walk through the Ocean Odyssey interactive encounter. WWE Ring Announcer Greg Hamilton will host the event.

* Girl Up Leadership Summit – Saturday, April 6, USTA National Tennis Center
WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, Co-Executive Director of Girl Up Anna Blue, along with WWE Superstars, will speak to local high school girls about the power of sports and discuss how to eliminate biases. Last October, Girl Up and WWE announced a multi-year partnership to support the creation of Sports For a Purpose, which will create a culture of sports participation for girls around the world. The program equips Girl Up leaders with tools and resources so they can help tackle the gender-based barriers girls face to playing sports, including access to safe play spaces and sports equipment.

* WWE Day at New York Mets Game – Saturday, April 6, Citi Field
WWE Superstars Curt Hawkins®, Mickie James® and Drew McIntyre®, and WWE Announcer Corey Graves will visit Citi Field for the New York Mets vs Washington Nationals game to sign autographs and meet with fans.

* WWE 2019 Hall of Fame Ceremony Red Carpet – Saturday, April 6, Barclays Center
Maria Menounos hosts the most glamorous event on the WWE calendar. WWE Superstars and Legends, and a host of celebrities, walk the red carpet live on WWE Network at 6 pm ET.

* WWE 2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Saturday, April 6, Barclays Center
DX®, Torrie Wilson™, Brutus Beefcake™, The Hart Foundation™, Harlem Heat™ and The Honky Tonk Man™ will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Barclays Center and live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET. In addition, Sue Aitchison, a 30-year veteran of WWE’s corporate office who is widely credited with spearheading WWE’s community outreach programs, will receive the fifth annual Warrior Award. The WWE Hall of Fame recognizes the most-celebrated Superstars in WWE history, while The Warrior Award is presented each year to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of WWE Hall of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior®.

WrestleMania – Sunday, April 7, MetLife Stadium
A capacity crowd will descend upon MetLife Stadium for WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania, streaming live on WWE Network at 7 pm ET and hosted by WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss. The WrestleMania Kickoff Show will stream live from 5-7 pm ET on WWE Network, WWE.com, WWE App and WWE’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages. USA Network will also air the second hour of the pre-show live from 6-7 pm ET.

WrestleMania features Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey® vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch in a “Winner Takes All” Match during the first-ever women’s main event at WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza; WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar™ taking on 2019 Royal Rumble winner Seth Rollins; Daniel Bryan defending his WWE Championship vs. Kofi Kingston®; Triple H® putting his in-ring career on the line in a No Holds Barred Match against Batista; Shane McMahon® vs. The Miz® in a Falls Count Anywhere Match; AJ Styles® taking on Randy Orton®; Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre; Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Finn Bálor; Sasha Banks and Bayley defending their Women’s Tag Team titles in a Fatal 4-Way Match vs. Natalya and Beth Phoenix® vs. Nia Jax and Tamina® vs. The IIconics; Samoa Joe™ defending his United States Championship against Rey Mysterio; Kurt Angle™ capping off his Hall of Fame career in a Farewell Match against Baron Corbin®; WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy™ defending his title against Tony Nese™; the Andre the Giant™ Memorial Battle Royal featuring Michael Che and Colin Jost of SNL fame; WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal Match.

* Be a STAR® Bullying Prevention Rally – Monday, April 8, Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club
WWE Ambassador Dana Warrior, WWE Announcer Dasha Fuentes and WWE Superstars Ali, Shelton Benjamin®, Billie Kay™ and Peyton Royce™ will be joined by This is Us star Chrissy Metz to speak about the importance of bullying prevention to members of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club. In 2016, WWE and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America launched a multi-year partnership focusing on youth development and bullying prevention efforts around Be a STAR, WWE’s bullying prevention initiative.

* Hire Heroes USA Veteran Transition Event – Monday, April 8, Men’s Wearhouse and WWE New York City Office
WWE Superstars Lacey Evans and Titus O’Neil will guide veterans on a shopping spree at Men’s Wearhouse to assure they are ready for upcoming job interviews. Following the shopping spree, the veterans will visit WWE’s New York City office to meet with Hire Heroes USA and WWE staff to receive career coaching advice, participate in mock interviews and take professional headshots.

