WWE Hell in a Cell 2015.

[Phantom Lord]

Batista was actually fined a legit $100k? Damn.

 

He's told this story before in interviews. I think Jericho got fined $5k and the referee maybe like a grand. Dave paid everyone's fine because he said it was his fault to begin with. He claims it's $100k. That just seems strange even by WWE standards but I think the jist of the story is Vince was legit freaking out maybe because people from Mattel were at the show.

 

And yeah, Charlotte's chops were good last night. I hope its a step in the right direction.

[RIPPA]

Jericho talks about it in his most recent book.

 

It don't believe it was the ref who got fined but the agent for the match (who I wanna say was Arn Anderson)

 

But yeah - Batista did it on his own with no one else knowing and he admitted as much (and why he paid everyone's fines). But yeah - everyone got in trouble.

 

And if I remember Jericho's timeline - it wasn't the first time that something like that happened to him in a match after the "no bleeding" policy went into effect

[Greggulator]

I'm absolutely fine with no blood in wrestling anymore. Just as I am no chairshots to the head or crazy neck bumps. I know I'm watching simulated violence. I don't need these guys to take years off their lives or end up looking like scarred freaks because of a TV show I like to watch.

[RIPPA]

Here we go - someone summarized the two blood stories

 

 

The first blood story involves a steel cage match with Jericho and Batista in November 2008. As Jericho tells the story, Batista wanted to add some color to the match to make it more interesting. Remember that Batista has always been vocal about WWE being soft when they went PG, so it makes sense that he wanted to be “old school” a bit. He ended up blading in the match. A week later, Jericho and Batista were summoned to a meeting by Vince McMahon that also involved agent Dean Malenko. McMahon showed video of a camera hidden high up in the area that showed that Batista clearly bladed. Batista got fined $100,000 for it while Jericho and Malenko also got fined $5,000. Batista ended up paying their fines for them. It showed that McMahon was serious about it.

 

The other blood story involved Ric Flair in the buildup to Jericho’s WrestleMania 25 match in 2009 against the legends. Jericho had a Raw segment with him where he beat him up. Flair wasn’t a full timer in WWE, so he probably had no idea about the no blood rule. He ended up blading and his blood was everywhere. Jericho worked on the cut by punching at it as well as hitting him with a camera. After the segment, McMahon was furious at him and ended up fining him for it. He said he couldn’t fine Flair because Flair wasn’t under a full time contract and he was worried how Flair might react. Jericho was upset by it because it was the second time somebody bled in a segment he was in and it wasn’t even him that did it, yet he was still fined for it.

[Jiji]

Jericho talks about it in his most recent book.

 

It don't believe it was the ref who got fined but the agent for the match (who I wanna say was Arn Anderson)

 

But yeah - Batista did it on his own with no one else knowing and he admitted as much (and why he paid everyone's fines). But yeah - everyone got in trouble.

 

And if I remember Jericho's timeline - it wasn't the first time that something like that happened to him in a match after the "no bleeding" policy went into effect

It was agent 007, Malenko. Dean Malenko. 

 

Edit: aw, tits. You found the summaries. At least I got to the chance to think about ladies man gimmick Dean Malenko and his Cesaro theme song.

[The Unholy Dragon]

Alrighty. Longer thoughts.

Preshow six man was good because it had too many talented guys and too much time to suck. Still a lot of time killing before the hot finishing run but that's one of the best six man finishing runs in a while so I forgive it. Cesaro looked like a star, Dolph has checked out, Neville sure keeps being there.

I enjoy ADR coming back from that racism to beat a guy like Cena in a big surprise match/moment. But uh. It's still ADR. Cena did what he could but it was under 8 minutes without a finishing run. Which feels less like ADR figured Cena out and more like Cena had a bad night. Didn't really do anything for anyone.

Roman vs. Bray was the best Cell match since HHH/Taker. Great, wild brawl and while it could have used some blood it definitely delivered. Bray worked out some crazy man weapon spots/setups. I dug the hell out of it. Even the Spear at the end had extra oomph. Great stuff. Roman has quietly become a great singles guy so hopefully he gets the belt at Survivor Series to end this Rollins shaped nightmare.

