TNA's Use of Blood... Too much?

[16mikeytot]

Okay why the hell does Tna feel the need to always use blood so much? If im correct it seems every week someone is busted open. Does Tna think that blood will draw fans? As I was viewing last nights lockdown this morning I got to thinking this is kind of digusting. I understand that last night was lockdown all matches in a steel cage. But did we really need blood in the opening bout between Storm and Rvd? Anyways do you guys think Tna should cut down on their use of blood? Or do some of you enjoy the high amount of blood Tna uses because it seperates them from Wwe? I'll say this out of my opinion don't you think the blood usage in Tna makes them look more minor league because they just let their superstars bleed while Wwe cleans up their superstars and brings out a trainer cause I do. Im not saying Tna needs to do what Wwe does but they need to cut down on blood. Your Thoughts.

 

[TheLunatic]

I've never agreed with cutting yourself open. If you catch a chair to the head and you get split open, that's a legit wound. But taking a razor to your head it just dangerous, and I think THAT much blood looks bad.

I don't mind a bloody mouth, or natural cuts. But using a razor and making your blood go everywhere, is just asinine.

 

[Maestro48239]

Okay why the hell does Tna feel the need to always use blood so much? If im correct it seems every week someone is busted open. Does Tna think that blood will draw fans? As I was viewing last nights lockdown this morning I got to thinking this is kind of digusting. I understand that last night was lockdown all matches in a steel cage. But did we really need blood in the opening bout between Storm and Rvd? Anyways do you guys think Tna should cut down on their use of blood? Or do some of you enjoy the high amount of blood Tna uses because it seperates them from Wwe? I'll say this out of my opinion don't you think the blood usage in Tna makes them look more minor league because they just let their superstars bleed while Wwe cleans up their superstars and brings out a trainer cause I do. Im not saying Tna needs to do what Wwe does but they need to cut down on blood. Your Thoughts.

well, even though the use of blood may be a bit excessive, it still beats the shit of out of the boring ass PG product WWE is passing off. I'm sure all the big E smarks will defend their stale product, by saying that TNA uses nothing but has-beens, WWE rejects, etc.

but TNA wants to capture the crowds attn, and bleeding has always been something that got matches noticed.

I say keep it up, stay controversial and eventually Vince's boring ass product will tire people out and they will change the channel

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

I really do like the fact that TNA is using blood because it is something that separates them from WWE. Plus, blood when used CORRECTLY can elevate a feud or add emphasis to an angle you are try to work. Last night, I thought it was an appropriate use for blood since it is an all steel-cage PPV. When I think of a steel cage match, blood is one of the first things that goes through my mind.

HOWEVER, I agree with the notion that TNA perhaps goes to the well too many times in terms of its usage of blood. Not every show needs to have someone busted open. If TNA can use blood in an adequate manner, when it really counts instead of having it every week, it can work for the feud and for the company as one small thing that differentiates itself from WWE. But using it every week diminishes its effectiveness and looks a little too desperate in the long run.

 

[Bashd Hendrix]

I've been noticing TNA having alot of bloody matches lately myself. Im not gonna sit her and say bleeding in a match is a bad thing but if you see that crap damn near once or twice a month it becomes meaningless. Bleeding even just a few years ago was to add to the intensity and storytelling of a match that had major buildup. I think TNA is using it the wrong way and overusing it. People are bleeding in matches in TNA where it just seems pointless. SIDENOTE: Lets start a petition to keep Ric Flair from cutting his f*ckin' face again!!! I really believe Flair takes blood thinners or somethin' cause his ass is disgusting when he bleeds.

 

[VintageWWE]

I don't agree with blading as well. I really don't think it's neccesary at all. I'm here to watch wrestling not people bleeding. It you get busted open by accident during a match I don't mind. I don't like how WWE stops a match just to clean off the wrestler. Bottom line no blading but don't clean up the wrestler in the middle of a match if he gets accidentally busted open.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

well, even though the use of blood may be a bit excessive, it still beats the shit of out of the boring ass PG product WWE is passing off. I'm sure all the big E smarks will defend their stale product, by saying that TNA uses nothing but has-beens, WWE rejects, etc.

but TNA wants to capture the crowds attn, and bleeding has always been something that got matches noticed.

I say keep it up, stay controversial and eventually Vince's boring ass product will tire people out and they will change the channel

Because it's been working so well lately with the ratings, and we all know that someone blading in nearly every match on a ppv comes nowhere near the realm of stale, right?

