I am sick of blading...

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Blading has been a staple of wrestling for a long time. I believe the practice has been around since the '60.

 

I had this post in my head for a while.

 

One, I don't dislike or cringe at the sight of blood. I think now it is used too much that it's effect has lost meaning.

Two, I think these men are tough. Bleed the hard way.

Three, it's always the head. In cage matches, the wrestlers' fingers climb the cage, but they aren't cut by the unforgiving steel. Their backs hit the mesh and their backs don't bleed.

 

I would be more for blood in wrestling, if two guys really fought hard, beat the hell out of each other, and made each other bleed.

 

Wrestlers' bleed when there is not a sharp object around. Mesh on a cage, smooth steel chair, and exposed turnbuckle belts are just a few examples of stuff that could make you bleed but it would take some effort. Of course, these objects do hurt.

 

Blood is supposed to tell a story, but I think, especially now, it is over done. I remember when Ric Flair was winning matches and wondering when he was going to bleed.

 

So what are your thoughts.

[Guest Dr Stupid]

It has more of an effect on me when i see wrestlers bleeding from the mouth or something like that, cause it's more of a legitimate injury, or they're really stiff. I think in the WWE, (i don't know about other promotions, cause i don't get the chance to see them these days) some guys have gone overboard, and bleeding doesn't have the same meaning. And i also never understood one or two chair shots making a guy bleed. Now, Foley taking 15 or so shots from Rock in RR '99 is different.

[Darth Vader 0]

Considering Flair is the only one that even does right anymore, yeah I say fuck blading.

[TheInsane 0]

I like blading if its used right. Some people dont use it right and some promotions use it way to frequently. Generally I think a good blade job definately adds to a match though. I cant explain why but there's just something that tells me that this is intense and its a good way to suspend disbelief.

 

The reason why they always bleed from the forehead is of course that it makes for a great visual and the blood flows pretty good from that area of the body. Its harder to make it look great on other parts of the body I think.

[Bruce Blank 0]

Three, it's always the head. In cage matches, the wrestlers' fingers climb the cage, but they aren't cut by the unforgiving steel. Their backs hit the mesh and their backs don't bleed.

their fingers aren't slammed against the cage with the force of the head (nor raked across the chainlink) it's not the touching or even the climbing that cuts them up.

 

as for backs - simple anatomy - it's softer tissue and yields easier to the mesh than the skull does, since it's hard bone and thus doesn't yield to the mesh, only the skin does and thus cuts it when the pressure is high enough. And as someone else points out the visual is a lot more "gory" than if you bled from your elbow or back, it's a visual thing

 

Blading has it's place - it's limited place. it seems to be an art that's almost lost, I'm with you on "2 weak chairshots" and you're busted open, make it mean something not just as a way to spice up a match because the people involved aren't able to do it with talent alone.

 

it should be something that ADDS to the match, not something they resort to because the match lacks something.

[Cuban Linx 0]

Basically every big HHH or HBK of the past few years (haven't watched lately so i don't know if they still do it) involves them bleeding, usually in the same predictable manner as every other WWE main event match. That when it's a problem for me, when it's becomes part of the 'formula', as much a regular spot as any signature move instead of something that really adds to the match.

[King Cucaracha 0]

Also, the back not bleeding might have something to do with the larger surface area minimising the pressure of the steel's protrusions, but I'm not a science guy so don't quote me on it.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

The flesh on the forehead, and on the face in general, is thin, thus making it somewhat believable to see blood pouring from somebody's face than from their back.

[Wrestlefreak 0]

Basically every big HHH or HBK of the past few years (haven't watched lately so i don't know if they still do it) involves them bleeding, usually in the same predictable manner as every other WWE main event match. That when it's a problem for me, when it's becomes part of the 'formula', as much a regular spot as any signature move instead of something that really adds to the match.

 

I TOTALLY agree! its become a gimmick!

[Black Lushus 0]

I can understand it in CERTAIN gimmick matches (street fights, cage matches) or when it's a match between bitter rivals (HHH/HBK matches in 2002 is a good example)...but yeah, just randomly doing it to add to a match is pretty lame.

