How do you feel about blading?

[brighamosity]

I was reading about how Kurt Angle was caught on-camera blading at Genesis and I had to see it for myself. Sure enough, there he is with a razor blade in his hand, plain as day. And for the rest of the match, he has blood dripping everywhere.

How do you feel about that?

To me, blading just makes me uncomfortable. I can understand if a wrestler is genuinely busted open by accident. Mistakes happen. And I can maybe see doing it in extreme circumstances, like a Hell in a Cell match. But it seems like TNA has blood every time I turn around. Every time I see blood in wrestling, I just picture a guy taking a razor blade to his forehead, and it just makes me uncomfortable. It really makes me not want to watch. Does anyone else agree with me?

 

[Disturbed]

I don't mind the blading at all. However, I think TNA does need to cut down on the bleeding. They have gotten better, when Hogan and Bischoff first came they were doing it in every match. I don't have a problem with blading as long as the blood is overused like in TNA. I think blood makes feuds more personal and matches more entertaining. A lot of veterans say blood=$$$. With that said, a superstar should not blade if it makes them uncomfortable. There should be no reason at all to be forced and they shouldn't do it when they want. The creative needs to talk to them before they write blood on the show and make sure they are alright doing it.

 

[DangerousDave]

I watch TNA live at the Impact Zone every taping and catch the blading about 9 times out of 10. On TV its the directors fault that you saw Angle blading. At a PPV its excusable to some extent because it is being broadcast live. As The Disturbed said TNA went nuts with the juicing when Hogan and Bishoff first arrived. It was just too much. Thankfully, they have backed way off so that it is more effective when its used. Blood should be reserved for brutal feuds and matches, and not used on a regular basis. Tommy Dreamer is the worst at it, it seems he can never find his blade. Watch for Angle to juice again on this weeks Impact (1-13), Hebner hands him the blade and Angle gets to cuttin'. See if it shows up on TV, if it does blame it on the production crew.

 

[Serious Jones]

I think it's barbaric. I can't believe that it's still happening in 2011, let alone in major promotions. Up until recently, I was a supporter of blood in matches, but really, the risk outweighs the reward, and it's not much of a reward anyways.

I shouldn't have to spell out the dangers. Everyone knows them, whether it be any type of communicable disease, or a botched blading job. The Mass Transit Incident is a good example. The performers are already putting their lives on the line; why push the envelope further?

Blood can add emotion to a match, yes. However, a good enough performer shouldn't need to cut himself to tell a story in the ring. It's not worth the risk of getting HIV, severing an artery, or disfiguring your body to entertain the fans for 15 or so minutes. It's just not. Blading should not be happening. I mean, if a performer genuinely wants to go out and cut himself, I have no right to stop him, but it's never necessary. The world of professional wrestling would not only have a much better image, but a much safer environment for the performers, if blading stopped.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Blood can be used to tell a story in certain barbaric matches like Hell in Cell or Last Man Standing matches but in most matches it is not required. Just like it was not required in the Angle/Jarrett match at Genesis. They could have told a story even without using the blood but TNA does do insane bladejobs sometimes. Not that it is right but it is something that I have come to expect from them.

There is also the issue of diseases but I think that issue can be resolved to an extent. Wrestlers should be checked regularly for those diseases that could be transferred by the means of blood and the wrestlers who have such diseases should not be allowed to blade.

But on the whole I would say that blood is only required for one or two matches. The majority of the matches do not require blood to tell a story. So my take is that you should keep bladejobs but use it only once in a blue moon. That will also give the impression that the bleeding was legit.

 

[OWEN-ing It All]

It's a part of the business. It adds excitement and drama to a feud.

A good example: When the Miz attacked Jerry Lawler on RAW. It looked great, but it would've been far more vicious and dramatic if Lawler had bleed.

I miss it in WWE, if it's used in moderation it is a highly effective form of entertainment. It makes attacks seem more vicious, matches seem like battles and feuds like they are wars.