TNA needs to tone it down. Blood does not equal a good match by default, and the more you do something, the less effective it is. Does anybody think RVD bleeding in the first match made it so absolutely wonderful and that each match stands out as "OMG blood! Jeez, every match on this card is SO UBER EXTREME"? People don't remember every time someone is bleeding. They remember the times when it meant something, ala Austin/Hart.

You can maintain the blood without going overboard. It isn't like you have to go gallons or zilch. Just don't have it so someone blades every show and let it be something that either occurs naturally or is brought out when it'll actually contribute, rather than on a whim and every chance you can get. Now, I agree, it annoys me when the WWE stops a match dead and kills all the momentum because they feel the need to seal up a wound, but they haven't done that every single time (even though some people make it seem like if someone has a paper-cut, the WWE will shut off all the lights in the arena and ship them off to a hospital immediately). But there's absolutely no need to have a situation like last night's Lockdown ppv where that many people were donning a crimson mask just for the hell of it.

Does bleeding really separate TNA from the WWE that much? Is that the big factor here? C'mon.

And guys, enough of this black and white "if you like the WWE/TNA you're a blind mark and defend them in every possible way and hate the other in every possible way" bullshit. It's juvenile.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Well for one, I can guarantee you that 90% of the opened wounds weren't due to blading. When wrestlers blade they cut their foreheads, not on top of their heads.

And secondly, it's a Steel Cage Pay Per Freaking View. They are surrounded by steel and were taking sick bumps. What the hell do you expect? This ain't WWE where they stitch people up during a match.

Look at all the guys who bled from the top of their head and then look at the guys who bled from their foreheads. They didn't WANT it to happen that way, it just did. They just got busted open. I need to watch the PPV again and I'll even list you the guys who got busted open and the ones that bladed. It's pretty easy to ID which is which.

And I don't think they're using it every week. I remember that we saw bloody crap from Anderson/Angle but that just made their feud a LOT more personal.

One thing I agree with is Flair. The guy bleeds when he's not hit. And I mean BLEE-EEDS, like a pig. But other than that it's not their fault. If used properly blood can make a match epic. I honestly don't see a case when blood is going to ruin a match.

 

[Bud78]

Well for one, I can guarantee you that 90% of the opened wounds weren't due to blading. When wrestlers blade they cut their foreheads, not on top of their heads.

And secondly, it's a Steel Cage Pay Per Freaking View. They are surrounded by steel and were taking sick bumps. What the hell do you expect? This ain't WWE where they stitch people up during a match.

Look at all the guys who bled from the top of their head and then look at the guys who bled from their foreheads. They didn't WANT it to happen that way, it just did. They just got busted open. I need to watch the PPV again and I'll even list you the guys who got busted open and the ones that bladed. It's pretty easy to ID which is which.

And I don't think they're using it every week. I remember that we saw bloody crap from Anderson/Angle but that just made their feud a LOT more personal.

One thing I agree with is Flair. The guy bleeds when he's not hit. And I mean BLEE-EEDS, like a pig. But other than that it's not their fault. If used properly blood can make a match epic. I honestly don't see a case when blood is going to ruin a match.

Please review it again because saying that 90% of those were accidental is the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard in my life. That simple fact is that what Rick Flair did last night was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen, he gets hit and then you can clearly see take 5 or 6 good hacks at his own forehead. A sixty year old man blading himself as badly as he can just for a 2 minute aftermath of a cage match, that might be the saddest thing I have heard today.

 

[KnowItAll]

I think it's about the only thing going for them. Not trying to compare them with ECW but I never heard too many of those fans at the time saying "wow, this is too much". Even tho they were WAY more extreme (pardon the pun) with the blood. Why not try to be as different as possible to draw the type of fans that are just tired of the kiddy games that the WWE is putting on TV right now? I for one hate the product as it is and have actually caught myself watching some of these "too bloody for tv" matches on TNA. right now I am reading WWE and watching TNA...

 

[wushady]

well, even though the use of blood may be a bit excessive, it still beats the shit of out of the boring ass PG product WWE is passing off. I'm sure all the big E smarks will defend their stale product, by saying that TNA uses nothing but has-beens, WWE rejects, etc.

but TNA wants to capture the crowds attn, and bleeding has always been something that got matches noticed.

I say keep it up, stay controversial and eventually Vince's boring ass product will tire people out and they will change the channel

Blood don't necessarily make or break a match the in ring performance does. Using blood in a match can make it exciting but when it's used all the time. It takes the excitement out of it. WWE was guilty of over doing the use of blood at one time as well so has every company. WWE is stale lately and TNA is just doing stuff thats been done several times over. Over using blood is just another one of those things.