 

random question: in his WCW and WWE days, has Benoit bladed much if at all? I don't seem to ever recall him doing that...same with Jericho for that matter...seems like Flair, HBK and HHH are the only ones doing much of that anymore

[iggymcfly 0]

I know Jericho's bladed before. I have a visual in my mind of him bleeding, but I'm not 100% sure where it's from. I'm thinking maybe the HIAC against HHH in 2002. Maybe the NWO match against Austin in 2002 also. He certainly doesn't blade much though.

 

And you might be right on Benoit. I can't think of a single match where he bladed.

[Bruce Blank 0]

Not sure if Benoit bladed - but he's definitly bled from the forehead

 

his ladder match Vs JJ at Starrcade one year he bled - but that could have been from being busted open the hard way.

[TheInsane 0]

I can understand it in CERTAIN gimmick matches (street fights, cage matches) or when it's a match between bitter rivals (HHH/HBK matches in 2002 is a good example)...but yeah, just randomly doing it to add to a match is pretty lame.

 

random question: in his WCW and WWE days, has Benoit bladed much if at all? I don't seem to ever recall him doing that...same with Jericho for that matter...seems like Flair, HBK and HHH are the only ones doing much of that anymore

 

 

I have seen Benoit bleed from his forehead. Never alot of blood though.

 

Jericho has bladed before. He did in his Hell in a Cell match with HHH. I remember because the day after on RAW he had a bandage and when he walked out he had split up the cut again and half his face was covered in blood. One of the best crimson masks I have ever seen. Like Mick Foleys face after his KIng of Deathmatches with Terry Funk in 1995 only that Jericho just had blood on half of his face. Nasty.....

[Guest Dr Stupid]

In the Foley/Orton match at Backlash '04, I started watching it saying "Yeah, it's gimmicked barbed wire on the board". But when I saw Foley cut all up his arms, it made the mark inside of me say "Holy shit" he's actually hurt. Now, I haven't thought that about a blade job in a while now.

One of the funniest that sticks in my memory was MacMahon/Taker SSeries '03. Only 3 or 4 right hands from Taker and Vince was bleeding like a water fountain.

[Hawk 34 0]

I know Jericho's bladed before. I have a visual in my mind of him bleeding, but I'm not 100% sure where it's from. I'm thinking maybe the HIAC against HHH in 2002. Maybe the NWO match against Austin in 2002 also. He certainly doesn't blade much though.

 

And you might be right on Benoit. I can't think of a single match where he bladed.

 

Didn't he blade @ mania last year? or was that hard-way?

[ISportsFan 0]

Benoit bladed for sure at Spring Stampede 1999 after coming off the top with a diving headbutt onto Raven (or Saturn) onto the tag title belt in his tag match against them with Malenko.

 

I also think he bladed at Backlash 2004 defending the world title in a 3-way against HHH and HBK.

 

I think there are more, but these are just off the top of my head.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

When Benoit and Edge were tag team champions, he was either bleeding while defending the belt or when Edge attacked him.

I think it was one of those "we're tag team champions but we don't like each other bits".

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think it should be saved for big ppv feud enders. I've seen so much blood now that I'm just imune to it

[Aero 0]

I know Jericho's bladed before. I have a visual in my mind of him bleeding, but I'm not 100% sure where it's from. I'm thinking maybe the HIAC against HHH in 2002. Maybe the NWO match against Austin in 2002 also. He certainly doesn't blade much though.

 

And you might be right on Benoit. I can't think of a single match where he bladed.

 

Didn't he blade @ mania last year? or was that hard-way?

 

I think it was actually legit. He had stitches from the previous Raw from headbutting Tomko a bunch of times, and he did the same to Kane at WM 21 to re-open the cut, I think.

[Special K 0]

I don't mind bladejobs, but I'll say that Misawa bleeding out of his ear after some vicious Kawada kicks made me cringe as much as the infamous Muta bladejob.

 

People DO bleed easily from their foreheads, though. Foley talk in his 1st book about busting people hardway on purpose by punching down on the forehead with one knuckle extended. And Maeda gave Fujinami a spin kick that hardway busted him open as bad as any bladejob I've ever seen.

