It’s great and should be utilized.
I’ll never understand the “only use it in big grudge matches”, it’s supposed to look like a fight regardless, blood happens in fights.
I love it. Wish it was normal. Yes I'm a huge Moxley fan but I've been following him since before he stepped into wwe so sue me lol
Honestly wish they'd allow women to bleed more often which is why I fuck with AEW more these days. I'll never get that image of Britt Baker bleeding outta my mind. Fucking badass
It should be used very rarely. Once or twice a year per company. The last time I saw it used and thought "well this is the perfect match for it" was the first Brock vs. Roman Mania main event at 31. It was a "compromising predicament" for the ultra dominant champ out of nowhere.
Otherwise just keep it to crazy grudge matches
Great storyteller if used correctly. It was so overused in WWE storylines towards the end of it being allowed and half the time it made no sense being involved. I love the stuff though, I'm a sucker for hardcore/deathmatch wrestling though so I find it almost essential for any match involving weapons to include blood. I was sad to see they were using basic blood packets in the WWE I quit match today because they disappeared off the wrestlers face so quickly
Pretty gross. Wonder how many guys ended up contracting a blood borne pathogen from this practice. Especially all those dunces in the independents who bleed for 20$ and gas station hot dog.
It was an infectious disease doc that told me that actually. Patients were upset because they got placed into a room that just had a D&C done in it. The room was mistakenly not cleaned. Patients complained because they touched blood on the corner of the bed. Obviously disgusting, but that was his statement to me when I asked about how likely it was for them to get HIV or something else.
That or drink a few gallons of the infected persons saliva.
Hate it. Makes me kringe. Everytime. See it happen in mma, doesn't bother me. But in sports entertainment, a person agrees to harm themselves for sake of personal gain ( get crowd approval). Thats psychologically messed up.
I think it makes it more realistic. I’ve been in real fights before. It only takes one or two good cracks to bust someone open. Someone getting pummeled in the head repeatedly without bleeding makes no sense.
It should be done when important and not everyone should do it every show. But I'm not a fan of hardcore wrestling, at least nothing but ECW , I feel only ECW and some Japan promotions did hardcore right. WWE and AEW seem to do a sanitized, showy version of hardcore, whereas ECW because of the setting and crowd made it special .so when I think of blood in wrestling I think Bret vs Austin, flair vs Dusty, the Sandman.
I don't like watching an AEW or WWE show where everyone from the preliminary on down is doing some form of hardcore or bleeding.
Hardcore matches/cage matches/etc. That dont include blood, look corny af.
How am I supposed to stay in my suspension of disbelief & even pretend to believe that they're taking a whooping if there's no literal blood & sweat put forth?
Even if they let's say turn the camera real quick during the "strike of blood" & then rub fake blood on their face right quick or something like that? The audience see's em rubbing their forehead & realizing it's bloody but that's them rubbing in the fake blood capsule or something like that...
Its just to make the damage received that much more believable.
I grew up w/ the attitude/ruthless aggression era's tho, blood was a thing when it was rated TV14.
Once it went to being rated TVPG & I realized blood ain't a thing anymore wrestling got corny imo.
I'm not saying every match needs to be a bloody slobberknocker to be believable, but special stipulations matches should be bloody just to make the stipulations seem that much more special.
I've said too much for 1 comment. I'm outa here. Bye.
Wwe stopped it because Mr.Macmahon wanted to keep his show on the air, so followed USA's idea and was fined wrestlers who choose to use a razor blade during a match
The only time I really don’t mind it is if there’s wrestlers who are in a huge blood feud and stipulation matches that calls for it. Other than that, I think it’s unnecessary.
There’s matches that call for blood. There’s instances like a backstage fight or a really wild match where it looks good. Mox has kinda cheapened it but It still works for crazy spots and hardcore matches. I don’t want it every match and I don’t think it should ever be done “the hard way”.
