While AEW's annual running of Blood & Guts featured some of the more brutal spots fans of the promotion have come to expect, from Coffen Drops off the top of the cage, to staple gun tag, and even Darby Allin threatening to set Jack Perry on fire if he didn't get a shot at the TNT Championship at All In, the one moment that has earned the most ire online wasn't particularly flashy at all: Allin hitting the “Scapegoat” in the head with an unprotected chair shot.
That's right, while the match was a brutal, bloody affair and the spot in question wasn't particularly visually stunning, the decision to have the former TNT Champion handcuff the current belt holder to the cage and then pop him in the head with a steel chair got fans talking about in-ring safety including a very vocal member of the WWE Universe, Corey Graves, who is the current lead commentator on SmackDown.
Taking to social media to address the situation head-on – literally – Graves questioned the decision for one member of the match to jeopardize the other's long-term career, especially considering everything else going on in the match.
“This is not meant to sound judgmental, or incite ‘us vs. them' or question anybody's passion, or talent, or intentions,” Graves shared on social media. “This is just coming from a guy whose career ended from a few too many ACCIDENTAL headshots. The ART of this business is protecting ourselves and each other. Trust me… the gaps in memory are not worth it. I promise.”
Now, for fans out of the know, Graves actually had to retire from professional wrestling while still in NXT before he could truly achieve his in-ring dreams on the main roster due to concussions, with the former NXT Tag Team Champion having appeared in just one “match,” a 24/7 Championship win over Akira Tozawa, since his exit in 2014. While things have worked out fairly well for Graves, as he's widely considered the heir apparent for WWE's top commentary spot once Michael Cole hangs it up, he clearly doesn't want anyone else to lose their dream due to a silly spot when, again, the match almost ended with the very same performer getting set on fire.
Swerve Strickland and Darby Allin delivered at Blood & Guts
In the lead-up to Blood & Guts, Swerve Strickland stopped by Sports Illustrated to help promote the match on TBS, telling Justin Barrasso that this isn't good versus evil, but instead AEW's answer to the Marvel Civil War between Captain America and Iron Man.
“Expect blood. Expect guys to step up and become something more than they already are. This is our Marvel Civil War. On one side you've got Iron Man leading the pack, and on the other side is Captain America leading the pack. Both have their own beliefs, and both believe they're right and the other side is wrong,” Strickland told Sports Illustrated.
“Making this the most unique and different Blood and Guts, that's the goal. There's a lot of stories being told. A lot of us are in it for the first time and stepping up. We get to see Mark Briscoe and The Acclaimed in this match, and we'll see them jump up to the next level. I'm proud of these guys, and I'm proud to be in there with them. Darby, who knows what he's going to do. No one is stopping him from whatever he wants to do. It's almost time. I'm hungry to get started.”
In this scenario, Strickland and the rest of Team AEW have to be Captain American and company, right? They are working against the established authority despite being in the moral right? Well, considering Team AEW got the win, it's safe to say Strickland's metaphor worked out pretty well.
To add even more intrigue to the show, Allin also stopped by Sports Illustrated to help promote the show too, letting fans know that he wanted to accomplish feats no one had ever seen before in a cage match, including against Perry, whom he was explicitly targeting.
“I've got a lot of stuff planned. I've never even been in a cage match before. Never. It's a fun challenge. And you know me, I love a challenge. This is really important to me. I want to be the face of this company. I want to be the spokesperson for this place. Look what AEW has allowed me to do inside the ring, and the freedom I get outside the ring. That's why I've been able to be authentic and real to myself,” Allin told Sports Illustrated.
“It's pretty cool to see what Jack is doing now. Everyone always says a pro wrestler is at their best when they're themselves turned up to ten. In real life, he's an idiot. He's entitled. So he's getting to be his real self. I feel like he's been rewarded for bad behavior. I don't care for him.”
Welp, there you go, folks; Allin wanted to accomplish crazy things and put Perry in his place, and he did just that. And the best part? He has a chance to go for double or nothing at All In with the TNT Championship on the line next month.
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