Linda Mcahon comments on wrestlers death

[King_of_Swing1520]

Linda McMahon issued the following statement to The UK Sun concerning the passing of Lance Cade and fired back at those who crticized her for pro wrestling causing the early death of wrestlers: "I might have met him once. WWE is no more responsible for these deaths than a film studio could have prevented Heath Ledger's death."


so basically wwe is not responsible for wrestlers deaths. i'd say her logic makes sence

how bout u?

 

[pedro316]

well she's right, whenever wwe has a problem with a superstar they just release them so they dont have to deal with them, umaga and lance cade are good examples

 

[One to Remember]

im not sure why he died but WWE did quite literally cut its losses. eitherway by WWE constantly going on the defense that empowers its oppents and increases its detractors. They are so quick to distance themselves is as if they know they are guilty and are rying to put up a front.

 

[King_of_Swing1520]

know there guilty? any drug problem some1 has is because of some wrong doing on there part. just like she said the movie studio didnt get in trouble when heath ledger died. maybe people shouldnt be so quick to attack the company. they have a wellness policy and drug testing just like the nfl.

 

[Poɘt]

well she's right, whenever wwe has a problem with a superstar they just release them so they dont have to deal with them, umaga and lance cade are good examples

You sorta argued against your answer that they aren't. The fact that they just release these guys for using substances that almost seem necessary to keep up with WWE's schedule and keep their spot is what makes them partly to blame. Is WWE directly responsible? Of course not, these are grown men capable of making their own decisions. But WWE also isn't without blame, because they demand a life style that is either going to push you toward substance abuse, early retirement, or to a company with a lighter schedule.

These are humans beings we're talking about. As much as folks love their rasslin and Vince loves his money, the WWE should really cut back on the shows. I mean, it's not like it's all that entertaining to begin with, so making the schedule lighter would not only promote a safer lifestyle for the talent, but could also lead to a better product.

 

[Poɘt]

know there guilty? any drug problem some1 has is because of some wrong doing on there part. just like she said the movie studio didnt get in trouble when heath ledger died. maybe people shouldnt be so quick to attack the company. they have a wellness policy and drug testing just like the nfl.

Movie studios aren't having actors on the road 300 days a year while participating in human car wrecks every night. Not to mention expecting the individual to continue to have a stable mindset and keep up a certain appearance for their gimmick. Her analogy was pretty bad, so I'd do myself a favor and not try to defend it.

 

[drobs85]

Wrestling world and acting world are different. Also Ledger didn't od because he lost his job are had to compete for it or maintain his size so where's the similiarity. Hell ledger had just either finished a movie or were starting one so the comparison is a little incorrect. Also just because someone doesn't physically point a gun at someone doesn't mean they are not in someway responsible. Maybe if it were one or two deaths then linda's comment would hold more weight but the death list is so long, it's not a coincidence and i can't even remember all the deaths, sad.

 

[Athena]

Unfortunately for a lot of the smarks out there, Linda is right about this one. WWE has no control over what Superstars do in their personal lives. They may penalize someone for using illicit drugs and suspend them (William Regal, Masters), but there's nothing they can do to stop them from continuing to take the drugs - see Jeff Hardy. Sure, they can release the superstar and wash their hands clean of the situation, which they've done in many situations (again, see Hardy). But say if Jeff were to die tomorrow and it was revealed that his death was due to an overdose of recreational drugs, would WWE be to blame?

Lance Cade passed away because a heart condition if I remember correctly, but there's nothing linking WWE to his heart problem. It could very have well been due to steroid use, but even then, would WWE be responsible because one of their employees decided to juice up, and the use of the steroids eventually lead to his death? They may feel guilty, but they wouldn't have to assume the blame for it.

This is different than, say, Benoit. Benoit's brain was shown to have suffered severe trauma from years of chair shots, diving headbutts, and other wrestling related accidents. In this case, WWE does have to share the blame for what Benoit did, since his mental condition at the time was (partly) the result of the injuries he suffered in the ring, and the WWE didn't do much to recognize and treat his injuries. Like I said before though, if a wrestler does something outside of the company that leads to his death, how can any rational person put the blame on the WWE?