* Monday Night Raw® – Monday, April 8, Barclays Center
Monday Night Raw emanates live from Barclays Center at 8/7C on USA Network with the fallout from WrestleMania. The night after WrestleMania has become one of the most-anticipated events of the year and has never been short on surprises.

* UNICEF Kid Power Challenge – Tuesday, April 9, P.S. 212 Jackson Heights
WWE Superstars Carmella and R-Truth® bring Kid Power to P.S. 212 in Jackson Heights, Queens. UNICEF Kid Power is a program of UNICEF USA that gives kids the power to save lives by connecting their everyday activity to real-world impact. During the event, kids will join the Superstars in hands-on-experiences that get kids physically active.

* SmackDown Live® – Tuesday, April 9, Barclays Center
WWE caps off five consecutive nights of events in the New York area as SmackDown Live emanates from the Barclays Center at 8/7C on USA Network.

NJPW Announces Departure Of Michael Elgin

NJPW announced that Michael Elgin has not re-signed with the company. The two sides did talk and mutually decided to part ways after his contract expired on March 31.

Elgin first began appearing for NJPW in 2015 through ROH’s partnership, and was able to capture the IWGP Intercontinental, NEVER Openweight, and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Cody Rhodes Announces Kurt Angle For Starrcast II

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has been announced for the loaded Starrcast II convention.

Angle joins The Undertaker as current top WWE Superstars scheduled for the big event, which takes place during All Elite Wrestling’s Double Or Nothing weekend from Las Vegas in late May. This would be almost two months after Angle’s Farewell Match against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35.

AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes took to Twitter on Monday night to announce Angle for Starrcast II. He wrote, “It’s true, It’s damn true, Kurt Angle is coming to Starrcast II!”

Starrcast II takes place May 23-26 from the Tuscany Suites & Casinos at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Full details on the convention can be found at Starrcast.com.

You can see Cody’s tweet below along with a list of guests currently advertised for Starrcast II:

The Undertaker aka Mark Calaway
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair
WWE Hall of Famer Sting
Eric Bischoff
Bruce Prichard
Tony Schiavone
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler
WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart
WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash
WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall
WWE Hall of Famer Lita aka Amy Dumas
WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat
WWE Hall of Famer Sean “X-Pac” Waltman
WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson
WWE Hall of Famer JJ Dillon
WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham
WWE Hall of Famer Tully Blanchard
Tommy Dreamer
Colt Cabana
Magnum TA
Joey Ryan
David Arquette
WWE Hall of Famer The Godfather aka Charles Wright
Jerry Lynn
Konnan
WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk
Dylan Postle aka Swoggle aka Hornswoggle
Rob Van Dam
Leva Bates
WWE producer “Hurricane” Shane Helms
Brian Pillman Jr
The Blue Meanie
Bill Apter
Madison Rayne
Ashley Massaro
Dan Soder
Mike Lawrence
Ron Funches
LA Park
El Hijo de LA Park
Sean Mooney
Nyla Rose
Kylie Rae
Sonny Kiss
Chuck Taylor
Trent Beretta
Dan St. Germain
WWE Hall of Famers The Rock n’ Roll Express
WWE Hall of Famer Mil Mascaras
WWE Hall of Famer Greg Valentine
Mark Madden
Scott Norton
Angelina Love
Velvet Sky
Vampiro
Brandon Cutler
Sammy Guevara
Ace Romero
Kip Sabian
Jimmy Havoc
Scarlett Bordeaux
Killer Kross
Dave Meltzer
Bryan Alvarez
Matt Mitchell aka Casio
Alex Marvez
Dr. Britt Baker
Cody Rhodes
Brandi Rhodes
The Young Bucks
Kenny Omega
Chris Jericho
Christopher Daniels
Frankie Kazarian
Scorpio Sky
Adam Page
Joey Janela
Penelope Ford
WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn
WWE Hall of Famer Stan Hansen
WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage News On The WWE Women’s Title Picture After WrestleMania 35

As noted, Stephanie McMahon appeared on last night’s WWE RAW to announce that Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey will now be a “winner take all” match. Whoever emerges victorious will leave MetLife Stadium with both WWE Women’s Championships.

