The Bladejob

[LetMeTelYaSumthinMeanGene]

I've been wanting to ask some questions about this and now that Extreme Rules in coming up, I think it's a good time. First off, when did they get rid of blood in WWE? I stopped watching in 07 and I'm not sure if there was any blood on TV even at that time. I really think blood is great for the sport and always has been. You don't necessarily need it all the time, but it really adds to a great feud. Maybe once every 1-3 months having some blood at a PPV wouldn't be so bad, but I don't really see it happening. I know WWE is "kind of" a family show and they want that sort of atmosphere and a wrestler taking a blade to their forehead when noone is looking may turn off some parents to the show.

Anyway, I'm not sure if they had the Extreme Rules PPV back in 07. My memory can be a bit foggy when it comes to those days when I gradually stopped paying attention to pro wrestling so I'm not sure. But either way, this is supposed to be the big HARDCORE pay-per-view and they won't have any blood? What shit. Bring Backlash back then.

Give some information and thoughts on this topic.

 

[Stopspot]

Blood started to be faced out after the Benoit snafu, as well chair shots/weapon shots to the head being banned since they helped play a big factor in the deterioration of Benoit's brain. Blood was completely removed once WWE went PG in 2008-2009 and the reasoning is understandable. Less blood brings in more money through sponsorships than using blood would have.

Despite some people claiming that "PG is killing WWE" the company is still making more and more profit with each passing year.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the liberal use of blood. It doesn't bring anything to modern wrestling. If it has to be used save it for the end of pure blood feuds, two guys hating each other having their final match of the feud/the build up to it. Bleeding for the sake of blood and "blood being cool" is silly and devalues it when it is needed.

 

[Leo C]

Yeah, they also tuned it down due to disease issues, I think, such as Hep C and whatnot. I also think using blood all the time isn't cool, I'd say that only for long-term really personal feuds it's alright. I think there was some blood during Lesnar/Cena at ER in 2012, so yeah, there you go. But there isn't any match on this PPV I'd have someone do a blade job on, honestly.

 

[Pop Tatari]

No one wants to see blood every 3 months. You can tell a story without it anyway.

 

[The GOAT]

I'm glad blood is gone. They can still use it sparingly though, and that makes it all the more effective when someone does bleed. Just look at John Cena being busted open at Extreme Rules 2012, for example, or when his mouth was busted open by Lesnar three weeks before on Raw. Lesnar being the guy to cause someone's head to leak blood in a big way (Punk getting a tiny accidental gash on his forehead in 2010 nowithstanding) in who-knows-how-long made his return look pretty effective.

There was a time around 2001-2005 and so forth where it seemed like every other big match on PPV would have someone being busted open, thus desensitizing everyone to it's effectiveness. Less is more when it comes to the use of blood in wrestling.

 

[Snowman1]

Having a whole bunch of blood was fine for it's time period, but not in 2014. This is a very safe, PC world we live in now, where every sport is cracking down on head injuries and ESPN always bring up just how damaging injuries are. It's best for wrestling to not play those up except when they can make an actually good storyline out of it, and to avoid kayfabe head injuries altogether.

Plus... come on. A guy running a blade across his own forehead? Who wants to see that? That's messed up and everyone knows about it now anyway. Sheesh.

 

[Aids Johnson]

God the king's of WWEF all got to this way before I could. I agree with every single post above.

 

[Farooq]

Blood started to be faced out after the Benoit snafu, as well chair shots/weapon shots to the head being banned since they helped play a big factor in the deterioration of Benoit's brain. Blood was completely removed once WWE went PG in 2008-2009 and the reasoning is understandable. Less blood brings in more money through sponsorships than using blood would have.

Despite some people claiming that "PG is killing WWE" the company is still making more and more profit with each passing year.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the liberal use of blood. It doesn't bring anything to modern wrestling. If it has to be used save it for the end of pure blood feuds, two guys hating each other having their final match of the feud/the build up to it. Bleeding for the sake of blood and "blood being cool" is silly and devalues it when it is needed.

This, plus for the wrestler's health, it helps them not have their forehead looking like a fucked up sidewalk. Blading really makes foreheads look ugly.

 

[Aids Johnson]

lmao gotta have that pretty forehead going on.

 

[Swift]

Devon's forehead is goat

 

[Wacokid27]

I have to agree with just about everybody above, but the specific nobody's mentioned is staph.

Staph infections (and with all the sweat, incidental blood, etc., being spilled on those mats, plus the bacteria that grows in it, there's a huge risk of them) are a thoroughly nasty thing to have to deal with. I had one from the pins, needles, screws, and plates they initially used to reconstruct my ankle and it literally nearly killed me....and that wasn't even the worst kind of staph infection (Mersa (sp?) is a thorough-going bitch). So, yeah, random blading....not a good idea.

wk

 

[Aids Johnson]

I have to agree with just about everybody above, but the specific nobody's mentioned is staph.

Staph infections (and with all the sweat, incidental blood, etc., being spilled on those mats, plus the bacteria that grows in it, there's a huge risk of them) are a thoroughly nasty thing to have to deal with. I had one from the pins, needles, screws, and plates they initially used to reconstruct my ankle and it literally nearly killed me....and that wasn't even the worst kind of staph infection (Mersa (sp?) is a thorough-going bitch). So, yeah, random blading....not a good idea.

wk

#TexasMedicine. That is gross as fuck dude, high school gyms around here are more legit than your surgery rooms?

 

[The GOAT]

Devon's forehead is goat

It's got nothing on Dusty's.

 

[Wacokid27]

#TexasMedicine. That is gross as fuck dude, high school gyms around here are more legit than your surgery rooms?

It's more due to the fact that about 20 - 30% of people who have steel screws, plates, etc., inserted into their body (regardless of where in the U.S. you are) get an infection because the body rejects the steel. The rejection activates the infection. That's what happened in my case.

The reality is that we all have staph, strep, and other bacteria already in our bodies, but it remains latent unless (or until) something makes it active. Usually, this activation is due to germs shared from other people or other places, but, in my case, it was activated by said rejection.

(Source: my infectious disease doctor...yes, I have one of those....and the surgeon whose summer house my insurance company has paid for tunga

wk

 

[Just Kevin]

I have 5 different Mick Foley DVDs and the ECW Bloodsport DVD... so I can see blood anytime I want to.. there is no need to have blood in today's wrestling, it's uncalled for now.... just doesn't fit with wrestling anymore.