TNA wrestler goes online to get help for paying his medical bills

[Arch Stanton]

Austin and Terry Funk talk about medical insurance on the latest episode of The Steve Austin Show. Funk says he always had it and that he's benefited from it a shitload over the years. It seems he was one of the only ones that did though. Austin never had it throughout his wrestling career, only when he started making movies (I assume because he was obliged to). He implied that it costs a fortune to get insurance as a professional wrestler, as you can well imagine. Stevie Wonder's car insurance quotes probably come in cheaper. It's no surprise at all that so few wrestlers have it, especially guys at Zema's level.

 

Does anyone know roughly what sort of figure we are talking about? I'd be interested to know.

 

The idea of getting into a business with such a high risk of physical injury with no insurance in a country without free healthcare is absolutely terrifying to me.

[ClassicsGuy]

TNA like to present themselves as such a nice friendly company, with Dixie Carter doing publicity with that happy smiley friendly approachable non-McMahon persona, and Hulk Hogan the childhood hero of many fans also evoking good feeling about TNA battling the evil corporate giant that is WWE.

 

Then every now and again, the company facade slips and you see this - the ugly side of TNA, which, amongst many things:

 

- refused to pay for Konnan's hip replacement surgery

- refused to pay for Ron Killings knee surgery

- pays female performers a pittance

- claims to have a Wellness policy yet nobody has ever been drug-tested

- refuses to pay for Zema Ion's surgeries.

 

 

There was an interesting article written on the company about 2 years ago, worth a read:

 

http://www.cagesideseats.com/2011/3/7/2035...tailed-analysis

 

WWE has many faults, but at least they pay their talent a liveable wage and pay for any medical surgeries required.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I don't blame Dixie Carter as much. Even though she's the person in charge, I'm sure her heads in the sand to all of this. She doesn't know the business as well as the power players who have been in TNA for years. They should know better. Nobody has a bad word to say about Dixie. Even Awesome Kong, who left on terrible terms distanced Dixie from any of the blame. She surrounds herself with people who don't care about the wrestlers, though. She has always had a crew of people around her whether its Terry Taylor or Bob Ryder or the Jarretts (who were the masters at fucking people out of money back in the day) or Bruce Prichard. There's always someone who is there to badly advise her on stuff like this. These people should have advised her far better than they have done over the years.

 

Looking at the roster over the years, TNA rarely fires anyone do they? Everyone from Booker T and Scott Steiner to Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards to Jesse Neal and Brian Kendrick have left over money issues or personal issues. They were still trying to get Flair to rejoin them up until a month ago. Your company is really fucked when you have people walking out because they cant support themselves.

[PowerButchi]

I'm sure Bob Ryder can find a solution to this which benefits them both.

[CTXRussomark]

Why should they pay for Zema Ion's surgery? I completely agree they should pay for medical expenses relating to injuries incurred while working for them but the guy had appendicitis. Why should that be TNA's responsibility? I don't mean to sound heartless but the guy only works for them the equivalent of one month a year, can you imagine the floodgates they'd be opening if they picked up the bill for this? Of course it would be nice if they did but I certainly wouldn't class this in the "TNA is EVIL" category.

[hitman89762000]

Why should they pay for Zema Ion's surgery? I completely agree they should pay for medical expenses relating to injuries incurred while working for them but the guy had appendicitis. Why should that be TNA's responsibility? I don't mean to sound heartless but the guy only works for them the equivalent of one month a year, can you imagine the floodgates they'd be opening if they picked up the bill for this? Of course it would be nice if they did but I certainly wouldn't class this in the "TNA is EVIL" category.

 

Because it could potentially be a lifesaving surgery? And the better the care the better his chances?

[IANdrewDiceClay]

He's one of their regulars, though. He's worked there two years now and been the main man in the X Division for a lot of it. Even if they don't pay the full amount for the surgeries, the company looks so bad when he has to independently set up an account begging for money off the fans. You would think they'd want him back in the ring as soon as possible.

 

I think if they paid for his surgery to remove a tumor from his colon, no floodgates would be opened. They'd be praised for it, especially coming off the bad publicity they've had the last few months. Where as if they find out his tumor is cancerous and the fans cough up the money for it to be removed, TNA's going to get all kinds of shit for it. Especially after all the support they gave Jeff Hardy when he turned up off his tits on that pay-per-view. It seems if you are a star you get help and rehab and time to chill at home. If you are on $300 per show, fuck you.

[Snitsky's back acne]

Then every now and again, the company facade slips and you see this - the ugly side of TNA, which, amongst many things:

 

- refused to pay for Konnan's hip replacement surgery

- refused to pay for Ron Killings knee surgery

- pays female performers a pittance

- claims to have a Wellness policy yet nobody has ever been drug-tested

- refuses to pay for Zema Ion's surgeries.

