"Dude, it's FAKE. He just put fake blood all over himself when the cameras weren't looking. Why do you pay money to watch some guy rolling around covered in tomato sauce?" Not so common anymore, but this used to be a classic. During a match, someone gets "busted wide open" and the non-wrestling fan smugly informs you that the blood pouring out of the wrestler's head is fake, probably some dyed liquid or ketchup, and then sits back and calls you an idiot for not working that one out for yourself, because it's SO obvious. Again, this is total crap. It's true that very rarely is bleeding caused by chair shots or otherwise, but the blood itself is very real. The practice of "blading", where a wrestler secretly pulls out a discreet razorblade and makes a shallow cut on their forehead using sleight of hand, is now well known among fans. Smoke and mirrors it may be, but that's definitely type A negative spilling all over the canvas. Wrestlers are not Alfred Hitchcock, and cannot make chocolate syrup look like blood, no matter how hard they try. Moving on!
Stephen Maher has been a rock star, a bouncer, a banker and a busker on various streets in various countries. He's hung out with Robert Plant, he was at Nelson Mandela's birthday and he's swapped stories with prostitutes and crack addicts. He once performed at a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras by accident. These days, he passes the time by writing about music, wrestling, games and other forms of nerdery. And he rarely drinks the blood of the innocent.