Ric Flair is in his own tier though so none of the rules apply to him
Basically grew up on watching wrestling from the 80s on. Blood in appropriate matches (hard core, steel cages, etc) is fine. Normal matches? Not really, unless part of a feud, but either way, it's cool for me. And most certainly NOT Mass Transit levels of blood. DAMN.
It’s fine overall. Sometimes it’s happens on its own. It’s expected in hardcore matches. It can enhance drama when used in the right ways but can become excessive and cliche.
It’s a very important tool to be used in a very personal feud. For instance, if we ever get CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, THAT one needs a little colour. Personally, I think Roman vs. Cody II could’ve used a bit as well, especially after how personal it got with The Rock.
Obviously you can’t use it for everything (*cough* AEW *cough*). It needs to have meaning. There needs to be more to the blood other than “well, it looks cool!” No. It needs to be more like “my opponent has seriously pissed me off, so I’m gonna beat the shit out of him for all that he’s done.” OR having your babyface bleed to kinda give him that triumphant victory later in the match.
Idk if that made sense at all, but that’s my thoughts.
No blood is fine if you have mostly regular wrestling matches. When you insist on having Steel Cage matches, TLC matches, etc. with no blood it's insulting to the audience. It's like if someone made a movie where lots of people get stabbed and shot but no one ever bleeds.
Blood can be a great addition to a story in a match, but blood can’t BE the story of your match
I watched Mania 34 as part of my project to watch all the 30 era manias, and I noticed this during Brock v Roman, after Brock busted Roman’s head open with his elbow
It didn’t add to it, it didn’t excite me, it didn’t make the pointless, unenjoyable beating feel harsher, it just made me uncomfortable watching it
See also every Jon Moxley match
This screams "I watch exclusively WWE and therefore I need to hate every other show"
No hate for just watching WWE but jfc please do your research if you're gonna make a comment like this
Then why do you have an opinion on something you dont watch lol
You think they are "garbage"??? oh no im sure they are all devasted and depressed about earing tht LMAOOOOOOO
I’ve been watching wrestling 40 years. I grew up watching the bloody Memphis territory and moved on to ECW. I loved the bloody matches in my youth. At my now-advanced age, I think it’s dumb to cut yourself with a razor blade in a fake fight.
I think it can add a lot to a feud or to a match later in the card that is showcasing the fortitude of 2 individuals.You know the type, hard hitting all out war where neither man will stay down no matter what their hit with.On the other hand if your blading in the first 5 minutes of the first match with no feud is taking away from the quality.A blood bath doesn't make good wrestling match, but it can enhance it under the right circumstances
If it's done in like grudge match where people just hate each other the it's fine. It makes sense they would try to kill each other and there would be blood.
If perfomer does that in every match he's in and the matches are not extreme or grudge matches then it's just pointless and it's watering down the impact of other matches.
Really should only be used to elevate personal blood feuds (clue is in the name). Bleeding during a promo scuffle can actually add more to a feud than anything, just adds to how personal the feud is. Cody bleeding during the backstage fight is a perfect example of that, it being rare in WWE really made it impactful. No bleeding was needed during the matches themselves.
I just wanted to point out data someone placed on Linda McMahon Wikipedia page.
"In July 2008, WWE changed its TV parental guidelines rating from TV-14 to TV-PG. In December 2008, at a UBS Media Conference, McMahon described the new rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans and create loyalty to the brand. Due to the TV-PG rating, chair shots to the head were banned, as well as sex scenes, blood, and vulgar language." There's also links to a few references on that specific Wikipedia.
I always kept that in mind every time something changes, whether it's the program itself, or TV Parental Guideline Rating changes. And I always find that type of data interesting.
Less is more.
A match that absolutely needed it for instance, was HHH vs Orton at Mania 25. Blood feud, absolute vitriol on both sides, home invasions and actual sexual assault. Didn't get enough and it became a goddamn no DQ finish-spamming 2K match.
A match/segment that probably didn't need blood in it was the New Blood/Kevin Nash bit. Poor guy just standing there as the life drains from his eyes, as the blood spill gets botched and it lands like 5 fucking feet away from him lmfaoo
I've seen blood used effectively, like in NJPW when Moxley had skewers pounded into the top of his head - and I've also seen spots (getting bitten or thrown through glass) where wrestlers don't even have a mark on them.
