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Former WWE Superstar Chris Jericho talks about how he played a part in WWE banning blood while they were transitioning into the PG Era.
Every professional sport has had incidents that have led to a performer bleeding in some shape or form. However, WWE decided during their transition from Ruthless Aggression to completely stop the showcase of blood from their performers.
In 2008, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were in one of the best feuds of their careers, which is when the situation got out of control and Vince McMahon decided to ban it. On a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, The Influencer recalled the incident which led to blood being banned by the company:
“It’s very much the reason why we got away from blood. Shawn got so much blood in that first match of the series, just a normal match where he got color... So much blood that Vince was like, ‘We’re done. No more blood.' Shawn will tell you, that was the one… I know that Shawn bled so bad that Vince was like, ‘We’re done with blood.” [H/T - Fightful]
It's safe to say that performers feel much safer without the inclusion of blood in their matches. During the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Era, blood was a common phenomenon in high-profile matches.
Chris Jericho talks about Vince McMahon fining WWE Superstars on blading
Blading is a dangerous method used to make a performer bleed during a match. The purpose of blading is to enhance the match visually with blood. When it's done wrong, the performers can bleed profusely and injure themselves.
Various promotions have used this technique for several years, but WWE decided to drop the method entirely. In the same episode, Chris Jericho talks about McMahon finning several wrestlers, including Batista, who bladed after the ban:
"Because after that is when Dave Bautista got some blood in the cage and got that huge fine. I got fined when Flair got color, which is a whole other story... 'No more blood!' I’m not kidding, it’s a well-known story, he fined Dave Bautista a hundred grand for getting color in the cage match we had for the World Title in Tampa. He was very, very vigilant about it and it was because Shawn got so much color. Someone must have said something.” [H/T - Fightful]
Even after initiating the ban and fining superstars, there have been some planned and unplanned instances where blood was shown on WWE programming. Chris Jericho is currently working for AEW, where they have showcased blood in many instances.
Do you think it was the right call for WWE to ban blood from TV? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
