Blading and the WWE?

[Chill]

Obviously this is the practice where a wrestler deliberately cuts himself with a small strip of razor blade during a match in order to produce blood. Of course, in August 2008 WWE imposed a ban on juice jobs and now any blood we see is the result of legitimate blows. I just got finished reading an article on this very topic and it got me thinking about blading again and whether it is necessay in the WWE. A recent example was Shawn Michaels' use of the technique during his match with Chris Jericho at the Great American Bash last year, where he cut himself in order to sell an injury to his eye and my God it worked. The excessive amount of blood spewing from HBK that night really sold the blow to his eye, it intensified the match and it added an element of legitimacy to the bout. Of course, now we don't deliberately see this in the PG WWE and so I ask you:

Is blading necessay in order to sell certain blows in a match?
Is blading necessary at all?
Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?

Obviously people will say blood is necessary in an activity like wrestling, I remember my uncle once said he went to a wrestling show and hated it because there was no blood! Others will say that we do not need blood in order to enjoy the product.

Where do you stand on the issue?

 

[WOLFPACK0524]

I've mentioned this before in several other thread. The use of blood in matches and on TV has slowly decreased because of the sensors. It was prominent in the Attitude Era but now, if there is blood, there are people to wipe it off or in reviews, it is black and white in pics.

The legitimate chops that Orton got from Flair was amazing so if someone could bloody someone without blading, that brings more of an element to the match because it is realistic. If there is blading, the blood flows more and, to me, it seems less realistic. The ONE blading that was effective to me was Bret/Austin where Austin did not tap to the Sharpshooter and passed out due to blood loss.

So in review, I think it used to be needed, but with the era we are in currently, it isn't. Remember when you think WWE you gotta think of the kids.

 

[JimmyLeviathan]

Is blading necessay in order to sell certain blows in a match?

Not really, the blood is just the icing on the cake, it should be up to the wrestlers to effectively sell moves. A good example is a chair shot to the head. Whilst in real life this probably would bust someone open if done legitimately, the wrestler's reaction to getting hit sells the move much more than blood. Obviously in a match like the Chris Jericho/Michaels one you mention blood did sell the move. But at the moment the WWE is just trying to avoid matches and situations like that and they're doing fine.

Is blading necessary at all?

Yes, there is a legitimate reason for blading, it helps sell moves that little bit extra and makes a match more extreme. In hardcore matches it is particularly necessary because in real life, getting nailed with all those weapons would bust you open. But as the WWE is in PG mode and steering clear of extremity in all it's forms, they don't have to blade to sell.

Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?

Yes, for the reasons above. There is still blood in the WWE, just not as often. Now when there is blood, we know for sure that it's not blading and I think it helps give it a sense of legitimacy. Of course in other instances it doesn't work i.e. the Ric Flair stomach bleeding mess, but on the whole WWE are fine.

That being said I do feel it's a bit extreme to get rid of blading, I enjoy a match filled with blood as much as the next person. To paraphrase Remember The Titans: LET THE BOYS BLEED!

 

[moonie961]

i know i might sound stupid by saying this but i didnt know about blading until i watched "the wrestler". i dont think we need blood to much to enjoy the product that is wrestling. i love my good ol' lucha libre action so id prefer to see some good wrestling rather than a shitload of blood. blood is good to sell an injury but i think blading should be a last resort to draw blood.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Is blading necessay in order to sell certain blows in a match?

Blading is only needed if you have a wrestler who can't sell very well. For example:

The blood distracts from all the terrible noises he insisted on making.

Is blading necessary at all?

No, but it can add to the drama of a match. But a good match & good workers don't need to do it. There's something wrong if they have to.

Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?

Yes, somebody will always accidentally get cut, so it's no big deal WWE not allowing it.

 

[BigDaddyDawg]

Is blading necessay in order to sell certain blows in a match?
No, but it does have its positives. Blading is basically used for dramatic effect. It wasn't like the old ECW days (Joey Styles' "It's a cheese grater! OH GODDDDDD!" is still one of my favorite quotes from pro wrestling ever."), when they were pushing the limits by being more brutal. A shot from a flat steel folding chair will not usually open someone up, but an object like a kendo stick or something could legit open a wound. A severely brutal attack angle using weapons could use a blood spot to sell the attack when guys are pulling back as to not legit hurt the recipient.

Is blading necessary at all?
No. There are other substitutes to actual blood that can be used and that are safer to the wrestlers. Remember when the Undertaker pitched a fit after he opened up Cowboy Bob Orton a couple years back and didn't know Orton had hepatitis? That's a legitimate danger. Not everyone can be opened up legit because of health concerns, so I'd be ok with prop blood being used.

Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?
Yes. I think the wrestlers selling the moves better is helping. Certain moves don't look that impressive (John Cena's Attitude Ajustment, for example), but if a wrestler can sell a move right, it can give the appearance that it hurts. Like another poster said above, some people who can't sell moves right are covered up by blading to make it look more realistic.

 

[Chris in SC]

I don't think WWE has suffered from the blade-ban. It is effective though if done rarely, like a ECW Extreme Rules / Hardcore match.

I can see not putting it on prime-time TV but the occasional use on PPV would be OK, like the Jericho/Michaels eye injury.

But I've never found myself saying 'this would be so much better if he was bleeding'.

It's a like spice - makes things a bit better in moderation but too much spoils the meal.

 

[gd]

I think that blood can help to make a match seem more intense, but you don't necessarily need it to put on a good match. Look at HBK vs. Undertaker for expample. They put on one of the best matches in the last few years, and there was no blood at all.

I think that WWE is doing fine without blading, and when someone does bleed now, it's even more dramatci.

 

[unique.enigma.666]

Honestly it doesnt bother me that they dont have wrestlers blade anymore, if you wanna see people bleed watch a horror movie

 

[Razor Blade Dream]

Granted, I think blading brings a certain element to a match. But like others have said it is used to mask mistakes and such. It worked for ECW because that is what it was known for besides the occasional technical wrestling match. It doesn't really need to be in today's WWE because they are not endorsing that hardcore style anymore.

If it was an accidental cut, then whatever, that is the breaks of the business. Sometimes the blood just isn't needed though and a compelling match can be put on without the use of it. I'm sure we can name a handful of matches that were amazing and memorable and didn't need any blood whatsoever.

The more I think of it, I was watching old Foley matches and I was bored after a while. I don't know if it was because I "grew out" of that hardcore style or what, but I was just put to sleep by them. Even though his match with Vader where Vader snapped Foley's nose on accident was pretty good. I don't know if I'm just moving beyond the hardcore matches and more appreciative of the longer, technical matches or what, but I was just bored by the weapons and gallons of blood. Whatever it was, I turned it off after a while because it was irritating me at one point.

 

[WrestlingAuthority90]

Overall I feel that sometimes blading is a good thing to do to get a angle over. Sometimes a feud just needs that little bit of blood to get the feud over. The same can go for a match. Sometimes matches need blood to make it better. I dont really like the idea of cutting yourself with a razor blade to do that. But a lot of the time that's the only way to draw blood. As far as the WWE being without it goes, I think they're doing fine. Blood is a good thing at times, but I cant really think of a recent time that they've needed it.

 

[Adel_hamra]

Is blading necessay in order to sell certain blows in a match?

-you see, call me crazy but there is a reason why it is not necessary. these men risk their lives in order to entertain us by getting hit by chairs, monitors or even thrown off a ladder so you see, they do all this to entertain us and if i was one of them, i wouldn't use any blade but instead, allow my opponent to legitimately hit me so i bleed coz that way, it is more believable, the fans will even forget the scripted nature of wrestling and that will intensify the feud if there is one going on, so yes, it is not necessary

Is blading necessary at all?

-not at all. if you agree to be thrown off a ladder, get hit by chair/monitor/kendo stick/title belt/steel steps, get thrown through a table, thrown into thumbtacks or have someone jump on you from the top of a ladder, then i think you shouldn't worry about someone hitting you hard with anything and you legitimately bleeding. if you think about it, when a wrestler blades himself by either taking the hidden blade from his wristband or having the ref "discretely" handing it to him or takes a "blood capsule"(kennedy's case druing a first blood match agaisnt the undertaker), then they must do it in a way that the fans won't notice coz then it will just look horrible

Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?

i think they are doing well without it however, let me ask you something: when you think of a harcore rules match(go back to original ECW) the first thing that comes to your mind is blood...if you're gonna have a match under extreme rules(TLC, ladder, kendo stick, etc...) then the wrestlers should bleed more but not by blading. since they get paid alot and definately have very good medical care, then i think that moving your arms when someone is hitting your head in the steel steps so that you get some blood out won't be much of a big deal. look at the ecw title hardcore match. it has harcore rules, tommy dreamer and it's the extreme rules ppv yet not a drop of blood dropped.IMHO, i was expecting blood, alot of it.

btw, don't you think it's dangerous to hide a blade on your wristband?what if cuts your wrist?

 

[Razor]

Is blading necessary in order to sell certain blows in a match?