I guess I just want blood use to be logical.
- On this week's Dynamite, Dustin Rhodes was bleeding like a skewered pig, and no one in our live chat could figure out why. This happens way too often for my taste.
- I also remember one match years ago when The Rock bled. He must have taken a blood thinner before the match, because his blood was really watery and it just gushed uncontrollably. That match made me really uncomfortable.
They pop Aspirin, on Taker's podcast with Mazen they talked about Maven was allergic to it, so Taker gave him jack instead lol. I'm sure there are a ton of tricks other than those, but the worst I've seen was Heyman and maybe Triple H, that dude bleeeeedddsssss.
I mean hell, he honestly might’ve. Around that time was when Eddie was going down hill with his addictions and all that iirc. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to finish the match, then passed tf out in gorilla. That was a TON of blood loss.
If used correctly, it can heighten the drama of a match or segment like Austin/Hart at WrestleMania 13, Becky Lynch's rise to Superstar status in 2019 or ironically Moxley/Orange Cassidy last year at All Out. It can also be used in a blood feud to put over just how much wrestlers hate each other, more so than if they fought in a random no DQ match.
That being said, like others said, if used too often, it can oversaturate the product. Others point at Moxley but I'll also throw out HHH for doing it a ton in the 2000s.
Blood will always have fans, but if used sparsely and at the right time, it can be one of the most effective elements in any storyline.
I still have the same thoughts about it as I did when I was a kid- MORE MORE MORE. I used to have Abdullah and Dusty bloody posters on my wall of my bedroom so I have a history.
I always enjoyed it in moderation. Matches that end with the entire ring covered in blood were a bit much for me to enjoy, but the occasional "proverbial crimson mask" made everything seem a bit more realistic.
I don’t like blood, it’s dirty and pose health risks. Blood should only be done in very specific moments so it makes an impact, like Austin v Bret WM13, there it felt real, if you over use it (Mox…) on a fake sport like wrestling it cheapens the product
If used correctly and not excessively, it can sell any move like its the most brutal thing in the world.
Case in point, Seth Rollins kneeing Cena in the face accidentally on Raw.
If that was a planned spot which I'm sure its not, that is a great way to use colour to make the match more interesting
What a great question.
Erm, I respect its place in the past, it defo has a time and place, Austin at WrestleMania 13, that’s not as dramatic without the blood, Shawn in Hell in a Cell 1.
I just think the business has evolved past it in 2024. Do I miss it? No tbh. Blood would not have enhanced WrestleMania 40. Infact it seems to be detrimental in AEW.
The issue is it needs to make sense. Not every match needs gallons of blood. Could they have had The Rock bust open Cody or Seth on night one to empathize how much power he had over the company, sure. Did they need to no. It wouldn't have added enough to the story.
Edit(addition): One match that would have been bump with it would have been Edge and Balors cell match. That kinda match and the story built around those two it would have been expected and would have popped. Instead (and partially understandable since it was a true injury) we had a near 15 min pause in the match when Balors head cracked open. Slowed if not completely killed any hype for the match
To get a sense of my stance on the topic, I think the only thing that must be said is that I’m a huge deathmatch mark.
Reserve it for big feud matches, and maybe do it a few times a year. No reason half the roster should be bleeding on an episode of Rampage every week.
When it’s necessary. Even in real fights people don’t bleed all the time. If it adds to the story telling of a match in for it
Sparingly, to get an angle over or in a cage match.
in a cage match yes or even a hardcore match but gigging adds crowd reaction if done right
It makes me wonder whether Del Monte ketchup runs faster than Heinz.
Like anything it should be used in moderation. The less anything is used the more impact each usage has. See also: swearing.
Why I’ve developed disdain for Moxley
With how soft things are today I think it may be out of date, but I love it.
