In a recent episode of his “1 Of A Kind” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer, Rob Van Dam, opened up about his views on the controversial practice of blading during matches. He left no stone unturned while explaining why he believes that shedding blood in the ring is not necessarily a surefire way to make a match more exciting or engaging.
Highlights from the enlightening podcast episode can be found below:
Speaking about his personal experience with blading, or intentional self-inflicted bleeding, Van Dam noted, “If we discuss the entire length of my career, only twice did I succumb to the request for color. The rest of the times, it was the hardway. The numerous photos of a bloody me following a match aren’t the result of some pre-planned decision to make the match more dramatic. I didn’t just decide ‘Hey, let’s cut myself open to make this more interesting.’ That’s not the case. The bloodshed was usually a result of me working hard in the ring, putting in my all, with the exception of two instances. And both of these exceptions were after my ECW period, in the post-2001 WWE era.”
He further expressed his displeasure at his fellow wrestlers intentionally bleeding during matches, stating, “It used to irk me whenever Balls [Mahoney] would approach me prior to a match to seek my approval about his intention to bleed that night. My response was always a resounding no. I could never grasp why he felt the necessity to bleed in every single match! I mean, if it inevitably happens during the course of a match, so be it. But why intentionally make it happen? I’ve never seen the added value it supposedly brings to a match. Of course, this is based on my personal opinions, and I understand that not everyone may concur with them. Some people might even enjoy it.”
The entire episode can be watched by clicking on the link below:
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