 

[mikeyboy]

ive stated this in a post here before, tna's use of blood is excessive they do it so much there is absolutly no shock value to it any more ,last nights ppv i can understand in cage matches it pretty much the norm but jeez they have blood at least once during every broadcast nowadays and its getting to be a little much.

 

[KnowItAll]

Please review it again because saying that 90% of those were accidental is the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard in my life. That simple fact is that what Rick Flair did last night was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen, he gets hit and then you can clearly see take 5 or 6 good hacks at his own forehead. A sixty year old man blading himself as badly as he can just for a 2 minute aftermath of a cage match, that might be the saddest thing I have heard today.

ric flair is a ****e. yes i said it. a ****e. the fact that he has put himself in the position of needing a buck so bad that he does these things is the real issue. i think people are getting blinded by the fact that its flair but this goes down with or without him. would it make everyone feel better if that same segment happened exactly the same way except it was, oh I dont know, Taz or someone like that?

 

[WWE Manster03]

Blood in a wrestling match, especially a cage match, is not necessarily a bad thing. Wrestling matches can be enhanced by a few different things, and in certain cases blood is one of them. A previous poster used Hart/Austin as an example..That match will stand out in my mind SOLEY for the use of the blood pouring into Austin's mouth, as it ENHANCED the feeling of pain he was going through. And while I don't agree with WWE stopping a match if a performer is busted open, which honestly doesn't happen as much as people make it seem, I also don't agree with bleeding for the sake of bleeding(I'm looking at both of you Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan). Also, you can blade from the top of your head, or more specifically just past the hairline. The biggest reason for that is because the skin is just as tender as the forehead, but the cut is covered up. So for example, if RVD gets hit with a beer bottle on top of the head and blades(which if you watch the tape HE DOES) they can stitch him up and he doesn't have to break kayfabe out in public. I remember many times seeing wrestlers in the airports arriving to our town the day after they bladed and no marks are visible on their heads whatso ever. For sheer entertainment value, it benefits them to blade the hairline as opposed to foreheads, because you don't have to work to sell it the next day.

 

[jayb222]

It's not an excessive amount. It's just Flair and TNA fans aren't used to Flair He's always bladed like that. Granted because he's old he does it a bit more often. But don't come down on the whole brand because of him. They will get a balance of how much to show on TV and how much to show on just paper-views. It wouldn't surprise me if spike was telling them to do more blood every second. Have you seen the blood baths they allow on their flagship UFC show?

 

[NXTrookie2013]

I do like seeing blood but tna does over do it. I think they think it's cool because in WWE they cant bleed. They should use less blood, it's funny how everyone disagree's with everything hogan adn bitchoff have done so far while they think their doing the company good.

 

[vertigolowe]

For the record we really aren't talking about WWE here. This is more of a "TNA is using blood, is it too much?" type of thing.

First off, in the case of Lockdown specifically, having RVD and/or Storm bleed in the opening match is fine because of the cage gimmick. You've established that the cage is brutal and can cause bloodloss, etc. Part of the problem is that you don't need constant blood to establish the danger of the cage, plus not every cut needs to produce "The Crimson Mask".

As far as I'm concerned a Cage ppv will have me more lenient about blood use, but I still think after the opener they should have stuck to the main event (minus Flair & Hogan), Anderson/Angle (because they already opened the door on Impact a few weeks ago), and the 3D/Outsiders match (since it was a 'street fight').

The X Division matches can easily get themselves over without blood, Nash/Young was too short to matter & AJ/Pope for the title doesn't need blood to get over (or a pen in the eye but that's another discussion)

As for the Knockouts, I don't think they bled but I've never been a fan of blood soaked women. The only way I can ever 'approve' so to speak would be if they had Daphney or someone playing a vampire gimmick and even then it could very quickly get out of control.

So to sum up for me, Lockdown is a gimmick ppv. There is no problem with establishing and embellishing that gimmick. It is unneccessary to be doing that to the point where by the time the main event comes around no cares anymore if someone is bleeding.

 

[MCMG]

seeing as most people hate the pg era in the wwe using blood is just a way to be different. Blood and violence is a way to get ratings and TNA have always had a bit of extreme in them so they are just keeping it going because it works.

 

[vertigolowe]

Have you seen the blood baths they allow on their flagship UFC show?

UFC is a real sport and the blood is a natural result of two guys punching each other in the face. Wrestling can control such things (to a degree) and make sure when they do happen they have more of an impact.