 

Just want to add 'refusal to pay Daffney's medical bills due to injuries she suffered in the ring' to that list too......

 

**RUNS AND HIDES TO AVOID THE ONCOMING BARRAGE OF ABUSIVE POSTS THAT HAPPEN ANYTIME ANYONE BRINGS UP DAFFNEYS NAME ON THIS FORUM** (Joke)

[cleslie92]

I don't blame Dixie Carter as much. Even though she's the person in charge, I'm sure her heads in the sand to all of this. She doesn't know the business as well as the power players who have been in TNA for years. They should know better. Nobody has a bad word to say about Dixie. Even Awesome Kong, who left on terrible terms distanced Dixie from any of the blame. She surrounds herself with people who don't care about the wrestlers, though. She has always had a crew of people around her whether its Terry Taylor or Bob Ryder or the Jarretts (who were the masters at fucking people out of money back in the day) or Bruce Prichard. There's always someone who is there to badly advise her on stuff like this. These people should have advised her far better than they have done over the years.

 

Looking at the roster over the years, TNA rarely fires anyone do they? Everyone from Booker T and Scott Steiner to Tommy Dreamer and Stevie Richards to Jesse Neal and Brian Kendrick have left over money issues or personal issues. They were still trying to get Flair to rejoin them up until a month ago. Your company is really fucked when you have people walking out because they cant support themselves.

 

I'm just getting through Hardcore Holly's book, and he would be the first to testify to that.

[Ant]

I'm sure I'll be corrected if things have changed but historically the big guns earn cracking money from contracts with the parent company or Spike; the rest are on a pittance with their TNA LLC deals.

 

Folk working in the equivalent of minimum wage retail jobs. I'm surprised none of their talent has been done for selling drugs in the pub before catching a flight to a TV taping.

[Smith]

One reason TNA should be obligated to pay.

 

As noted, it's incredibly hard for pro wrestlers to get health insurance. His working for TNA probably meant he couldn't get any without paying an absolute fortune. So, in that way, you could say they owe it to him.

 

Also, per Meltzer, Hogan gets like $35,000 a show, so don't say they can't afford it.

[Ant]

One reason TNA should be obligated to pay.

 

As noted, it's incredibly hard for pro wrestlers to get health insurance. His working for TNA probably meant he couldn't get any without paying an absolute fortune. So, in that way, you could say they owe it to him.

 

Also, per Meltzer, Hogan gets like $35,000 a show, so don't say they can't afford it.

 

But who are "they"?

 

As above, TNA probably hasn't got a pot to piss in. The funds are in the parent co and TV co. I doubt the company Zema has an agreement with are the latter 2.

[Smith]

One reason TNA should be obligated to pay.

 

As noted, it's incredibly hard for pro wrestlers to get health insurance. His working for TNA probably meant he couldn't get any without paying an absolute fortune. So, in that way, you could say they owe it to him.

 

Also, per Meltzer, Hogan gets like $35,000 a show, so don't say they can't afford it.

 

But who are "they"?

 

As above, TNA probably hasn't got a pot to piss in. The funds are in the parent co and TV co. I doubt the company Zema has an agreement with are the latter 2.

 

 

The company pleads poverty when it comes to negotiating with lower card talents, but it can afford to can afford to spend millions going on the road and signing Sting, Hogan, Hardy, etc to contracts. And, yes, Spike cover some of it, but not all.

 

TNA have got plenty of cash, they're just cheap.

 

Look, even taking out the morality/ethics, isn't it just bad PR? That alone makes it worth giving him the $30,000.

[Ant]

One reason TNA should be obligated to pay.

 

As noted, it's incredibly hard for pro wrestlers to get health insurance. His working for TNA probably meant he couldn't get any without paying an absolute fortune. So, in that way, you could say they owe it to him.

 

Also, per Meltzer, Hogan gets like $35,000 a show, so don't say they can't afford it.

 

But who are "they"?

 

As above, TNA probably hasn't got a pot to piss in. The funds are in the parent co and TV co. I doubt the company Zema has an agreement with are the latter 2.

 

 

The company pleads poverty when it comes to negotiating with lower card talents, but it can afford to can afford to spend millions going on the road and signing Sting, Hogan, Hardy, etc to contracts. And, yes, Spike cover some of it, but not all.

 

TNA have got plenty of cash, they're just cheap.

 

Look, even taking out the morality/ethics, isn't it just bad PR? That alone makes it worth giving him the $30,000.

 

Totally agreed. From a legal standpoint did the Daffney court case fall through? That could have changed things.

 

It must kill some of these guys and gals knowing how much people like Bischoff get, watching the Company roll it in with meet n greets, and have to rely on passion and desire to stop them giving up on the dream.

[Smith]

The Daffney thing was settled out of court. No word on how much cash she got but the observer claimed it was "significantly more" than the original $26,000 for the medical bills.