I ached for a few days afterwards; I'm not kidding about "don't try this"! | AD: 💼 80,000 Hours wants to you to find a job and help the world: 80000hours.org/tom

"you have this amazing thing called common sense" he says to the man who agreed to do wrestling with a single day of training

Well that was fun, wasn’t it?! It was an absolute joy working with the crew on this project. We’re also glad you didn’t get (too) hurt! Just remember to land palms down next time 😉 P.s If Tom’s painful cries and multiple landings on sensitive body parts didn’t make it obvious enough, please DON’T try this at home, school, or anywhere for that matter.

The silence and slight awkwardness right before Mike says “Alright lovely boy here you go” and grabs Tom and slams him down was so great.

You have to remember that Tom is almost 40 years old and still able to do this without completely breaking his back. That’s an achievement on its own.

Imagine being told "your acting was great, you looked properly in pain" after someone smashed you on the ground and the medics escorted you backstage.

somewhere along the way I'll understand this channel is just Tom's diary of realizing his secret lifelong dream of becoming a professional Hollywood stuntman

15:04 "you landed completely correctly" translation: "yes, it is supposed to hurt that badly"

At this point everyone knows wrestling is scripted. There is no undoing that. This is great to show the actuality of wrestling and what wrestlers go through each and every day. Edit: 3.5K likes! 😮 Thanks guys. Keep loving wrestling.

08/06/2022 : "I got bodyslammed by professional wrestlers." 11/24/2022 : "I attempted knife throwing. It almost ended up well." 02/13/2023 : "We broke into the White House w/ LockPickingLawyer, Colin Furze, Michael Reeves and NileRed." 06/20/2023 : "I escaped the most dangerous prison in North Korea. I got caught, so I did it again but properly this time."

It has to be incredibly odd getting very calm, professional instructions from someone who you have in a headlock.

imagine going to your local wrestling event and out of nowhere Tom Scott runs on to the ring

Tom in 2022: I have no pain tolerance. Tom in 2009: spent nearly two weeks trying to remove his fingerprints with pineapple gunk and a scrubber.

Tom's team is amazing at putting him in increasingly uncomfortable situations. And he is taking it like a champ.

I really like watching non wrestling people take wrestling training. You quickly realize there is a very big difference between "fake" and "pre-determined"

"That's because you have this amazing thing called common sense, wrestlers somehow seem to lose that just before they take up wrestling." ... as a former professional wrestler, this resonates well with me! This was an immensely entertaining watch. Subscribed.

They should have gone for 6 months training and turned Tom into a beast. Training 3 times a day, 5 days a week eating his weight in chicken breast, broccoli and raw eggs. Watch the lad gradually get more and more buff and then introducing him as Tom “The Tank Engine” Scott. Choo choo.

One thing I enjoy about Tom is that he doesn’t half-ass it. He makes the most of his opportunities and gives it full effort.

I saw “I got body slammed” and just thought about how insane it would be to see Tom Scott walking out to the WWE ring through a smokescreen in full spandex.

Tom looks so funny, but i can't help but appreciate what he's doing. As a wrestling fan i appreciate the respect he's showing to what is objectively an absurd art form

I love how serious you took it. This is a really tough sport and people still tend to mock it.

Just hearing the kids scream "Noooo!" during the handshake scene made this entire video worth it.

Something about the calm conversation at 14:10, followed by “Alright lovely boy, here we go” into a body slam is immensely funny to me

Seeing the most put-together KZfaqr yelling in pain after a bodyslam is a unique experience.

Jack explained why 'pulling back the curtain' on wrestling isn't a big deal anymore, almost perfectly I'd say. And without the time to see how long it took, Tom did fairly well for getting into it, bumping correctly and everything

"What's going through your head right now?" Tom: "The ring" Even after a gnarly fall mans still has jokes

Legends say he came from the mist, broken and in pain, but with a war cry on his lips: "THIS IS NOT YOUR CHAIR!"

Tom awkwardly going under the bottom rope is a peak Tom Scott moment! Was a good watch, nice to see Pro-Wrestling being given proper credit all over the media these days.

