Professional wrestling can be a dangerous sport despite it being performative conflict. On some occasions, wrestlers can get hurt and injured, even though the moves aren’t necessarily “real”. Back in 2004, a match occurred in which there were real-life health repercussions for those involved, because at times, wrestling matches can become far too brutal and violent. WWE fans witnessed one of the most violent matches in the company’s history at the 2004 Judgment Day PPV, in a WWE Championship match between JBL and Eddie Guerrero, with it living on in infamy due to what occurred.
UPDATE: 2024/04/19 11:00 EST BY ANDREW KELLY
In the likes of AEW and on the independent wrestling scene, blood can be seen pretty regularly. In WWE, this isn’t the case, though it wasn’t always that way. In the past, and in many classic matches over the years, some of the all-time greats like Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and even Vince McMahon himself can be seen drenched in blood following a blade job. There have been several infamous instances where things have gotten a little extreme though, and perhaps the most notable occasion was when Eddie Guerrero bladed against JBL in a display which led to him getting hospitalized.
The Feud Between JBL And Eddie Guerrero Was Very Heated
Things Got Personal Between SmackDown Stars JBL And Eddie Guerrero
- Eddie Guerrero was a popular singles star on SmackDown
- JBL was beginning his climb as a solo name
- Eddie Guerrero and JBL had two completely contrasting gimmicks and personalities
By the time 2004 rolled around, JBL had gone through a resurgence under a new gimmick, dropping the character from his APA days and opting for an arrogant entrepreneur. It led to him being pushed to a main event status, with the WWE Champion at the time, Eddie Guerrero, very much in his sights. It was a very quick ascent for JBL, but there is no denying how well he did in this unfamiliar role.
|
JBL/Eddie Guerrero Singles Matches |
Event |
Stipulation |
Match Length |
|---|---|---|---|
|
JBL defeats Eddie Guerrero via DQ |
Judgment Day 2004 |
WWE Championship |
23:14 |
|
JBL defeats Eddie Guerrero |
Great American Bash 2004 |
WWE Championship, Bullrope |
21:11 |
|
JBL defeats Eddie Guerrero |
SmackDown |
WWE Championship, Steel Cage |
28:48 |
In the case of Eddie Guerrero, he was on a fantastic run as WWE Champion, defeating the likes of Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle in classic matches, finally getting the acclaim he deserved for a career full of great character work and in-ring performances. On the very first night in which the former “Bradshaw” became “JBL”, he immediately posed a threat to Guerrero’s title reign, being made the number one contender in next to no time after attacking the champion.
Their rivalry became very personal, with JBL causing Guerrero’s mother a kayfabe heart attack at an event in El Paso, and the feud even causing some very real threat to JBL’s safety. In an interview with The Metro, JBL revealed that he needed a police escort in case of genuine backlash, making him one of the most authentic and real heels for perhaps over a decade. Their bad blood led to a match at Judgment Day. This match would raise the animosity in their feud, but it would also become an infamously violent and grotesque display.
Eddie Guerrero Vs JBL Was One Of The Bloodiest Matches In History
The Entire Ring At Judgment Day Was Drenched In Blood
- Judgment Day saw one of the most violent bloodbaths of all time
- In WWE, few matches come close to JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero in terms of bloodshed
- Over the years, WWE veered away from blood use
During their match, which started in a heated manner with some back and forth heavy blows and brawling, the referee was taken out, meaning that shenanigans were sure to take place. It wasn’t long until JBL decided to cheat, taking a steel chair and hitting Guerrero over the head. Guerrero would take a moment to blade, cutting himself open to sell the shot, but he cut too deep, causing one of the most distressing and horrifyingly bloody scenes in WWE history.
Guerrero legitimately bled in bucket loads, with it pouring out of his head as JBL continued an attack. As the match went on, the ring apron was covered in blood to an extent which hadn’t been seen in quite some time – perhaps not even ever to this extent under the WWE banner. Whilst the blood undoubtedly added some serious tension to this match, it was very uneasy to sit through. Even after the match had ended, with Guerrero getting himself disqualified with a title belt shot to JBL, the pair continued fighting until the show went off air.
Eddie Guerrero Collapsed On The Following Episode Of WWE SmackDown
WWE Ran A Controversial Angle With Eddie Guerrero’s Health
- Eddie Guerrero legitimately suffered after the match
- WWE ran with what happened to Eddie Guerrero on-screen
- Eddie Guerrero’s health was a moment of WWE blurring the lines
When they got to the back, Guerrero nearly collapsed and was immediately rushed to hospital due to the severity of his blood loss, with him needing to take some days off in order to recover. WWE decided to capitalize on what had happened by booking a scary angle on the next episode of SmackDown. During a tag team match, Guerrero would collapse in the ring, selling the effects of his blood loss. At the time, the lines were blurred between fiction and reality, until it became clear that this was in fact a work.
Whether or not this angle was done in bad taste is up to the discretion of the viewer, but it was very effective nonetheless. It would lead to a Bullrope Match at the Great American Bash PPV, with this being one of the few decent things on what was an awful edition of The GAB, in which JBL would win, starting his record-breaking reign as WWE Champion. Thankfully, whilst their subsequent matches were physical, they didn’t reach the same level of bloodshed as their initial match did. Their match shows the dangers that blading can pose, and even though WWE has firmly stopped blading from taking place, it still happens elsewhere in the professional wrestling world, and likely always will. However, fans can hope that no blade-job reaches the gruesome nature of Eddie Guerrero vs JBL.
Vince McMahon Hated What Happened In The JBL Vs Eddie Guerrero Match
Vince McMahon Was Displeased With The Amount Of Blood
- Vince McMahon felt like the blood overshadowed the whole match
- WWE would later veer away from using blood
- Blading was cut down upon in WWE
Following the aftermath of this iconic blade job, Guerrero was a man possessed, after initially refusing any help or treatment despite an astonishing amount of blood loss. He made his way to the locker room before finally settling and accepting that he needed fluids and to go to the hospital before he legitimately passed out. It was allegedly a horrifying scene backstage with Guerrero, with him completely covered and dripping blood yet refusing any sort of support, as noted by Bruce Pritchard.
On the Something To Wrestle podcast, Pritchard delved deeper into the backstage reaction of what had occurred, specifically the reaction of Vince McMahon;
“He hated it. He just hated it because it was just way too much. It took away from the match, and it put the sympathy in the wrong place if you know what I mean in Eddie bleeding. That’s not where we wanted the sympathy. It was just too much. It was overdone. It was just way overdone, and it wasn’t meant to be that way. It was just an accident that happens.” (h/t
411Mania
)
It seems as though WWE wanted sympathy for the character rather than the human being behind the character, and that is where the disconnect happened when it came to the match and taking away from it. WWE did continue using blading for a little while, until a similar scene occurred when Shawn Michaels bled profusely against Chris Jericho, leading WWE to ban blood ahead of the PG rating coming into play. It would have happened regardless, but moments like Eddie Guerrero vs JBL likely sped up the process in McMahon’s mind.
