Is WWE bringing back blood? Major name teases its return

The WWE Universe has witnessed some rare yet shocking scenes showcasing blood since the promotion moved to a TV-PG rating in July 2008. Blading is banned, so most of the time, wrestlers have shed blood due to legitimate injuries in recent years. However, the company may introduce an edgier product in the near future, according to Nick Khan.

From Brock Lesnar busting open Randy Orton in the summer of 2016 to Matt Hardy receiving nine stitches above his eye after Great Balls of Fire 2017, there have been instances when the PG format in WWE took a backseat.

Vince McMahon decided to present a family-friendly product just after the Shawn Michaels incident at The Great American Bash 2008. HBK bled throughout his match against Chris Jericho, which caused serious concerns backstage. Since Triple H took charge of the creative team last year, fans have hoped to see blood in WWE. However, the Chief Content Officer is not keen on intentionally making wrestling dangerous.

There is a chance of blood being reintroduced in the promotion. Following the Endeavor deal, WWE CEO Nick Khan was asked by Lightshed Partners whether fans would witness a more intense wrestling style under the new management. Khan suggested they had discussed incorporating the idea in the final hour of RAW with NBCUniversal.

"Look, when we’re specifically talking about the 10 to 11 hour on RAW, we’re specifically talking to NBCU and ourselves about what we do moving forward. We ask, what do we do if we tweak this, that 10 to 11 hour (...) We think that NBCU would be supportive, but we’re not on a final conclusion on that,” said Nick Khan. (H/T WrestleTalk)

Going by Khan's comments, blood might return to WWE programming sporadically. All Elite Wrestling frequently uses blood to showcase a different style of wrestling. Hence, if the Stamford-based promotion uses it wisely, it could be best for the business.

---

WWE's ban on blood had several fines attached to it

Due to the strict measures incorporated by Vince McMahon, multiple superstars had difficulty adjusting to the PG rules. Batista was one of them. Renowned for his hard-hitting style, he bladed during a match against Chris Jericho in 2008. He was fined 100,000 dollars for doing so.

In 2011, Brodus Clay was busted open by a ladder during a ladder match, pitting Christian against Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules. He rolled out of the ring to avoid a 3000 dollar fine, as stars are not permitted to bleed on the ring canvas.

The portrayal of blood was legal as long as Vince McMahon gave the green light under his regime. In 2016, footage showed Byron Saxton handing a blood bag to Roman Reigns during his brawl against Triple H on RAW. Lesnar's UFC mode being unleashed on Orton at SummerSlam 2016 was also planned.

Most recently, Finn Balor suffered a head injury at WrestleMania 39 that made him shed a lot of blood on the canvas. However, there have been no reports of him being fined.