AEW Star Jon Moxley Shares His (Unsurprising) Philosophy On Blood In Pro Wrestling

The use of blood continues to be a polarizing topic inside the world of professional wrestling. While some view it as a "badass visual," others worry that excessive bleeding may cause that visual to lose its meaning. Another portion of pundits believe the use of blood in wrestling is simply unsightly, or as former WCW referee Nick Patrick described it: "That s***'s dangerous, and it's nasty." Despite its recurring criticism, Jon Moxley — one of the industry's most consistent bleeders — explains why blood belongs in professional wrestling.

"This is a combat sport," Moxley told Sports Illustrated. "College wrestling is a combat sport, too. They have blood timeouts to patch it up. The lowest prelim bout of a UFC card or a boxing card, somebody might have a little blood on their eyebrow or blood coming out of their nose. But they're not selling a blood sport. It's not, 'Tune in for the blood! Tune in for the gore!' It's part of the aesthetic. It adds realism." Though some may classify wrestling as more of a grappling or performance art, Moxley points out there is always an inherent possibility for talent to become busted open. With that philosophy in mind, Moxley suggests that performers lean into blood more often, just in a less severe manner.

"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?" Moxley questioned.