Vince McMahon Once Fined Batista Six Figures For Defying Orders In WWE Match

Vince McMahon cracked down hard on intentional bleeding in WWE and made offenders pay for it, literally.

The use of blood in wrestling has often been used to heighten the drama of a match and can at times make it even better. Many fans would argue that the finish of the match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 would not have been as memorable if Austin did not pass out with blood streaming down his face.

Everything would change however in 2008 at the Great American Bash pay-per-view. During a match between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, The Heartbreak Kid bled heavily in the match. This would be the last event to be held under the TV-14 banner, as WWE would switch to a PG rating 2 days later.

Appealing to a wider audience, major changes were made to weekly TV, including less sexualisation of female performers, less offensive language and crucially, no more intentional blood. In the modern era, if blood is seen then all attempts are made to treat the cut as quickly as possible. A recent example of this was at WrestleMania 39, where a Hell in a Cell match between Edge and Finn Balor was briefly halted so doctors could staple Balor’s head shut after a ladder accidentally busted him open.

Ric Flair, who was notorious for bleeding when it was permitted, discussed how the policy was changed while speaking with Shannon Sharpe. The Nature Boy recalled how Jericho was fined by causing Flair to unintentionally bleed and how Batista was fined a six-figure sum for blading in a Steel Cage match against Jericho in November 2008:

“I didn’t bleed at all in the latter years of WWE. [Vince McMahon] got real strict about that. Jericho hit me with a TV monitor when we were doing the thing with Mickey Rourke and he fined Jericho, I did put my hands up to block it, I’m trying not to. He put 25 stitches on me. He didn’t fine me, but he fined Jericho $25,000. Batista cut himself in a cage match one night and Vince fined him $100,000. When Vince lays the law down, you know it,”

Although not one for changing his mind, a former WWE Champion recently revealed how Vince McMahon was told to change his presentation.

Vince McMahon Facing More Legal Troubles

No stranger to the courtroom, McMahon is a part of a new lawsuit that has been filed by WWE shareholders. Legal action has been taken over the nature of the WWE and UFC merger, which has been described as a “sham sale process.”

H/t to Fightful.