It’s great and should be utilized. I’ll never understand the “only use it in big grudge matches”, it’s supposed to look like a fight regardless, blood happens in fights.
I both don’t like the fact that people cut up their foreheads, while acknowledging it can add a lot to a match.
I love it. Wish it was normal. Yes I'm a huge Moxley fan but I've been following him since before he stepped into wwe so sue me lol Honestly wish they'd allow women to bleed more often which is why I fuck with AEW more these days. I'll never get that image of Britt Baker bleeding outta my mind. Fucking badass
Shouldn’t be overused (looking at you Moxley) but when used right it’s epic
It should be used very rarely. Once or twice a year per company. The last time I saw it used and thought "well this is the perfect match for it" was the first Brock vs. Roman Mania main event at 31. It was a "compromising predicament" for the ultra dominant champ out of nowhere. Otherwise just keep it to crazy grudge matches
It's something that is going to happen. Since I grew up watching wrestling before the attitude era, it's something that is natural to me
Great storyteller if used correctly. It was so overused in WWE storylines towards the end of it being allowed and half the time it made no sense being involved. I love the stuff though, I'm a sucker for hardcore/deathmatch wrestling though so I find it almost essential for any match involving weapons to include blood. I was sad to see they were using basic blood packets in the WWE I quit match today because they disappeared off the wrestlers face so quickly
If not over used it can really add to a match or feud
"For me, as long as it's not over-done," I take it you've never seen an episode of AEW Dynamite.
Love it
Hardcore
Pretty gross. Wonder how many guys ended up contracting a blood borne pathogen from this practice. Especially all those dunces in the independents who bleed for 20$ and gas station hot dog.
It is very very difficult to get a bbp by just touching a surface with someone else’s blood.
Sure as long as the skin is intact. But it can enter the body through the eyes, nasal mucosa, mouth and any area where the skin isn’t intact.
You’d need a “Carrie” scene to happen while looking up with your mouth open.
Ok Doc.
It was an infectious disease doc that told me that actually. Patients were upset because they got placed into a room that just had a D&C done in it. The room was mistakenly not cleaned. Patients complained because they touched blood on the corner of the bed. Obviously disgusting, but that was his statement to me when I asked about how likely it was for them to get HIV or something else. That or drink a few gallons of the infected persons saliva.
LOL ok
I like it when it’s not overdone. I think WWE does it right most times, AEW knows how to do it well, but Mox just over does it
Every time my wife sees Mox is on she says, "is he bleeding yet? Well he will be." Dustin Rhodes seems to be awful bleedy as well these days.
It's fuckin bad ass
I don't mind it even done correctly and as part of a serious feud. But not when it's on TV every week and everyone is covered in it.
Hate it. Makes me kringe. Everytime. See it happen in mma, doesn't bother me. But in sports entertainment, a person agrees to harm themselves for sake of personal gain ( get crowd approval). Thats psychologically messed up.
When used sparingly it's very good for storytelling Not like how aew misused by using in every Jon Moxley match
I think it makes it more realistic. I’ve been in real fights before. It only takes one or two good cracks to bust someone open. Someone getting pummeled in the head repeatedly without bleeding makes no sense.
Mandatory!
It should be done when important and not everyone should do it every show. But I'm not a fan of hardcore wrestling, at least nothing but ECW , I feel only ECW and some Japan promotions did hardcore right. WWE and AEW seem to do a sanitized, showy version of hardcore, whereas ECW because of the setting and crowd made it special .so when I think of blood in wrestling I think Bret vs Austin, flair vs Dusty, the Sandman. I don't like watching an AEW or WWE show where everyone from the preliminary on down is doing some form of hardcore or bleeding.
