All through historical past, WWE has at all times been well-known for its family-friendly sports activities leisure product. Subsequently, blood hasn’t at all times been allowed on WWE programming. Nevertheless, the corporate has featured its justifiable share of violent bloody matches through the years, notably (however not solely) through the Angle Period.
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This record will have a look at hardcore wrestling matches in WWE (not simply bouts promoted as a ‘Hardcore Match’ by the promotion) that have been violent and bloody masterpieces. Whereas a few of the matches weren’t precisely nice from a technical perspective, followers nonetheless love them to at the present time.
10
Eddie Guerrero Vs. JBL – WWE Championship (Judgment Day 2004)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 8/10
Storytelling
2/2.5
Technical Potential
1.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 3.75 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 8.60
We begin off with one of the vital violent WWE Championship matches of all time. SmackDown was in a tough spot after WrestleMania 20; Brock Lesnar left WWE whereas the likes of Kurt Angle and Massive Present have been injured, leaving the model with out a prime heel to problem WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero.
The corporate selected to repackage former APA member Bradshaw as John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) and make him the brand new primary contender. JBL and Latino Warmth had a private rivalry that featured a particularly violent match and a few of the hardest chair photographs ever at Judgment Day 2004. That match ended by DQ, and JBL proceeded to steal the title one month later at The Nice American Bash.
9
Sgt. Slaughter Vs. The Iron Sheik – Boot Camp Match (WWE On MSG Community, June 16, 1984)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 8.25/10
Storytelling
2.25/2.5
Technical Potential
1/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4.5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 8.29
Immediately, most followers bear in mind Sgt. Slaughter for his heel WWE Championship run within the early Nineties, working a foremost occasion program with Hulk Hogan. Nevertheless, Slaughter had been one of many prime faces in the whole firm as an American hero just some years earlier.
Slaughter had a notable rivalry with The Iron Sheik throughout that point, and it is simple to know why followers have been into it. Their feud intensified and ultimately culminated with a Boot Camp Match at Madison Sq. Backyard. They destroyed one another till Slaughter received and received a large response from the gang.
Sarcastically, The Iron Sheik (as Col. Mustafa) would return to WWE in 1991 to handle Slaughter.
8
John Cena Vs. JBL – I Give up Match, WWE Championship (Judgment Day 2005)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 8.75/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
1.5/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4.25 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.09
After the feud with Eddie Guerrero, JBL held the WWE Championship for about 9 months. He dropped the gold to John Cena at WrestleMania 21, and the 2 had a rematch at Judgment Day beneath ‘I Give up’ guidelines. After a considerably mediocre ‘Mania match, Cena and JBL stole the present at Judgment Day.
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They threw every part however the kitchen sink at one another for over 20 minutes, with each males refusing to remain down. Ultimately, JBL stop after Cena threatened to hit him with an enormous metallic pipe. Cena used it after the bell anyway, successfully placing an finish to their rivalry earlier than shifting to Uncooked within the 2005 WWE Draft.
7
Brock Lesnar Vs. The Undertaker – Hell In A Cell Match, WWE Championship (No Mercy 2002)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 8.75/10
Storytelling
2.25/2.5
Technical Potential
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2/2.5
Crowd Response
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 8.92
Brock Lesnar made his WWE foremost roster debut the evening after WrestleMania 18. By SummerSlam, he was already WWE Champion after beating The Rock in the primary occasion. Lesnar’s first program as champion was towards none aside from The Undertaker, who challenged The Subsequent Massive Factor inside Hell in a Cell at No Mercy.
Their extraordinarily brutal match ended with a clear win for Lesnar, and even Paul Heyman misplaced blood through the bout. The Undertaker just lately talked about this match on his YouTube channel Six Toes Beneath with Mark Calaway. Here is what The Deadman needed to say:
That was, as you may think about, a particularly bodily match (…) He [Lesnar] had these intangibles that it is onerous to show folks: aggressiveness, viciousness, be a more in-depth, a killer – he had all of that (…) I did not have to inform him when to be aggressive, [or] when to be that kind of killer/animal individual, he simply knew. In case you received the Undertaker down, you had to have the ability to maintain him down. (h/t Wrestling Inc.)