It also takes away any hope of realistic presentation. When you have multiple matches involving: ladders, cages, chairs, etc......and yet no blood? Steel on flesh and no blood?

Although to the hardcore fan it does make accidental blood loss seem exciting. Like the Triple Threat Cage Match, when Orton's head collided with Barret's Chin & teeth. Orton had a huge wound on the back of his head.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I am not entirely against blading on rare occasions, I just do not like to see the wrestler actually cutting their own head. Watching it happen makes me a bit uncomfortable as I am sure alot of people would. I also hate seeing the gig marks left on old wrestlers foreheads years after their retirement.

However, blood in a feud can really increase the intensity of the feud and increase the realism aspect of it. However, too many wrestlers resort to this as they cannot carry an intense feud without it, due to a lack of ability. Many of the garbage wrestlers are huge culprits of this, as they feel blading is a neccesity in every match. Ric Flair is another, he cuts himself almost every time he is around the ring, let alone in it. Flair should not be doing this.

Bleeding is not always good thing, and should only be used on occasion, in a big match where it heightens the drama and is effective when used properly. Angle v Jarrett was personal, and so maybe was a suitable candidate for blood, but TNA sometimes goes well overboard with their blading. The risks of disease and infection is high, which should ensure that blood is not overused.

I personally think matches such as HIAC can benefit from blood as they are supposed to be barbaric and brutal, but in a regular match? Not so much

 

[brighamosity]

I also hate seeing the gig marks left on old wrestlers foreheads years after their retirement.

This coming from a guy who has Steve Corino as his pic.

But yeah, if you look at all the old wrestlers, you can easily pick out which ones blade if you're looking for it. I noticed the other day that Jerry Lawler seems to have a bunch of scarring (or maybe those are just from aging). The thought of a wrestler intentionally cutting themselves, knowing that it may leave a scar, is disturbing. How does the learning process go? Does the trainer sit there and tell them, "You have to cut it like this."?

It seems like most of us are in agreement. If it's in an extreme match, like HIAC, then it can tell a good story. But it's incredibly overused.

 

[DregSkorn]

like mentioned its part of the business, I don't mind blading if its with in a certain context, like to make a point in a match like HIAC or a TLC. Wrestling tries to be realistic and when there isn't any blood where blood is expected it looks weak. If you really want to look at scars from blading take a look at Brother Devon and New Jack their foreheads have a few stories to tell

 

[Ashes]

I prefer hard way blood. Blading has been part of wrestling as long as i have watched (since the 70s) and I am sure it predates me. I am the wrong person for this topic though. I am a complete blood mark. I am a Death Match junkie. But for the televised wrestling (wwe/tna) It really should be discouraged. Just for the sake of the children watching.
It was as if TNA dedicated the first few shows of the Hogan/Bischoff era to blood entirely. I think that was just to contrast WWE's no blood PG theme..
. But give me Big Japan or CZW with bodies covered in broken glass and blood and I am a happy man. Just my sick opinion.

 

[Cookie14]

Blading has no place in this world apart from in an emo's bedroom. If you or I took a razorblade to our foreheads and anyone else saw it we would be instantly diagnosed as depressed or otherwise mentally unstable. How does that opinion become any different just because we watch it on TV???

 

[eversorgod]

Cant say i like it, it doesnt give me any "feeling" that the match was anymore brutal or violent after all if someone is having to cut their head with a razor to get that point across then its detracting from the match itself, all i think when i see it is... oh another blade to the face

 

[Calderownz]

Truthfully, I have no problem with blood/blading, but I don't think it really adds anything to my viewing experience. Certainly not on a regular basis. Over the course of my time watching wrestling, I've only ever recalled the blood mattering to me once.

Stone Cold letting the blood run down his face before passing out at Wrestling XIII. The reason? It was replayed over and over. Otherwise, the match itself would have still stuck out to me, for many reasons.

Still, I don't have a problem with it, so long as it is meant to help the match. If it's done simply as the selling point in the match, it's a waste of time and the match/feud isn't getting over to begin with.