19:22 - I really respect that you asked this question. Most people in the business don't even bother asking that question anymore, and it's a shame. The reality is there have always been people that knew wrestling was a work, but the real beauty of the sport is when people get lost in it to the point where they can't tell what is planned or unplanned. Now a days the trick isn't so much to keep everything a secret, but to do it in such a natural way that people forget that it is pre-planned. There are more nuances to the whole thing once you get to higher levels of presentation, where you can to start layering secondary scenarios within the main storyline where things happen that seem "real" or "off-script" and it adds and entire extra levels of drama to the presentation. But generally speaking its about having interactions come across as genuine more than "realistic" if that makes sense.

Seriously impressed by Tom's acting in that last scene. I was expecting a something brief and forgettable but he really put a lot of heart into it. That line required more emotion than Tom's usual scripted work, but he could have had me convinced he's a pro at this.

As a professional wrestler, I'm very happy to see Tom upset with not getting his hands right on the slam. It's a little thing that the crowd didn't even notice (and never would) but it shows he's got respect for the art form! Cheers!

Having been a wrestler, everything you were taught is 100% accurate. Ash ore is one of the safest workers out there too. Has been a good few years since I stepped in a ring and watching this video, seeing faces I haven’t seen in a while either has brought back so many good memories Keep up the good work, Tom.

Imagine you are just at your casual Wrestling thing and suddenly Tom Scott, a person whos work you watch and love for years, gets slammed on the floor.

Tom always says he's bad at acting. I think it would be cool to see him do an acting class

This felt very genuine and vulnerable from Tom. Less of a screen persona than usual, but I guess repeatedly slamming into the floor will do that. Loved this, and that’s coming from someone who never had any interest in wrestling

I really respect the clear admission that wrestling is scripted, and this man's reverence for it not only as a sport, but an art form, bringing up the different styles of matches in different cultures. It's a very different viewpoint than what I typically see, which is wrestling's scriptedness being an open, yet somehow shameful secret.

Huge respect to these people that are throwing themselves around to entertain 50-100 people. That's dedication.

Mike strikes me as the kind of trainer who would tell you in the same honest, non-judgemental tone if it WAS the worst he'd ever seen, and then tell you how to improve it. Whatever you're learning - this is the kind of teacher you want.

I love the moment when Mike says “Alright then, lovely boy.” before he throws Tom on the floor.

I think it takes more courage to work a crowd this size than an arena. I’m always in awe how much these wrestlers give and their passion.

14:35 "Alright lovely boy here we go" *bodyslam* Honestly, that’s a great teacher right there

Absolutely loved seeing Tom's character be so different from his usual behaviour. I'm sold on the wrestling persona he played.

Shout-out to the coach, he had a funny, relevant quip for everything Tom said this video 🤣 "It doesn't get any worse than that... There isn't much that's better than it either though..."

It's actually really relieving to hear Tom talk his way through his mistakes as he's practicing. I do that when I'm nervous or mess something up!

I like that Tom treats his crew as actual people, by showing their names when they come on and actually letting them speak. Compare this to other KZfaqrs.

“This is not your chair” might be one of the funniest lines I’ve ever heard in professional wrestling

I lost it when Ashmore said "Now pardon the interruption." It felt like the classic polite British villain trope. Great character, and the speech was very disarming. If you weren't familiar with the character, as I think you were as a character, you'd see no reason not to take him at face value

As someone who studied a bit of body language psycology, you can see how even among people where theres no hard feelings, anger always starts and fades in the face. Be it anger at yourself or others, Tom here is actually getting ragdolled about and showing how hard it is to supress pain caused anger. The section at 15 minutes you see the anger, the scrunching of the face, then as the pain receeds a smile to say "It's fine, I'm fine, we're fine". Massive props to you Tom, as someone who has also done bits of MMA, it is literally a school of hard knocks, and that is what makes you learn quick.

Oh damn around 13:20 after that body slam you could actually feel the self restraint wavering and Tom barely holding back from swearing! Fair play mate that did look like it hurt!