[Just John 0]

I always thought it would be cool for someone to take a chair to the knee (possibly while against the ring post), then do a leg blade for a real dramatic effect. Of course, they'd have to sell it like death, but I think it could make a good finish to an I Quit match or something.

[Special K 0]

It would have to be somewhere close to the bone, the knee or shin. (ow!). A chairshot can obviously make a gash close to the bone (Foley/Rock I quit for the most dramatic example) but if you're hit anywhere meaty, all it's going to do visibly is maybe create a mild abrasion, not a gash.

 

That said, didn't HHH blade his leg during one of the Cactus matches after being hit with the barbed wire?

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

It's not necessary to make a match look tougher, I don't think. Audible strikes do a better job. My main objection is that it is now only a shortcut, and people blade from chairshots and worse still beltshots, very stupid indeed. It still has its place, but they've done it to death.

[Guest Fook]

It would have to be somewhere close to the bone, the knee or shin. (ow!). A chairshot can obviously make a gash close to the bone (Foley/Rock I quit for the most dramatic example) but if you're hit anywhere meaty, all it's going to do visibly is maybe create a mild abrasion, not a gash.

 

That said, didn't HHH blade his leg during one of the Cactus matches after being hit with the barbed wire?

 

His leg gash was hardway from landing wrong when being suplexed on the wooden palates.

 

I agree that blading has become too predictable and commonplace nowadays. It's like ref bumps and manager interference in that they use it pretty much in every main event match, to the point where it's become totally expected. It ruins the significance of blading if every wrestler bleeds in every big match. Remember when the ref would get bumped and you'd see the entire crowd turn and face the entrance ramp because they knew someone was going to come down and interfere? Blading hasn't reached that point yet, but it's getting there.

[Only The Strong Survive 0]

Two, I think these men are tough. Bleed the hard way.

 

You're serious? They may be wrestlers making them some of the toughest guys in the world but still...

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Blading is a lot easier, hurts less, and is more precise than trying to bust someone open hardway. Blading can be out of place, and, as mentioned, some people do it in almost every major match simply because it's part of the 'main event match formula', which takes away the impact of it. If used sparingly, blading can greatly add to a match. However, use it too much, and it loses the intended impact, and means nothing.

[BUTT 0]

HHH's back bled at WMXII when Marc Mero rammed him into that garage door.

[TheInsane 0]

In the Foley/Orton match at Backlash '04, I started watching it saying "Yeah, it's gimmicked barbed wire on the board". But when I saw Foley cut all up his arms, it made the mark inside of me say "Holy shit" he's actually hurt. Now, I haven't thought that about a blade job in a while now.

 

Who says it was a blade job though? It probably was real barbed wire that cut Foley up. Its quite easy to see if they use real barbed wire, especially in Foley matches since he wears alot of clothes. If the wire gets stuck in the clothes its probably as real as it gets.

[Guest Dr Stupid]

In the Foley/Orton match at Backlash '04, I started watching it saying "Yeah, it's gimmicked barbed wire on the board". But when I saw Foley cut all up his arms, it made the mark inside of me say "Holy shit" he's actually hurt. Now, I haven't thought that about a blade job in a while now.

 

Who says it was a blade job though? It probably was real barbed wire that cut Foley up. Its quite easy to see if they use real barbed wire, especially in Foley matches since he wears alot of clothes. If the wire gets stuck in the clothes its probably as real as it gets.

 

 

What I was trying to say was, because the blood in the Foley match was real(on the part of Foley), it really grabed my atention. Unlike the fake blade jobs in other matches.

I didn't think that it was a blade job, as you said the barbed wire stuck to his clothes. What i did think was interesting was Foley and Orton brawling backstage and the camera not following them, then for them to emerge with alot less thumbtacs in Ortons back (but i don't blame him as he took some big bumps after that.

[Frosty 0]

Abyss bladed his arms in the barbed wire match against Sabu earlier this year. It was blatant that it was a blade job for the sole purpose that every cut managed to happen AROUND his tattoos in order not to fuck up his artwork.