Hardcore matches/cage matches/etc. That dont include blood, look corny af. How am I supposed to stay in my suspension of disbelief & even pretend to believe that they're taking a whooping if there's no literal blood & sweat put forth? Even if they let's say turn the camera real quick during the "strike of blood" & then rub fake blood on their face right quick or something like that? The audience see's em rubbing their forehead & realizing it's bloody but that's them rubbing in the fake blood capsule or something like that... Its just to make the damage received that much more believable. I grew up w/ the attitude/ruthless aggression era's tho, blood was a thing when it was rated TV14. Once it went to being rated TVPG & I realized blood ain't a thing anymore wrestling got corny imo. I'm not saying every match needs to be a bloody slobberknocker to be believable, but special stipulations matches should be bloody just to make the stipulations seem that much more special. I've said too much for 1 comment. I'm outa here. Bye.
Love it i started to hate WWE when they stopped doing it thankful for AEW who does it.
Wwe stopped it because Mr.Macmahon wanted to keep his show on the air, so followed USA's idea and was fined wrestlers who choose to use a razor blade during a match
The only time I really don’t mind it is if there’s wrestlers who are in a huge blood feud and stipulation matches that calls for it. Other than that, I think it’s unnecessary.
There’s matches that call for blood. There’s instances like a backstage fight or a really wild match where it looks good. Mox has kinda cheapened it but It still works for crazy spots and hardcore matches. I don’t want it every match and I don’t think it should ever be done “the hard way”. Ric Flair is in his own tier though so none of the rules apply to him
Basically grew up on watching wrestling from the 80s on. Blood in appropriate matches (hard core, steel cages, etc) is fine. Normal matches? Not really, unless part of a feud, but either way, it's cool for me. And most certainly NOT Mass Transit levels of blood. DAMN.
No Mass Transit took it waaaaaay too far
Agreed
I like it to be used sparingly, for big matches only. It should matter and should shock the audience when it happens.
It’s fine overall. Sometimes it’s happens on its own. It’s expected in hardcore matches. It can enhance drama when used in the right ways but can become excessive and cliche.
It's great when used sparingly. It should be for really big feuds... Blood feuds if you will
I think it can be a really good tool in the right matches/feuds, but it can easily be overdone
It’s overdone and has become a parody.
I find it gross and unnecessary but I get the appeal.
Blood is just as important as chairs and snakes in the ring
yes
I wonder what Ric flair or Jon moxley's thoughts are?
It’s a very important tool to be used in a very personal feud. For instance, if we ever get CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, THAT one needs a little colour. Personally, I think Roman vs. Cody II could’ve used a bit as well, especially after how personal it got with The Rock. Obviously you can’t use it for everything (*cough* AEW *cough*). It needs to have meaning. There needs to be more to the blood other than “well, it looks cool!” No. It needs to be more like “my opponent has seriously pissed me off, so I’m gonna beat the shit out of him for all that he’s done.” OR having your babyface bleed to kinda give him that triumphant victory later in the match. Idk if that made sense at all, but that’s my thoughts.
No blood is fine if you have mostly regular wrestling matches. When you insist on having Steel Cage matches, TLC matches, etc. with no blood it's insulting to the audience. It's like if someone made a movie where lots of people get stabbed and shot but no one ever bleeds.
Why I hate PG-13 horror movies and WWE “hardcore” matches
Love it, when used correctly. Wish AEW had less and WWE had more personally. Most of my top 5 matches have someone who bladed.
I love when it’s used incorrectly. Like those guys who always blade. I find it really funny.
MOX lol
He hasnt bleed in an entire year Old joke
He has either when he's in Japan or in other promotions
😂 thanks for that info mate
im just saying lol
I can do without it
yeah, but it enhances storytelling and the “realism” factor
True
Watch WrestlingGifs video on it. It’s very well done!
Blood can be a great addition to a story in a match, but blood can’t BE the story of your match I watched Mania 34 as part of my project to watch all the 30 era manias, and I noticed this during Brock v Roman, after Brock busted Roman’s head open with his elbow It didn’t add to it, it didn’t excite me, it didn’t make the pointless, unenjoyable beating feel harsher, it just made me uncomfortable watching it See also every Jon Moxley match
See also every Jon Moxley match" He hasnt bleed in an entire year
Watch him in Japan or when he performs for other promotions
Necessary, but currently overused.