As far as what happens down the line, whether or not the titles will be broken off to two separate people is to be determined, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. It was noted that higher-ups within WWE have yet to reach a decision on when to actually separate the belts.

According to Meltzer, the storyline that will be focused on after WrestleMania will see someone wanting revenge for unjustly losing their championship in the triple threat scenario. It is believed that Lynch will ultimately leave with both belts, and who she ends up pinning will likely depend on whether or not Ronda Rousey takes a break from WWE after WrestleMania 35. If she stays, Lynch can pin Charlotte and they can focus on Rousey getting a shot at Lynch one-on-one. If rumors prove true and Rousey is indeed departing, they can have Lynch pin her and refocus on the never-ending feud between Charlotte and Becky.

As noted, both the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships will be on the line when Ronda Rousey faces both Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match this Sunday, April 7, at WrestleMania 35, taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Join us this Sunday for live coverage of the event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

“The Demon” Is Coming For Lashley At WrestleMania 35

Last night on RAW, Finn Balor revealed that he is bringing his alter ego “The Demon” to WrestleMania 35 to face Bobby Lashley for the Intercontinental championship.

There had been speculation as to whether or not Balor would bring out the rarely-seen demon to face Lashley at WrestleMania. Now it has been confirmed.

WrestleMania 35 Main Event – “Winner Takes All”, What Happen With Becky, Ronda & Charlotte On RAW?

Last night on RAW, Stephanie McMahon announced that the first-ever WrestleMania women’s main event triple threat match will now be Winner Takes All with both the RAW Women’s Championship and SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line. RAW women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Stephanie said, “That’s right, one woman will bring home all the gold the grandest stage of them all. Because this Sunday at WrestleMania, three of the WWE’s greatest athletes will step foot in that ring. They will put their bodies on the line and leave their hearts and souls on the mat because this Sunday at WrestleMania, it’s WINNER. TAKES. ALL.”

 

Last night on RAW, Becky, Ronda and Charlotte had to team up against The Riott Squad with the stipulation that if one of them betrays the others in the match they would be removed from the WrestleMania main event match. Ronda picked up the win for them by submitting Liv Morgan with an armbar. As soon as bell rang, a huge brawl broke out. Police officers came out to the ring to stop Ronda, Becky and Charlotte, but the three wasn’t willing to stop. The three ended up fighting with the officers resulting in all three of them being arrested. Evan after being handcuffed they keept on fighting each other and the officers. They were placed into police cars with Ronda and Becky placed in the same car. They fought and kicked out the window. Becky was pulled out of one car but then she brawled with Charlotte, their hands still cuffed behind their backs. Ronda manages to get behind the wheel of one of the squad cars. She drove it into the back of another car. The police finally calmed things down somewhat as two cars are driven away with the sirens on, Ronda in back of one and Becky in the back of another. Charlotte was still resisting as they all watch the police drive away with Ronda and Becky in separate cars.

 

WWE announced a storyline update on Becky, Ronda and Charlotte:

Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair released from custody

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have all been released from police custody of their own recognizance and will appear in court at a later date.

Stay with WWE’s digital platforms as this story develops.

WWE RAW Preview 4/1/19

The final WWE RAW before WrestleMania 35 will take place tonight from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

* Breaking News: Stephanie McMahon to make an announcement regarding the WrestleMania main event tonight

* Can WrestleMania’s main-event Superstars coexist against The Riott Squad?

* Batista returns to Raw

* Beth Phoenix returns to action in an Eight-Woman Tag Team Match – Beth Phoenix, Natalya and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Nia Jax, Tamina Snuka and The IIconics

* Brock Lesnar comes to Raw to extinguish Seth Rollins’ fire

* Can Aleister Black & Ricochet convert their recent success into a Raw Tag Team Championship reign?

* Will Roman Reigns attain retribution against Drew McIntyre before WrestleMania?

* Kurt Angle battles Rey Mysterio in his final Raw match