Not really. If the wrestler can sell like he should be able to there is no need for blood. When was the last time you saw Jeff Hardy bleed? But we all can tell that he gets his ass *beat* in his matches, can't we? When he gets hit in the head hard enough, he can barely stand. When he gets popped in the eye, he can't see from that eye. It's called selling. Blading just makes it easier to sell, from where I stand.

Is blading necessary at all?

No. Not even in hardcore matches. If the match is really hardcore, you'll bleed. Ask Tommy Dreamer. If you're old and shouldn't be in the ring anymore, you'll bleed. Ask Ric Flair. You shouldn't need to blade to sell your match. This isn't the fucking Roman Coliseum. We don't need blood to like our entertainment. Just do your job, and we'll pop. It's what we're there for.

Do you think the WWE is coping fine without it?

Yes, I do believe so. Just as they've coped fine with the PG rating. I haven't noticed one thing that's different. I still get that Cena was really injured in that spotlight spot without him blading. I still got that Batista was really hurt Monday without him blading. I still got that the McMahons were fucked up by Orton's punt without them blading.

In contrast, I would have gotten that Flair was getting beat by Orton without him bleeding from the top of the head, and having that weird blood spot on his stomach.


Blading isn't necessary at all. Just go for the ride, and let the wrestlers tell you what's happening. If you pay attention, you won't need blood to tell you that they just got fucked up. They'll tell you themselves.

 

[ztwhite]

I don't think blading is necessary, but without it, one of my fondest wrestling memories would never have happened.

A few years back (2006), the WWE held PPV at Rupp Arena in Kentucky. I think it was Judgment Day or Backlash, but can't remember off the top of my head - it was the PPV where Shane and Vince took on HBK and God.

Anyway, in the main event, HHH / Edge / Cena had a championship triple threat match and while HHH may have legitimately been busted open, he was bleeding like an exposed beating heart.

After the match (he didn't win, Cena retained), but he posed with his sledgehammer for several minutes. On his way up the ramp to leave the arena, he stopped right on the ramp and threw his arms up HHH-style while holding the hammer.

My girlfriend and I were less than five feet from him and she's an awesome photographer, so she starting snapping like the Macho Man eating a fucking Slim Jim.

A few days later, she brought this incredible blown up photo of HHH, bloodied, battered and bruised over to the house, framed and matted - it still hangs in my office.

Either way, blade or no blades, blood does make everything much more cool because it helps sell the "real" factor of wrestling, even though most of us know it's fake.

 

[RATED R CHAMPION]

Bleeding Is Great, As A Wrestler You Feel Really Into The Match, Into A Legitimate Situation By Cutting Yourself.

When To Use It? Well I Have No Problem With Blading But It Has To Be In A "big Match", A Huge Pay Per View Match For A Title Or The Culmination Of A Legendary Rivalry Or Something Like That, Now For Bleeding In Standard Matches Or Regular Tv Shows, It Is Better To Use A Blood Capsule.

Blading= Necessary In Some Cases, (big Matches)

It Adds Legitimacy To The Match And Makes The Wrestler Feel The Match More....

 

[Nate DaMac]

Blading hasn't been neccisary since the 90s. Nowadays, if there is blood in a match, it should be legitimate. Unless it is being used to further an angle, like the aforementioned Michaels Jericho match. We don't have the bloodthirst we used to. In hardcore matches it isn't mandatory, but it is more believable.

 

[Dre Guevara]

maybe they should just save the blading 4 the PPVs, as well as special matches that may call 4 it(cage matches, HIAC, hardcore) IMO it defeats the purpose of having a cage match without any juice.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I feel the same way about "getting a little juice" as I do about gimmick matches. I feel they can make things special, more dramatic, more entertaining, but should not, under any circumstances, be overused. The WWE seems to be going back towards a method of more old school, and attempted "legitimate" style of booking matches, and I think blood can help that. I mean, y'know, people fight, then they bleed and shit. It shouldnt happen in EVERY big match though, just sometimes. I like it as a dramatic aspect, but it needs to be utilized rarely.

 

[Macca]

While I do enjoy blood as much as everyone else, I feel excessive bleeding 24/7 is excessive, so at this point, it's safe to say that blading is unnecessary. But I will say one thing...

Go to last year's HIAC (Edge vs. Undertaker, Summerslam). I don't know about you but I felt that it was rather dissappointing. Without the blood, for me the brutality wasn't there. It just felt like their TLC match from two months eariler in a cage. So in HIAC matches, it definately needs blood or it loses it's edge.