I always wondered what a professional KZfaqr’s midlife crisis would look like, but this second channel is a good approximation. Much love, Tom Scott. Really, I mean that. 😅

Tom has finished the tutorial and is now just flexing his ability to improve all of his stats in life.

So I used to think, like many people, oh it’s not real, it’s acting and staged, to which it sort of is in a way. But after watching this, I have the upmost respect for wrestlers, although choreographed to an extent, there’s clearly a physicality to it and they’re obviously hurting themselves, although taking action to minimize the damage done. Big props to Tom for going through it and even bigger props for an amazing performance! The guy who taught him was also amazing and ran through everything in great detail and took the effort to try and perfect how Tom was doing, great video!

As a wrestling fan, “THIS IS NOT YOUR CHAIR!!” Might be the best thing i have ever heard in any match ever

I used to watch wrestling as a kid and back then I never understood the whole "wrestling is fake" line of thinking. You can't fake gravity. I'd watch wrestlers get slammed or jump off of things, look for wires, see none, and go "No, that was real." Of course I didn't realize it was the STORY that was written and scripted, not the actual moves. But there's no doubt that that stuff hurts.

The whole show looks cool and well produced, seems weird seeing "the crowd" Is only like 50 people.

Tom always puts himself down but honestly, the dude has insane perseverance

If there's ever a Part Two, Tom HAS to go through a table!

Love Tom's Midlife Crisis channel, you learn so many things and honestly, all things I never would have expected Tom to do.. or that Tom would never have expected to do. But the thing is, it's always the people in the video contacting him to show him how it's done, and he goes along with it. He's such a good learner, he listens and follows instructions properly, and the people showing him are always so patient, too, that helps a lot. And more importantly, the more he does those things, the more visibility it gets, the more people contact him, and the closer Tom gets to be a real Jack of All Trades.. or a Tom of All Trades

They should have used Tom's "No you don't!" at 21:24 in the actual match. That was hilarious. Like he was terrified of the guy, but still wanted to get one over on him.

I'm genuinely surprised the term "heel" didn't come up in relation to Ashmore, but I guess that might have been too much explanation beside the actual topic of the video. It was really interesting to watch Tom get ready for that show within less than 24h. There's a reason this stuff takes a lot of training and for Tom to attempt it on such short notice was really amazing.

All of this technique is focused on Not Dying, but there is no technique that will make any of this not hurt. Mad respect to anyone who steps into the ring.

I have nothing but respect for anybody willing to light themselves on fire and attempt pro-wrestling for the sake of entertainment. Godspeed, Tom.

Watching Tom learn how to wrestle is like watching a mouse fall into a bucket of milk and churn it into butter; Almost impossible and an amazing achievement.

As a trained former pro wrestler myself I’m most impressed that Tom automatically fed with his left even when he was just naturally getting up, I bet he would pick it up really quickly

We love Tom. But seeing him in pain and actually overcoming it is a delight. The determination to understand what was wrong and what can make it better is astonishing!

Any situation Tom finds himself in, I always find myself saying “did not expect that but you know what, that makes sense”

Okay, I’ll be honest Tom is in much better shape than me, or my expectations for how in shape he would be.

I don't watch wrestling (or sports, for that matter) at ALL, but seeing the scenarios wrestlers are put in, I can't help but realize that it looks INCREDIBLY romantic.

Life-long martial artist here! Loved the video. Out of all the things I learned in martial arts, even living in some fairly rough neighborhoods, the skill I've used the most is protecting my own stupid self from the floor when I slip or somehow trip over nothing. If I could offer once piece of advice after watching this video, it would be to exhale before landing. Trying to hold your breath while the air is forced out of you is what creates that "winded" feeling, or in some cases causes your diaphragm to cramp, rendering you temporarily unable to breath. Love your videos and admire the courage it took to make this one. Thanks for all you do.

Tom. The whole point of owning a jetpack is that it can keep you out of the reach of professional wrestlers. It's not going to work if you waltz right in sans jetpack.