 

[Whatsinaname696]

while maybe not directly responsible we all know it's a plague on the wrestling world, and wwe works its guys harder than anyone without regard to their long term health or well being, no, not directly wwe's fault but still.. and she could been a lil less of a cunt about it

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

WWE may not be directly to blame, but there is a clear correlation between the wrestling business and the death of so many young men. Wrestling like any other sport is full of injuries, however, unlike other sports most of these guys do not have a guaranteed pay day waiting for them either way like a pro athlete. When most wrestlers get hurt, they have got to still go out there and perform to keep their spot and their pay day coming. Wrestlers working for Vince are on the road 300+ days a year and have no time to really heal wounds. It is one of the most taxing industries of all on the human body and it is no wonder these guys get addicted to pain meds and other drugs. It is not a difficult path to fall into addiction for these guys and the company despite it's wellness policy has not done enough. You want to really help these guys out Vince and Linda, cut out some house shows, do less pay per views, give them more time to rest and maybe you'll see a drop in addiction and premature deaths among your performers.

 

[Joup7]

i think that Linda is somewhat correct. we don't know yet what exactly caused Lance Cade to die. I think though she doesn't care about being correct, she cares right now about saving face and putting herself in a good light.

also, Vince actually could keep his 300 shows a year and still give wrestlers a lighter schedule. Look at the massive rosters we have right now and how many guys barely show up on tv other than Superstars on a regular basis. TNA doesn't send all of their stars to each show. The WWE shouldn't have to either. Give everybody one week off from house shows a month (not from TV of course) and still have enough wrestlers to have a solid card for each show.

 

[pessimism101]

First of all, we don't know how much more Linda told the Sun reporter and how much of her statements were actually printed nor the true context in which she said them. Second, you can blame whoever you want to about wrestlers and their addictions, but the bottom line is, everyone is responsible for their own actions and are the only ones who should be held accountable.

Yes, the WWE quickly releases wrestlers who violate the Wellness Policy, but, at the same time, they also offer free rehab to those same people. You can't force anybody to go to rehab if they don't want to go so the WWE has done all it can do.

As far as how much the wrestlers have to work these days, this is NOTHING to compared to the schedules wrestlers had to go through through the 80's and 90's (ask Bret Hart). If wrestlers are having problems with the WWE schedule, they can either deal with it, go to another promotion, or find another line of work altogether. They don't have to take drugs or drink or whatever.

 

[thewholedamnshow]

its no secret these days about how much of a hard life it is to be a WWE superstar and i think wrestlers know it these days. so its their own call/fault if they cant run with it. im not saying 300+ days is nothing but im prettty sure every wrestler knows what they have to do to be a star

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

I'm of the mindset that you can't blame Linda McMahon and WWE either, they are merely filling a demand that society itself has made. It's sad that this is what it comes to but the nature of the business is to have these men look larger than life, and to not look like the average gent or gal you'd pass on the street. If the majority of these folks did not look like these massive machines of human beings we would sure as heck not be watching professional wrestling.

But because there's a demand for wrestlers to look a certain way, there are individuals that do everything in their power to maintain that look despite the pressure they are under to do so. Like any athletic endeavor there's competition and despite wrestling's pre determined nature, the only way to maintain these unrealistic physiques and maintain these hectic schedules is to sometimes have to put your body through such extremes. It's all about maintaining your spot, whether you are a solid mid carder or the headliner, these men and women are competing.

The problem is that just because you may be physically strong, that in no way means that you will have the greatest constitution. That misconception sadly applies to the cases of guys like Brian "Crush" Adams, Curt Hennig, and most recently Lance Cade among others.

While I don't exactly praise WWE as humanitarians just because they pay for rehab and have their wellness policy (they're doing it because they have to, let's be honest, if there was such a big concern, such measures would have been taken so much earlier like anything else it's a public relations move), we still can't blame them for what happens to these performers. The reason being is that that these individuals want to be in WWE, Vince and Linda (before she stepped down to pursue the Senate) never made these people sign a contract.

Do I think they encourage their performers to do whatever it takes to look but not necessarily feel their best? I don't know, it's very possible, I am not there to see what goes in the lives of these promoters and their roster. But think about it, wrestlers are still dying, they're the rock stars of the athletic world. While Linda McMahon's comments might not seem so nice or even fair to some, it is cold, hard fact especially when considering that Lance Cade was no longer a contracted performer with WWE anyway, in my view no matter how seedy professional wrestling may seem by some to be, these men and women are under no obligation whatsoever to work for World Wrestling Entertainment or any other organization but that doesn't mean we should be kissing WWE's collective ass either...

 

[MayorMcCheese]

Wow Linda is coming off as really pathetic, WWE never takes responsbility for shit. Wrestling as a culture of steroids and drug abuse and they continue to deny they take no responsibility for it.