New Day vs. Dudz was really good again. I hate Kofi but he's been refreshed in this role and the Dudleys still seem to have some extra post-return spring. Fun match with the right result.

Charlotte-Nikki was a huge improvement over last month with a more back and forth match. I loved Nikki carrying that shit, right down to stuff like nailing a nasty forearm to get Charlotte to hit harder. Definitely had some spotfest qualities but the backwork was good and really it all just fell apart at the finish. The Apron Spinebuster was BRUTAL so jumping immediately to a botched counter Figure 8 was eh. Really good match before though with Nikki finally getting to show off her improvement.

I checked out for Seth vs. Kane. The announelce table spot was like a metaphor for the match: Something that could have been goid but just sort of fell over sadly for no explicit reason. Kane is old. Seth sucks. The match was bad. The IWC is praising it. So it goes. The best part is Seth's ego and paranoia being the best weapon against the Authority over time.

Owens vs. Ryback was fine for five minutes. Not enough time to really get going but some good spots and a really clever finish.

Brock vs. Taker was a good conclusion. Not as good as their first Cell match and probably not better than Summerslam, but better than the rest. Violent, bloody, and wild. Loved the ring getting torn apart. Loved the story. Out of six total big matches, Taker has only ever beat Brock at Summerslam. And he shouldn't have even had that one. Taker got wild and desperate and finally, finally was going to overcome Brock...only to get too confident and lose in a mirror of his only win. It worked well as a cap to the series and now both guys can do new things.

Like facing the Wyatts at Survivor Series. Fun angle, that.

Good show overall. Everything that mattered delivered and a few things that didn't delivered as well.

[Cristobal]

EDIT: Since I don't think the thread needs yet another retelling of Jericho's version of the Batista blading fine, here was Jack Swagger's reaction to seeing ADR walk out with Zeb:

[Pete]

 

 

Sheamus ‏@WWESheamus  14m14 minutes ago

Please note @LilianGarcia & the world, it's Dublin IRELAND. Only good thing to come out of England was... ehh... erm... at a loss.

 

 

I think Ray Stevens was feuding with Billy Robinson when he said "only two good things ever came out of England, and Liz Taylor's got both of them!"

[J.T.]

Pete's statement is a true statement.

[Burgundy LaRue]

I imagine Bray/Roman were given strict instructions not to do color in their match--and neither has the clout to get away with it at this point.  Considering that it got pretty red with Taker/Lesnar, two matches featuring blood may have been overkill.

[Go2Sleep]

Blading is strictly forbidden in WWE. The last guy who did it and was caught trying to hide it was Dave Bautista several years ago, fined $100,000 for doing so in a match with Chris Jericho. He was caught by one of the cameras and everyone involved in the match was called into McMahon's office, heavily reprimanded and fined.

 

I'm curious what Brock was doing then when he raked his head across the bottom of his glove exactly where the cut was.

[odessasteps]

Does the old "punching with a knuckle above the eyebrow" count as blading, since its arguably the best known way to get color without gigging?

[MADCAP]

 

Blading is strictly forbidden in WWE. The last guy who did it and was caught trying to hide it was Dave Bautista several years ago, fined $100,000 for doing so in a match with Chris Jericho. He was caught by one of the cameras and everyone involved in the match was called into McMahon's office, heavily reprimanded and fined.

 

I'm curious what Brock was doing then when he raked his head across the bottom of his glove exactly where the cut was.

 

 

 

Working the smarks?

[steve]

If that divot was from a sharp edge in Brock's hand, blading wouldn't be a strong enough term. More like carving.

[Niners Fan in CT]

I can understand the "no blood" policy even though I don't care for it but when they send the doctor in to wipe it off... that's stupid. Fans immediately shit on it and you could tell Brock didn't like it either.

[A Guy Named Tracy]

Does the old "punching with a knuckle above the eyebrow" count as blading, since its arguably the best known way to get color without gigging?