"THIS IS NOT YOUR CHAIR" absolutely killed me... Great performance Tom, by the way!

As a person who have tried wrestling, it is MUCH more difficult than it looks. Well done Tom.

i just want to point out that, as someone who is well into wrestling, seeing exactly how the training for it looks is incredibly fascinating to me

This channel constantly answers the "I can NEVER imagine Tom Scott doing this" thoughts. It's kinda scary

I like that they putt Tom through cardio drills & didn't just go straight into basic holds and bumping. I remember having to do 200+ squats, 100 push ups, 50 sit ups & 20 burpees as the warm up prior to starting the lesson when I was training.

I love Tom scott plus so much! It's almost always Tom doing something he's never done before, getting instructed by these absolutely wonderful people, and there's always a bit of a struggle, a bit of chaos, a bit of entertainment going on but in the end it's always a wholesome experience ending on an overall positive note. It's like a bitesized 30 Minute hero's journey every time, with a charming protagonist who overcomes some struggles helped by ppl along the way to get to the goal of a good ending!

Mad MAD respect for Tom. I don't think quitting even crossed his mind.

Imagine being in that crowd as a fan of the channel and seeing him come out into the ring

I love this channel (+ the recent technical difficulties episodes) for the amount you can see expertise in very patient and encouraging teachers. People who care this much about their crafts often have a very specific way of making them seem simultaneously magical and effortless, it's very easy to enjoy watching them teach.

Wrestlers are the athletes I respect the most. The wrestlers I watch live on tv, WWE and AEW, travel, wrestle, and train EVERY week. Its definitely a lifestyle for them and despite many dying from injuries and bumps they've taken throughout the years while others left paralyzed, they still continue to do so for both our enjoyment and their passion.

On the subject of "pulling back the curtain" on wrestling, I think it's a good thing. I think that it's become (and kinda always was) a very physical play in a way. The people who coordinate and participate in these events can tell a story rather than 2 goons just beating on each other.

"Tom Scott Has a Rocky Montage" is not a video I expected to see today, but here we are.

Amateur wrestling shows are the absolute best. I recommend it, to anybody curious, to find a local show. One of the guys in my town, who works at the liquor store, jumped off the turnbuckle on to a pile of legos.

This is awesome. Tom’s acting, the rawness of the video, and the great camerawork. Another quality piece of work from Tom.

How long until we see the tweet "Tom Scott Is All Elite"? :D

How often do you actually see someone pound the ground in frustration. That’s raw emotion from Tom. What an experience all this is.

Seriously I love seeing Tom go out of his comfort zone. He approaches it genuinely as himself without question. I want his confidence!

14:41 this is the funniest thing ive seen in my life

This is like something I would come up with in a dream "I had this totally crazy dream last night where I was watching WWE and Tom Scott was part of it"

Ok this is really strange. I haven't watched professional wrestling in half a decade, but just recently, one single video from a channel that I had forgotten I subscribed to was uploaded after years of silcence and plunged me into a rabbit hole of wrestling. And now Tom gets slammed by a Wrestler.

"What's going through my head? Nearly the Ring!"

22:03 Tom you didn't need to throw it back for a real one like that 🥵

I enjoy how in the US, pro wrestling is 10,000 people in a huge stadium, whereas in the UK its 30 people in a village hall

I misread it as "I got bodyshamed"

I love this!! This and the old WWF ‘Tough Enough’ series is a remarkable insight into the training and pain involved in what these wrestlers put themselves through almost if not daily - I could watch this for hours…..

I love the "and off you go" as he drops tom onto the mat at 13:08

I love small pro wrestling promotions so much, they have so much more heart and are so much more fun to me than large corporate promos.

As a Professonal Wrestling nerd, this is the greatest crossover of my interests ever. Well done Tom!

If anyone hasnt gone to see a local regional wrestling event, you need to give it a chance. The energy is incredible, and the commitment of the wrestlers matches the pros.

20:00 I think pro wresting should be considered similar to magician performance: everybody knows that there are tricks, not actual magic. You still watch the performance to be entertainment by the skills and surprise factor.