10 Wrestlers That Bled The Hard Way

7. Randy Orton (WWE Money In The Bank 2014)

Dean Ambrose Juice Robinson
WWE

Money In The Bank has become a stipulation working in reverse in the modern era - the once dramatic cash-in has itself become something of a played-out act, made worse by the fact that the brutal match endured by the participants is almost immediately forgotten once somebody's in possession of a brightly-coloured briefcase.

It's why its so easy to forget when a wrestler legitimately hurts themself within the body of the battle, especially if it's not a spot WWE deem worthy of placement within a video package promoting the event the following year. In this case, the match was for the title itself and somehow felt reduced in status as a result.

Busted wide open in an encounter won by John Cena following Daniel Bryan's forced relinquishing of the dual straps, Randy Orton's bloodsoaked head in 2014 was for less than nought. It barely made air - Orton was caught in the head by a ladder bouncing off the ropes as he safely dismounted it. It was blink-and-you-miss-it, but you'd wince if you didn't.

The cut atop his was ostensibly closed, but it burst wide again in the final moments. John Cena's biceps and belly were stained red following an Attitude Adjustment on 'The Apex Predator', but the cut didn't remotely help enhance the drama.

At least a year earlier, it was marginally more valuable...

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett