Background

In May 2021, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) aired a special episode of their weekly program, Wednesday Night Dynamite, titled Blood & Guts;^[2] it was originally scheduled for March 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3] The event took its name from the Blood and Guts match, which debuted at the event and is AEW's version of the WarGames match, but using the classic format from Jim Crockett Promotions and not the modern format used by rival company, WWE, which also owns the trademark to the "WarGames" name.^[4] The name "Blood and Guts" itself was a reference to a 2019 quote made by WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon in an earnings call, who had said that although their product was going to become edgier, "we're not going to go back to the Attitude Era, and we're not going to do blood and guts and things of that nature such as being done on perhaps a new potential competitor".^[5][6] The term "blood and guts" used by McMahon was perceived as a reference to rival promotion AEW.^[7]

On June 1, 2022, AEW announced that Blood & Guts would return as the June 29 episode of Dynamite at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, which would air live on TBS, thus establishing Blood & Guts as an annual television special for the company—the prior year's special aired on TNT, but Dynamite moved to TNT's sister channel TBS in January 2022.^[8] Additionally, it was announced that the July 1 episode of Friday Night Rampage would be taped immediately after the live broadcast of Blood & Guts and would air on tape delay on TNT as a special episode titled Royal Rampage.^[9]

Storylines

Blood & Guts featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.^[10] Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the supplementary online streaming shows, Dark and Elevation, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.

Television ratings

Blood & Guts averaged 1.023 million television viewers on TBS and a 0.36 rating in AEW's key demographic.^[11]

Dynamite (aired June 29)

Rampage (aired July 1)

Royal Rampage match entrances and eliminations

The Royal Rampage match is a two ring 20 man rumble rules battle royale. 10 wrestlers in each ring separately, in which it starts with two wrestlers on each ring, then another wrestler enters in alternating red or blue ring at time intervals every minute. Eliminations by over the top rope. The final two standing wrestlers on each ring will face off on any of the 2 rings under battle royal rules to declare a winner.

  – Blue Ring

  – Red Ring

  – Winner