Tell me WWE how many of your top stars are former body builders? Wrestling ability is secondary, they want freaked out guys and we all know how dudes get that way

 

[bko]

Shes right. WWE offer a VERY strict wellness policy, They full pay for any rehab of any former wrestler, and you really think anyone in WWE is not upset when stuff like this happens, what else do you want them to do? Not only that, but Lance Cade hasn't even been in WWE for the last 2 years.

 

[Driver]

WWE may not be directly to blame, but there is a clear correlation between the wrestling business and the death of so many young men. Wrestling like any other sport is full of injuries, however, unlike other sports most of these guys do not have a guaranteed pay day waiting for them either way like a pro athlete. When most wrestlers get hurt, they have got to still go out there and perform to keep their spot and their pay day coming. Wrestlers working for Vince are on the road 300+ days a year and have no time to really heal wounds. It is one of the most taxing industries of all on the human body and it is no wonder these guys get addicted to pain meds and other drugs. It is not a difficult path to fall into addiction for these guys and the company despite it's wellness policy has not done enough. You want to really help these guys out Vince and Linda, cut out some house shows, do less pay per views, give them more time to rest and maybe you'll see a drop in addiction and premature deaths among your performers.

You're point says allot, but on the same token; a drop in house shows/pay per views means that allot of the talent will be losing quite a bit of money which is in most cases one of the reasons many talent choose to work for WWE because they know the pay day is going to be worth it in most cases - ala Gail Kim.

 

[vampirek]

Movie studios aren't having actors on the road 300 days a year while participating in human car wrecks every night. Not to mention expecting the individual to continue to have a stable mindset and keep up a certain appearance for their gimmick. Her analogy was pretty bad, so I'd do myself a favor and not try to defend it.

In her defence though, this is exactly what Heath Ledger did. He locked himself away for a month and took on the gimmick of the Joker. He even admits his mindset wasn't stable. So the link is a fair one.

 

[CarlSinclair]

I totally agree with her, in NO way are WWE responsible for a kid like Cade dying at 29 because he did a ton of drugs etc.

1. WWE fired him because of abuse of their wellness policy. One assumes he refused rehab.
2. WWE did not make him take drugs/roids or whatever he was on that caused his heart to mess up at 29
3. The argument that the "WWE lifestyle' caused it to happen.... the dude is a grown man, HE CHOSE to be a wrestler and work for WWE, they didn't force him. If he couldn't cope with the lifestyle then he should have walked, drugs was his choice, not theirs. Heck I have things in my job I don't like.. I put up with them because I like my job, if i didn't want to put up with them I would leave. Not like he didn't have other options, CHristian, Jericho, RVD and others walked when they didn't like the time/hours/work load.

Its sad, very sad he died, its sad they all died.. end of the day they brought their own deaths upon themselves.. well apart from maybe Benoit... his brain being messed up prob was because of ECW/WCW/WWE and others..

 

[DeezyL]

I feel compelled to jump in on this arguement, because it is 100% ignorant to think that the WWE bares no responsibility to these wrestlers. They are employees who have been encouraged again and again to push themselves to the limit. They're job is to go above and beyond.

Few quick facts

1 Lance Cade NEVER FAILED A DRUG TEST.
Hows that wellness policy going by the way??

2 Wrestlers do not have 401ks or health insurance and the progress medicine has made in research into concussions, and steroid abuse....well thats just and absolute travesty.

Unfortunatley Vince treats wrestlers like race horses and has no problem taking them out back ol' yeller style when he feels they are washed up.

Wrestlers need unions or this staggering death rate will keep happening over and over and over, and the fact that 60-100 wrestlers have died before the age of 60 and you smarks think there is nothing wrong with that, and that the wwe are not responsible, well you guys are pretty sick.

 

[kurt_angle_no1fan]

The Wrasslin lifestyle is a tough one, physically and mentally. I would love WWE to go back to 5 PPV's a year (RR, WM, KOTR, SS, SS) and cut down the house shows, I wouldnt even mind if they had an "Off season" for a few months. Maybe in the "Off Season" they could run NXT.

PPV's dont feel special anymore. Far too many and some are just 3 weeks inbetween each other!!!

No doubt in my mind if they cut down the work load, the early deaths would decrease - that strain MUST play a part.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

WWE aren't responsible, i notice that no one has looked at the list of wrestlers who've died recently and noticed that Benoit and Guerrero were literally the only 2 guys to have still been contracted to WWE at the time of their deaths.