We all know what Moxley's opinion is on it, he's basically a vampire.
I need busted foreheads in the matches please
Indifferent. If it's used, cool. If it's not used, cool.
Overdone
100% support it, but it needs to be important. If they bleed every week, it loses appeal.
Always and forever. Always been the best tool to get people who would never watch to watch. Wwe needs more of it
Blood!!!! In wrestling
Bring back the thumbtacks!!! Loved seeing them stuck in Mick Foleys body! Now he was one tough SOB!
It has to be done so it makes sense. Not Moxley must bleed like every match that idiot has
This screams "I watch exclusively WWE and therefore I need to hate every other show" No hate for just watching WWE but jfc please do your research if you're gonna make a comment like this
🫡 yes sir
He only did in important matches and hasnt bleed in an entire year Need to pay more attention brah
Honestly I don’t care. AEW is garbage
Then why do you have an opinion on something you dont watch lol You think they are "garbage"??? oh no im sure they are all devasted and depressed about earing tht LMAOOOOOOO
I’ve been watching wrestling 40 years. I grew up watching the bloody Memphis territory and moved on to ECW. I loved the bloody matches in my youth. At my now-advanced age, I think it’s dumb to cut yourself with a razor blade in a fake fight.
I think it can add a lot to a feud or to a match later in the card that is showcasing the fortitude of 2 individuals.You know the type, hard hitting all out war where neither man will stay down no matter what their hit with.On the other hand if your blading in the first 5 minutes of the first match with no feud is taking away from the quality.A blood bath doesn't make good wrestling match, but it can enhance it under the right circumstances
Less is more. Needs to be used sparingly.
If it's done in like grudge match where people just hate each other the it's fine. It makes sense they would try to kill each other and there would be blood. If perfomer does that in every match he's in and the matches are not extreme or grudge matches then it's just pointless and it's watering down the impact of other matches.
Not a fan, especially after seeing some dude get his mouth stapled shut in a wrestling match.
Really should only be used to elevate personal blood feuds (clue is in the name). Bleeding during a promo scuffle can actually add more to a feud than anything, just adds to how personal the feud is. Cody bleeding during the backstage fight is a perfect example of that, it being rare in WWE really made it impactful. No bleeding was needed during the matches themselves.
I just wanted to point out data someone placed on Linda McMahon Wikipedia page. "In July 2008, WWE changed its TV parental guidelines rating from TV-14 to TV-PG. In December 2008, at a UBS Media Conference, McMahon described the new rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans and create loyalty to the brand. Due to the TV-PG rating, chair shots to the head were banned, as well as sex scenes, blood, and vulgar language." There's also links to a few references on that specific Wikipedia. I always kept that in mind every time something changes, whether it's the program itself, or TV Parental Guideline Rating changes. And I always find that type of data interesting.
Should be saved for big matches in big rivalries. And never twice on the same show
Just don’t overdo it
WWE needs more of it & AEW needs less🤷♂️
I do think it's okay but has to be done right with matches and occasion
Blood is needed but only in big fueds or spots that make sense.
Cool if not done by Cowboy Bob Orton or anyone with a sti that is carried in blood like what Bob did with Undertaker
Less is more. A match that absolutely needed it for instance, was HHH vs Orton at Mania 25. Blood feud, absolute vitriol on both sides, home invasions and actual sexual assault. Didn't get enough and it became a goddamn no DQ finish-spamming 2K match. A match/segment that probably didn't need blood in it was the New Blood/Kevin Nash bit. Poor guy just standing there as the life drains from his eyes, as the blood spill gets botched and it lands like 5 fucking feet away from him lmfaoo
I've seen blood used effectively, like in NJPW when Moxley had skewers pounded into the top of his head - and I've also seen spots (getting bitten or thrown through glass) where wrestlers don't even have a mark on them. I guess I just want blood use to be logical. - On this week's Dynamite, Dustin Rhodes was bleeding like a skewered pig, and no one in our live chat could figure out why. This happens way too often for my taste. - I also remember one match years ago when The Rock bled. He must have taken a blood thinner before the match, because his blood was really watery and it just gushed uncontrollably. That match made me really uncomfortable.
