If you watch wrestling long enough, you’ll eventually see the wrestlers bleeding during their matches.
As the blood flows down their face, you can’t help but wonder why they put themselves through such pain. But also, you curiously want to know how they make themselves bleed during matches.
In all major promotions, blood is used as a tool to add to a matches’ story. It is used much more in AEW than WWE, due to the latter’s “child-friendly” product, in order to attract bigger sponsors for their shows.
Despite this, blood flows when it truly matters. Brock Lesnar is known for bleeding during his matches, making his opponents look like killers in the ring.
Meanwhile, wrestlers in AEW like Jon Moxley bleed much more often, seemingly in nearly every match. Moxley is a particularly egregious example, where even his wife has asked him to stop bleeding so much.
But how does Jon Moxley bleed so much in his matches? In this article, we’ll explore how stars of WWE and AEW cause themselves to bleed, and explore how they do this safely (and not so safely).
How Do Wrestlers Bleed?
The main way that wrestlers bleed in matches is by “Blading”.
Blading refers to when a wrestler cuts themselves with a razor blade, usually on their forehead.
This is a relatively safe place to cut, as there is little risk of significant blood loss (however, Eddie Guerrero did almost die to this method in 2004).
The blade is usually hidden in the wrestlers’ wrist tape, although some wrestlers find alternate hiding spots.
The traditional method sees the blade hidden in a piece of tape, which is then secured to the tape they wear on their wrist.
At a certain point in the match, the wrestler secretly recovers the blade, cutting their forehead across the produce a waterfall of blood flowing down their face.
In other instances, the referee can provide a wrestler with a blade, although it is advised that a wrestler (in AEW or otherwise) never let anybody cut them but themselves.
The method of “blading” was shown in the movie The Wrestler, where Micky Rourke’s Randy “The Ram” Robinson is shown blading during a match against Necro Butcher.
Another method of cutting oneself in a match is called doing it the “hard way”. This is what it sounds like – blunt trauma to the head to create a cut.
This is ill-advised, as it is much less controlled and sees a much higher risk of injury, especially concussions.
The prime example of this is in Brock Lesnar’s match against Randy Orton at Summerslam 2016. Lesnar opened up Orton’s head with stiff elbow strikes, causing the match to be stopped due to Orton’s head injuries.
Blood pills can also be used, but are much rarer in wrestler.
Rey Mysterio famously used one when he had his head squeezed in The Great Khali’s Vice Grip finishing move, to simulate blood pouring from his mouth in demonic fashion.
However, this is rarely used in wrestling, with blading the much more common way for wrestlers to make themselves bleed.
Jon Moxley Reveals Why He Bleeds In Every Match
One man who is often criticized for how much he bleeds in a match is AEW’s Jon Moxley.
The former AEW Champion is one of the top stars in the company, as well as being a former WWE Superstar under the name Dean Ambrose.
He is best known for his hardcore matches in AEW, featuring a vast array of weaponry like thumbtacks, broken glass and flaming tables, all things to tempt blood from gushing from his forehead.
In an interview with Sports illustrated, Jon Moxley revealed why he bleeds so much in AEW.
Moxley revealed that he “only knows one speed”, and that he cannot hold back in any match – and that includes bleeding when the time is right.
“…I only know one speed. That’s with my foot to the gas pedal. If we’re going to do something, let’s f—ing do it. That can be detrimental when it comes to negative things, like drugs or alcohol. But that’s my mindset. If I’m doing it, I’m doing it.
When it comes to blood, it’s just going to happen sometimes. Like I said, it’s foot to the gas pedal. Some people say, ‘This is just a random match. Why is there blood?’ I heard that last week vs. Tomohiro Ishii.
He’s one of the greatest of all time. I’m not going to let that moment slip by. I’m going foot-to-the-f—ing-gas-pedal. How can I not? Then I hear that I can’t have a good match without blood. O.K., then, you made my argument for me. I’ll do it every time.
The point of the dissertation is that this is a combat sport. But we’re not allowed to have blood in a match unless it’s a personal grudge? We’re only allowed to have blood after a five-month grudge after someone slept with somebody’s wife or somebody ran over someone with a car? And then—and only then—are we allowed to have this dramatic crimson mask that looks the exact same every single time? For me, realism-wise, since this is a combat sport, that means there is the potential for blood in every match. Everything in wrestling is preposterous to some degree, but this helps with the suspension of disbelief.
I’m actually for less blood but more often. If every single match on the card had a busted eyebrow or bloody nose, it would just be part of the sport. But some gory spectacle with blood shooting like a hose is pretty unnecessary. We’re elbowing each other in the face every single match. We’re kicking each other in the face every single match. What are these people made of if they’re not bleeding?
People ask why there is blood in the ring every time I leave it. It feels unnatural to go out of my way to make sure no one is bleeding. That feels like I’m taking my foot off the gas pedal. That doesn’t interest me.”
While many think he bleeds too much, at least Jon Moxley blades in the safest way possible.
Those in WWE could use blood more often in their matches, while AEW could tone it down for matches that don’t require it.
What do you think about AEW wrestlers bleeding? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.