Watch the Cena v Lesnar match from Extreme Rules 2012. Very early in the match Lesnar delivers a series of short elbows to Cena's forehead from the mounted position. Cena was busted open hardway and it was obvious that was the intent. I didn't hear anything about either guy being fined.

I know a lot of people's opinions have soured on Bray Wyatt, but I couldn't help thinking during his match with Reigns how awesome he would've been had he been around during the Mid-south era. He face would be completely bloody in a match like this and he could ramp up the violence and insanity.

[Curt McGirt]

Heels won in 6/8 matches. Aside from Cena who's leaving, I guess the next PPV will be the exact opposite after they redo half these matches on Raw. And my crystal ball also predicts a DEL RIO/SWAGGER FEUD!

[Go2Sleep]

The "blading vs drawing blood" thing has to be one of the stranger production quirks/policies in WWE. If you're going to let guys bleed on rare occasion, why wouldn't you want them using a small blade to just break the skin as opposed to having guys bare-knuckle each other or ram their heads into solid metal?

[RIPPA]

I am sure it has been said already... somewhere (but everything blends together)

 

But - Reigns/Wyatt would have been way better if it hadn't been in the Cell. 

 

Just a No-DQ or a Last Man Standing or something.

 

They could have done virtually the same exact match since they interacted with the Cell so little.

 

It wasn't that what they were doing was bad - I just couldn't get past the "Cell" stigma

[Michael Sweetser]

The "blading vs drawing blood" thing has to be one of the stranger production quirks/policies in WWE. If you're going to let guys bleed on rare occasion, why wouldn't you want them using a small blade to just break the skin as opposed to having guys bare-knuckle each other or ram their heads into solid metal?

 

Yes, but when the sponsors ask why little Billy at home saw blood, they can cop out and say it wasn't planned and was an accident.  Plausible deniability goes a long way.

[Infinit]

I am sure it has been said already... somewhere (but everything blends together)

 

But - Reigns/Wyatt would have been way better if it hadn't been in the Cell. 

 

Just a No-DQ or a Last Man Standing or something.

 

They could have done virtually the same exact match since they interacted with the Cell so little.

 

It wasn't that what they were doing was bad - I just couldn't get past the "Cell" stigma

 

i think the Cell was necessary to underline the fact that Bray was alone with no help from the family.

[nate]

The weirdest point of the night was the camera angle that looked like Nikki was just eating out Charlotte's ass on the top rope.

#blamekevindunn right?

#thankkevindunn, HAW!

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

 

I am sure it has been said already... somewhere (but everything blends together)

 

But - Reigns/Wyatt would have been way better if it hadn't been in the Cell. 

 

Just a No-DQ or a Last Man Standing or something.

 

They could have done virtually the same exact match since they interacted with the Cell so little.

 

It wasn't that what they were doing was bad - I just couldn't get past the "Cell" stigma

 

i think the Cell was necessary to underline the fact that Bray was alone with no help from the family.

 

 

But they didn't even try to get in. You can't underline nothingness.

 

and really that's not the biggest problem with that match

i understand the schoolboy counter of sister abigail is super clever

only heels try to win blood feuds with roll ups

so they can get out of their faster to avoid the overdue whoopin

wrestling moves have little place in blood feuds

[Pete]

 

 

I am sure it has been said already... somewhere (but everything blends together)

 

But - Reigns/Wyatt would have been way better if it hadn't been in the Cell. 

 

Just a No-DQ or a Last Man Standing or something.

 

They could have done virtually the same exact match since they interacted with the Cell so little.

 

It wasn't that what they were doing was bad - I just couldn't get past the "Cell" stigma

 

i think the Cell was necessary to underline the fact that Bray was alone with no help from the family.

 

 

But they didn't even try to get in. You can't underline nothingness.

 

 

Would it have been better if they showed Luke/Erick/Blintz in the back with sadface expressions, because there's no way of busting into the Cell so they might as well not even try?

[Curt McGirt]

Kane did it.