10 Times Blood & Guts Made Wrestling AWESOME

10. Cody Vs. Dustin (AEW Double Or Nothing)

An old-school territory-style bloodbath between two of the most old-school wrestlers in the game, Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes was taken to a different level by the elder sibling's gusher.

Buckets of sanguine washed the ring after a deep blade job. This made 'The Natural's' phenomenal selling performance all the more believable: when he borrowed a page from Jerry Lawler's book, flailing blind punches at an opponent he couldn't see, it was because he was woozy, lightheaded, and unable to see through his crimson mask. Reality enhanced the narrative.

Already a sympathetic figure walking into Double or Nothing, Dustin emerged the broken veteran hero for a new era of fans. That Cody was such a d*ckhead on offense helped too, as 'The American Nightmare' worked more like Ric Flair than his and Dustin's father, with Dustin peppering perfectly-timed comeback spots through a world-class heat spot. Again, though, the blood was key. Remove it and you still have the great story of the disintegrating veteran putting forth a noble failure against the younger, more athletic man, but keep it in and you have a man fighting for his life, struggling to survive.