Pro wrestling, as opposed to sports entertainment, is very much back in vogue in WWE since Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over as head of creative following the departure of Vince McMahon. But that doesn’t mean everything that takes place in the ring is changing, and that includes wrestlers bleeding during matches.
Wrestlers bleeding to sell the damage from particularly violent or personal feuds is a tradition almost as old as the art form itself, but it’s one that WWE has steered away from in recent years. And even for matches as brutal as WarGames, which the company announced will be a major part of Survivor Series in November, that’s not going to stop.
Speaking to The Ringer, Levesque made it clear that intentional blood in pro wrestling is a relic of the past.
“The world has changed, he said. “The world has evolved. I don’t think it’s necessary.
“I’m just of the opinion right now, given the state of the world and the pandemic, and at the end of the day, what we do is dangerous enough without intentionally making it more dangerous. Yes, we did [feature bleeding] for a long period of time, but we’ve changed that practice. And it’s irresponsible to go back.”
That last line could be interpreted as a bit of a shot at AEW, which does still offer up blood during matches on a regular basis. It’s not uncommon to see the likes of Jon Moxley either bleeding on weekly TV or helping his opponents do the same. Cody Rhodes, currently out injured in WWE, was known for it as well, and images immediately come to mind of blood staining his blond hair red.
Apparently he won’t be carrying on that tradition in WWE going forward, but the guess here is that few if any fans watch wrestling specifically to see people bleed. By setting a clear viewpoint on blood and why WWE wants to stay away from it, Levesque is managing expectations for things like WarGames, and that seems like a very good idea indeed.