Lance Cade hadn't worked there for 2 years.

Umaga hadn't worked there for about a year.

How long was it between Test getting fired from WWE and Andrew Martin dying?

And yet those guys were all still wrestling in other promotions between being 'future endeavoured' and dying.

If Charlie Haas dies next Summer are we all going to blame Vince McMahon? Despite the fact that he'll probably have been at ROH for a full year by then.

And if it's so necessary to take so many drugs to make it in the WWE, yet so many people are dying at a young age, how do explain guys like Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker who've all wrestled well into their 40's under those same stressful conditions and living that same non-stop lifestyle? Why have those 7 guys managed to survive for so long where no one after them has? HHH has blatantly popped some roids beteen '95 and now, yet he's not dead is he?

So i'm more inclined to believe that these wrestlers are taking substances but not paying attention to how much they're taking and not paying attention to the affects it's having on their bodies closely enough.

And it'd be nice if the next time a wrestler dies and someone starts a 'who's to blame thread', if we were to look at 'wrestling the profession' and not simply 'wrestling under Vince McMahon', purely because he dominates 90% of the market.

The one thing i will say is that Linda could have shown more sympathy here. It seems like her attitude is 'Hey, it's my husband who owns the wrestling promotion, not me, so fuck your problems with wrestling and let's get back to what's important, ya know, like politics?'

Which is fair enough on one hand, but on the other, you can't seriously think when you're trying to gain public favour, that it's a good idea and turn around and simply say 'it's not my fault he's dead.' Her advisors must have all slapped their foreheads in disbelief in unison. And if Booker T were one of them, he'd be delivering the 'She dint just say dat! Tell me... she did not... just.... say dat!' line.

 

[Davi323]

Fact 1: the fact Cade didn't fail any wellness tests could be as simple as him not abusing substances until after the WWE let him go. Fact negated.

Fact 2: No health insurance? So are you suggesting that they can't afford a 200 dollar a month Cobra plan? That they can't set up their own retirement funds with the money they make? Plus, what does that have to do with Lance Cade? Nothing. Fact negated.

If a dumbass roids up after the WWE let's them go, how is the WWE responsible? If they offer a substance abuser free rehab, and they refuse, how is the WWE responsible? Let's try something new...how about we accept responsibilty for our own actions?

As for Heath Ledger, you try getting 3 hours of sleep a night, for months at a time, working 20 hours a day for your job, and tell me that doesn't take an enormous toll on your body? I think it is a valid comparison, up to a point.

 

[DeezyL]

Fact 1: the fact Cade didn't fail any wellness tests could be as simple as him not abusing substances until after the WWE let him go. Fact negated.

.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HOLD ON HOLD ON I'M LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY.........ok ok im good

Quick question to you my friend, what ignorant world do you live in? Are you the parent that turns your back when his kids are drinking in the basement thinking to yourself, "my kids would never do that". Heres a couple a facts you can try to negate.

Lance cade was twice suspended for ADMITTING, he had a problem, he came to the wwe and said I have a problem help me. So what does that say about your wellness policy? That its an absolute joke. Their tests are not rigorous enough, or they are ignoring positive results.

I think its 80, 80 friggin wrestlers have died, clearly they cannot take care of themselves and when you have wrestlers diving head first into tables, and then going home and killing their families......well maybe you have a serious problem on your hands. Maybe its the responsiblity of the employers to look out for their employees. But not in the WWE! Infact its kinda the opposite you either compete or go to the indys.

Wake up man wrestlers are not mature enough to get their own health insurance. And if they are going to destroy their bodies the least the WWE can do is implement some sort of health insurance necessitiy.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

That statement is quite true about wrestlers and their deaths. I've said this before in another thread, but the people that sign a contract are full aware of what they are getting themselves into. They have to work pretty much every day of their lives with hardly any time off, despite how rigorous the schedule is. The way they get pushed a lot of people just simply can't handle them, even wrestlers... so they may need to do other activities in order to keep up. No-one wants to lose an opportunity like working in the E and will do anything to stay there. However, if the WWE finds out about anything, they immediately offer support and try to get them better again. It's the wrestlers choice whether they want to take the help... and it's their choice if they want to do that to there bodies.

In saying this, Linda did come off a little harsh but at least she is being honest... a quality that you don't find in many politicians, though there are people who take it the wrong way. She didn't mean to be rude, she's just stating the facts.