AEW Has Finally Delivered A Great Blood & Guts Match With The Elite Vs BCC
Liam Parker 
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The War Games / Blood and Guts stipulation is extremely difficult to pull off. It must captivate the audience for an extended runtime, build drama, surprise audiences, and tell a compelling story simultaneously.For years, All Elite Wrestling has been working to perfect the craft of the Blood and Guts match. Elements within and out of their control have made the stipulation somewhat snake bitten for them. That is until the rivalry-ending epic between The Golden Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club.RELATED: A Look Back At WCW WrestleWar 92 & The Best War Games Match Ever
Blood & Guts Shut Down Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic
The build to AEW's first Blood and Guts match was tremendous. It featured deft storytelling and rich character work. The Elite (which then featured one Cody Rhodes) was set to go to war with Chris Jericho's The Inner Circle. Unfortunately, that match never happened.
The pandemic shut down the world. Fans had to watch wrestling at home. To their credit, AEW asserted that holding a violent bloodbath was not wise amid a global health crisis. Blood and Guts would have to wait.
AEW's First Two Blood & Guts Matches Were Disappointing
It would be over a year before we finally saw it, and while there were fans in attendance, AEW wasn't quite ready to let fans in at full capacity. At the time, any fans were a welcome change of scenery to the empty arenas. The fans were loud for The Pinnacle against The Inner Circle. However, the match didn't quite live up to expectations. It was sluggish, contrived, and slow-moving. The match ended with MJF shoving Chris Jericho off the top of the cage. Unfortunately, the production truck chose the wrong camera angle to cut to, and fans at home clearly saw that Jericho landed on a pile of foam. The spot received a lot of criticism.
2022's Blood and Guts match saw The Jericho Appreciation Society face Moxley, Claudio, Eddie Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz. The sequel was far better than the first installment. The violent affair had several memorable spots, including Claudio executing the giant swing on Jericho from the top of the cage. But there was an inherent lack of structure and storytelling in this match.
For the most part, it was wrestlers whacking each other with weapons in a chaotic frenzy. Once again, the production detracted from the match. The cutting was messy, and fans at home would often miss essential beats. AEW had done better, but there was still room for improvement.
The Elite & BCC Delivered A Better Match Structure For Their Blood & Guts Match
Like War Games matches of old, 2023's installment of Blood and Guts opened with a hard-hitting wrestling match and a pairing that we didn't know we wanted until we got it; Claudio Castagnoli and Kenny Omega. The subsequent order of wrestlers couldn't have been picked better. Ruthless Pac and Hangman Adam Page added ferocious energy.
It wasn't until Jon Moxley entered that the match things turned extreme, and boy did they. Moxley's first offensive maneuver was to stab Kenny and Adam Page in the face with a fork. It is called Blood and Guts, after all.
The Young Bucks added their high-flying arsenal, shifting the gear of the match from fourth to fifth. AEW wisely saved Kota Ibushi for the final entrant, saving the massive ovation, and an important story element until mid-match.
By the time all ten wrestlers were in the ring, they had already told a great story. From there, both teams were able to show off their violent creativity. And unlike other War Games or Blood and Guts matches, the violence in this bout didn't feel planned or contrived, but rather as a desperate means of survival.
An Uneven Finish Demands More Room For Improvement In AEW's Blood & Guts Match
The finish of the Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite's saga was actually quite beautiful. Wheeler Yuta had just been battered with nearly every tandem finisher The Golden Elite had in their arsenal. He was left a bloody mess.
With Claudio down and out and Moxley handcuffed to the ropes, Wheeler Yuta was choked out with a giant chain. We could see the life leaving his body... but the young star that pinned Kenny Omega in Anarchy In The Arena wouldn't quit. Instead, his mentor, Jon Moxley, surrendered to save Wheeler. It was a rare show of (understated) affection.
Unfortunately, this impactful ending was muddied with an odd booking choice. Prior to the finish, both Pac and Konoske Takeshita (not official members of The BCC) bailed on their teammates. This left the heels with a three-on-one disadvantage. This element felt unnecessary and, perhaps, overthought.
Still, the third installment of AEW's Blood and Guts match was by far its best. The characters and intricate stories involved will make this match one to remember and may inform the arc of AEW for the next several months.