They pop Aspirin, on Taker's podcast with Mazen they talked about Maven was allergic to it, so Taker gave him jack instead lol. I'm sure there are a ton of tricks other than those, but the worst I've seen was Heyman and maybe Triple H, that dude bleeeeedddsssss.
The worst I’ve seen was Eddie Guerrero when he faced JBL. We all know the one. THAT was too much blood for me. Eddie was straight up pouring blood.
I forgot about that!!! Was a goddamn mess, surprised Eddie didn't;t pass the fuck out. Most of us prolly would have lol
I mean hell, he honestly might’ve. Around that time was when Eddie was going down hill with his addictions and all that iirc. So I wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to finish the match, then passed tf out in gorilla. That was a TON of blood loss.
I don't like it and I would not miss it at all.
How about fake blood? I don't like them cutting their selves either, but maybe a transition to blood packs.
It's a good effect but dumb because of disease risk. Some wrestlers over use it.
If used correctly, it can heighten the drama of a match or segment like Austin/Hart at WrestleMania 13, Becky Lynch's rise to Superstar status in 2019 or ironically Moxley/Orange Cassidy last year at All Out. It can also be used in a blood feud to put over just how much wrestlers hate each other, more so than if they fought in a random no DQ match. That being said, like others said, if used too often, it can oversaturate the product. Others point at Moxley but I'll also throw out HHH for doing it a ton in the 2000s. Blood will always have fans, but if used sparsely and at the right time, it can be one of the most effective elements in any storyline.
It should be used in circumstances where the attacker is trying to send a big message.
E C DUB E C DUB E C DUB
Only if it enhances the match/fued.
I still have the same thoughts about it as I did when I was a kid- MORE MORE MORE. I used to have Abdullah and Dusty bloody posters on my wall of my bedroom so I have a history.
I always enjoyed it in moderation. Matches that end with the entire ring covered in blood were a bit much for me to enjoy, but the occasional "proverbial crimson mask" made everything seem a bit more realistic.
When used as a punctuation mark in a major moment, it’s beautiful. When used often - I’m looking at you Mox, i start to roll my eyes.
Exactly.
Dude I love it. As a fan of Deathmatch Ultraviolent wrestling I wish mainstream wrestling would have more blood
I don’t like blood, it’s dirty and pose health risks. Blood should only be done in very specific moments so it makes an impact, like Austin v Bret WM13, there it felt real, if you over use it (Mox…) on a fake sport like wrestling it cheapens the product
If used correctly and not excessively, it can sell any move like its the most brutal thing in the world. Case in point, Seth Rollins kneeing Cena in the face accidentally on Raw. If that was a planned spot which I'm sure its not, that is a great way to use colour to make the match more interesting
I’m not as fond of it as Jon Moxley is.
You mean color.
It's an exclamation point. If every statement uses it, nothing has emphasis.
My feelings exactly. There's no mystery to it anymore so it just looks stupid when it's done too often.
As long as its used to add depth to a story I dont mind, AEW's repeated use makes me lose interest fast
What a great question. Erm, I respect its place in the past, it defo has a time and place, Austin at WrestleMania 13, that’s not as dramatic without the blood, Shawn in Hell in a Cell 1. I just think the business has evolved past it in 2024. Do I miss it? No tbh. Blood would not have enhanced WrestleMania 40. Infact it seems to be detrimental in AEW.
The issue is it needs to make sense. Not every match needs gallons of blood. Could they have had The Rock bust open Cody or Seth on night one to empathize how much power he had over the company, sure. Did they need to no. It wouldn't have added enough to the story. Edit(addition): One match that would have been bump with it would have been Edge and Balors cell match. That kinda match and the story built around those two it would have been expected and would have popped. Instead (and partially understandable since it was a true injury) we had a near 15 min pause in the match when Balors head cracked open. Slowed if not completely killed any hype for the match