6
CM Punk Vs. Drew McIntyre – Hell In A Cell Match (Dangerous Blood 2024)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 9/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
1.75/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.25/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.41
As everybody is aware of, blood hasn’t been recurrently utilized in WWE ever because the begin of the PG Period. Even throughout brutal matches similar to Road Fights or Hell in a Cell Matches, followers do not anticipate to see blood. Nevertheless, it does occur now and again. At Dangerous Blood 2024, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre had an extremely bloody Hell in a Cell Match that match their private feud.
McIntyre’s mission was to finish CM Punk’s profession, who took an enormous beating however by no means gave up. Finally, Punk received increasingly aggresive with every shot. Each males bled buckets and each got here near profitable all through the match. Lastly, Punk wrapped a series round his left leg and delivered a nasty GTS to place McIntyre down and out for good.
5
Randy Orton Vs. Cactus Jack – Hardcore Match, WWE Intercontinental Championship (Backlash 2004)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 9.25/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
2/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.25/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4.5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.36
In 2004, Mick Foley got here again from retirement to feud with a younger Randy Orton, who was a member of Evolution and the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion on the time. Orton pinned Foley in an entertaining handicap match at WrestleMania 20, however that was removed from the top of the rivalry.
At Backlash, Orton put his Intercontinental Title on the road in a Hardcore Match towards the Hardcore Legend. The 24 yr previous Orton overcame all the percentages and efficiently retained his belt after hitting the RKO onto ‘Barbie’ – the barbed wire bat.
4
Triple H Vs. Cactus Jack – Hell In A Cell Match, WWE Championship (No Manner Out 2000)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 9.5/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.25/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4.5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.27
Mick Foley’s full-time profession ended 4 years earlier, at No Manner Out 2000, the place Cactus Jack misplaced to WWE Champion Triple H in a title vs. profession Hell in a Cell Match. Hunter and Cactus had an unbelievable feud in early 2000, and that was the proper ending to their storyline.
This feud established Triple H as a prime foremost occasion heel. Evidently, ending Mick Foley’s wrestling profession received Hunter a whole lot of warmth. Cactus was someway in a position to stand up after an enormous fall off the highest of the cell that broke each the cell and the ring, just for Triple H to hit the Pedigree for the win.
3
Triple H Vs. Cactus Jack – Road Battle, WWE Championship (Royal Rumble 2000)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 9.75/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 4.5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.40
One month earlier than the top of their feud at No Manner Out, Triple H defended the WWE Championship towards Cactus Jack in a Road Battle on the Royal Rumble 2000, inside Madison Sq. Backyard. It was one of the vital violent matches in WWE historical past.
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Triple H was assured heading into this bout, however he actually did not know what he was strolling into. Finally, and after taking a large beating, Triple H was not solely in a position to survive, however he managed to beat Cactus Jack at his personal sport. Foley was in a position to kick out of the Pedigree, however he could not kick out of a particularly violent Pedigree onto thumbtacks.
2
The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels – Hell In A Cell Match (Badd Blood 1997)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 9.75/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
2.25/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.49
The Hell in a Cell Match is without doubt one of the most intense and violent stipulations in wrestling historical past. The primary time the gimmick was used was at Badd Blood 1997, between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. The 2 legends at all times had nice chemistry, they usually delivered top-of-the-line matches ever that evening.
The Deadman completely destroyed The Heartbreak Child from pillar to publish, even throwing him off the cell via the announce desk. Nevertheless, The Undertaker’s brother Kane made his WWE debut that evening, hitting the Tombstone Piledriver on Undertaker which allowed Michaels to win.
1
Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin – Submission Match (WrestleMania 13)
Total Ranking From The Sportster: 10/10
Storytelling
2.5/2.5
Technical Potential
2.5/2.5
Character Work/Psychology
2.5/2.5
Crowd Response
2.5/2.5
Dave Meltzer’s Ranking: 5 Stars
Cagematch.internet Ranking: 9.63
In 1997, Bret Hart and Stone Chilly Steve Austin had arguably the best feud in WWE historical past. The dynamic was sensible, with American followers hating The Hitman whereas he was nonetheless a hero everywhere in the world. After an ideal technical match at Survivor Sequence 1996, their feud intensified they usually met in a Submission Match at WrestleMania 13.
Whereas it wasn’t an entire massacre, using blood was good. Followers will always remember the visible of Austin passing out to the Sharpshooter in a pool of his personal blood. Regardless of technically shedding, Austin walked out of ‘Mania 13 a real megastar and ultimately turned the largest star in WWE and all {of professional} wrestling.