This does remind of the fact that maybe TNA is trying to compete with UFC too, or at least get some of their fanbase. UFC is good ratings for Spike and TNA might be trying to draw in more of their fans by showing that their wrestling is more 'real' or whatever.

Just a thought since Bischoff, Carter and Co. seem more focused on competing with WWE than they do on improving their own shows, marketing, or whatever.

 

[TCBT]

Just a thought since Bischoff, Carter and Co. seem more focused on competing with WWE than they do on improving their own shows, marketing, or whatever.

Agreed. And more blood does not result in good wrestling or better ratings. I agree that being busted open the REAL way is the best way for the sport of pro wrestling. It adds that sense of reality to a sport which is mostly considered fake.

But TNA definately overdoes it. And it's painfully obvious that they do it to present something different than what WWE is producing. Being TV-14 doesn't mean you necessarily HAVE to push the envelope every single week. Doing so diminishes the excitement. I mean, does anyone disagree that if you push the envelope enough times it's not really considered pushing the envelope anymore??

 

[EssJay]

I think TNA tried way too hard to look like the old Attitude era and ECW. The use of blood was too excessive last night during “Lock Down”! I’m not saying that I think the WWE is right by cutting down on the use blood, but bleeding needs to be done at the right place and time. Blood for the sake of having bloodshed is just stupid. If it will advance the drama of a match fine... what TNA did last night was just wrong.

The WWE is avoiding the use of blood because of their claims of presenting a ‘PG’ product. They want families to be able to attend and enjoy their shows, not scare kids who might have issues with seeing blood. Plus, the WWE has been sued by fans who claimed to have gotten a drop of blood on them from a superstar. Vince is covering his ass from being sued in the future.

I have to laugh at all of the marks out there who think a ‘PG’ rating is killing the WWE. If you ignore the rating, I think the product is just fine. Yes, there are aspects of the WWE past that needs to be brought into the present (bring back managers, mid-card feuds and tag teams), but the lack of blood and swearing is not ruining the enjoyment that I continue to have after 24 years of watch.

What I would like WWE to do as far as blood is concerned is that they allow ‘accidental’ blood to occur. If they allowed that to happen and not panic when cuts happen, it will give WWE a more authentic feel to it. WWE likes to show their “Accidents happen... Don’t try this at home” advertisements during their shows and at the start of all of their DVDs. So, why not allow blood to be shown when a superstar accidentally gets cut open? This would show the kids that they are targeting as the audience that wrestling can be dangerous, even to the professionals.

 

[KaosTheori]

I watched Lockdown and it seemed like must of those cuts were done the hardway. And no I dont think TNA uses blood to much. Nobody complained about the OECW why complain about TNA. And TNA seems to have more control over their bloodflow then OECW ever did. I say kudos to TNA for a great ppv last night. Blood and all.

 

[Greenlight13]

I think it was just because it's an all-steel cage PPV and whether or not blood should have ever been used is irrelevant, when I think back to good cage matches, the majority of them featured blood. In fact, didn't people hate on the Hell in a Cell PPV for not having any blood?

I always enjoyed it when wrestlers bled over the years, but I now see that it shouldn't really be used unless it's for a huge event or something. It's a very tricky topic to debate really, because there's the issue of why on earth do we enjoy seeing people bleed in the first place and stuff.

TNA use blood more than WWE, but to say it's every single week is an exaggeration. Lockdown did seem a bit excessive, but again, I think it was just because it's an all-cage PPV.

 

[Heater41]

I despise the PG product that the WWE puts out. I was a HUGE original ECW mark and the blood/sick bumps make me tune into TNA. I love the product and hope they continue their ways. They can even hire Paul Heyman and allow him to put his mark on TNA.

 

[dionlyone18]

Okay why the hell does Tna feel the need to always use blood so much? If im correct it seems every week someone is busted open. Does Tna think that blood will draw fans? As I was viewing last nights lockdown this morning I got to thinking this is kind of digusting. I understand that last night was lockdown all matches in a steel cage. But did we really need blood in the opening bout between Storm and Rvd? Anyways do you guys think Tna should cut down on their use of blood? Or do some of you enjoy the high amount of blood Tna uses because it seperates them from Wwe? I'll say this out of my opinion don't you think the blood usage in Tna makes them look more minor league because they just let their superstars bleed while Wwe cleans up their superstars and brings out a trainer cause I do. Im not saying Tna needs to do what Wwe does but they need to cut down on blood. Your Thoughts.

while agree with you hundred percent i think rvd sotrm match rvd was accidently cut open...but i think all the blood looked kinda low brow and a slam at wwe