Bleeding in professional wrestling can produce some of the most dramatic moments in a fight, and be part of some of the most memorable epics for hardcore and casual fans of the sport.
However, it remains a controversial topic and some organisations, such as the WWE, now shy away from the practice as they hope to appeal to a mainstream audience, with other franchises more than willing to cater to the hardcore fans.
There are always questions about whether the blood employed during matches is real, and if it is or isn’t, what are the methods used by wrestlers to produce blood during their contests.
Blading
The most common way that wrestlers start bleeding is by using a technique known as ‘blading’, which is when razor blades, or part of a razor blade, are used to cut into the skin during a match. Typically the blade is hiding within strapping so it is only used when necessary, to avoid any accidents before or after the cut.
Blading is often employed after the match has been going for some time, with a cut to the head concealed by hair, and which mixes with sweat produced by the exertions of the performance producing what looks to be copious amounts of bleeding.
Due to the potential for excessive bleeding, and for an artery to be cut accidentally, blading has become less popular in recent years. Concerns over diseases that can be transmitted through blood have also led to some franchises avoiding blading and the deliberate use of real blood.
Hardway
That’s far from the only method , though. Some wrestlers are content to commit to the ‘hardway’ which is when a foreign object - such as a blade, or perhaps a more blunt object - is employed to cause a cut.
Elbows and eyebrows
That object can be aimed to twards the eyebrow, which is an area of the body that is prone to bleeding more easily than others. Some wrestlers prefer to use a well placed elbow to break the skin of their opponent.
Blood capsules
Wrestlers are also willing to use blood capsules where they can get away with concealing the container, which is often used to mimic the symptoms of serious internal bleeding.
Juicing the hardway
This is when injuries are incurred that cause a wrestler to bleed in a way that had not been planned.