For the most part, WWE is not renowned for its ultra violent moments, bloody and gruesome matches, and crazily extreme spots, but littered across WWE’s long and lucrative history there have been several noteworthy moments which have been more violent than others. When a shockingly violent moment happens in WWE, it often sticks out due to it being more of a rarity.

The following are moments which turned the stomachs of fans, shocked people upon seeing them take place, and will live forever in the mind’s of viewers. The following moments are ones which took place across several different eras of WWE.

10 Brock Lesnar Mangled The Undertaker’s Hand Inside Hell In A Cell

Undertaker’s Hand Was Lesnar’s Target In This Match

• Undertaker had a broken hand heading into this
• Lesnar spent the match going after it
• The attacks on the hand were very violent

The No Mercy 2002 Hell In A Cell match showed just how violent an attack on one particular body part can be, as Lesnar spent some of the bout smashing up Undertaker’s hand, using chairs, the Cell itself, and more.

The whole match is worth a mention in terms of pure violence, with it being a brutal, bloody encounter full of hard-hitting moves and moments.

9 Randy Orton Became A Star In His Violent Match With Mick Foley

This Hardcore Match Was Fantastic And Brutal

• Orton took a gnarly thumbtack bump
• He was covered in blood during this match
• Fans gained a higher level of respect for Orton

Sometimes, taking a lot of punishment, getting thrown into thumbtacks, and being on the receiving end of a violent attack from a hardcore legend can ultimately help in becoming a star, as this is what happened with Randy Orton.

His match against Foley at Backlash 2004 over the Intercontinental Championship was very violent, and the thumbtack spot was an especially shocking visual.

Fans Were Shocked At The Level Of Violence

• Punk & McIntyre promised blood & violence
• They both bled during their Hell In A Cell match
• McIntyre’s bleeding was the most extreme of the entire PG Era

With blood being a forgotten memory in WWE for the most part since 2008, it was shocking to see the sheer bloodbath between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre at Bad Blood 2024. Notably, McIntyre was absolutely covered with a thick layer of red which was more than fans had seen in nearly two decades in the promotion.

McIntyre needed sixteen staples after this due to a huge cut stretching across his head.

7 Randy Orton Burned Bray Wyatt Alive In The Main Event Of A PPV

This PPV Had A Violent Finish

• Orton and Wyatt fought in an inferno match
• Wyatt was burned to a crisp
• It was obviously a doll, but it was still shockingly violent

WWE hosted an inferno match for the first time in a long time at the 2020 TLC event, and it featured some spots which were surprisingly violent, namely involving Wyatt being burned. The end of the show was particularly shocking, as Wyatt was left burning to a blackened crisp in the middle of the ring.

It was clear that WWE had swapped Wyatt for a life-sized doll, but the implications and the visuals were disturbing, graphic, and violent.

6 John Cena & JBL Clashed In A Violent And Bloody WWE Title Match

This “I Quit” Match Was Incredibly Bloody

• Cena was hit with a massive chair shot to the head
• JBL & Cena both bled in bucketloads
• This was a shockingly violent match, even for the era

In the Ruthless Aggression Era, there were plenty of bloody and violent matches, but this one between John Cena and JBL was up there with the most gruesome.

The mat was covered in red as both men had deep cuts in their heads, dripping in their own blood. The visuals of both men covered in so much blood was shocking for sure, especially seen as it was the golden boy John Cena.

5 Cactus Jack Took A Pedigree Into Thumbtacks

A Violent Spot In A Brutal Street Fight

• Triple H defended the WWE Title against Cactus Jack at Royal Rumble 2000
• This Street Fight is celebrated for its violence
• The pedigree spot was the most memorable moments of the match

There were several violent spots stretched across this infamously great match between Triple H and Cactus Jack at the 2000 Royal Rumble event, and the most brutal came when Triple H hit a Pedigree on Cactus Jack… into thumbtacks.

Taking a back bump on the tacks is bad enough, but to go face-first at the force and speed that Cactus Jack did here was absolutely shocking.

4 Shane McMahon Being Suplexed Through Glass Was Brutal

McMahon Put His Body Through Pain To Entertain The Fans

• Kurt Angle battled Shane McMahon at King Of The Ring 2001
• Angle failed to suplex McMahon through glass
• McMahon was thrown multiple times and kept landing on his head

The spot of McMahon being suplexed through glass was supposed to just be a quick spot which was intended to create an entertaining visual. However, the glass did not yield, and McMahon landed right on his head… multiple times.

Both men kept trying to execute the spot until McMahon had to be thrown with such a force to finally break the glass. McMahon was likely concussed and was covered in blood in an uncomfortable spot. It was violent, hard-to-watch, and one which could have caused a lot of long-term damage.

3 Mankind Got Thrown Off Hell In A Cell… Twice In One Night

Undertaker Vs. Mankind Is One Of The Craziest WWE Matches Ever

• Mankind got thrown off the Cell and crashed through the announce table
• He got chokeslammed through the Cell roof
• Mankind’s tooth got lodged in his nose

This match is iconic. In a surreal moment, Mankind was thrown off the top of the Cell, resulting in a violent collision with the announce table below. Despite being in a lot of pain, Mankind continued the match and was chokeslammed through the roof of the Cell in a spot which was not meant to go that way.

It was terrifying, violent, and somehow the match continued after this too. With a tooth lodged in his nose and a lot of blood, the pair wrestled until Undertaker finally put Mankind out of his misery.

2 The Bloodbath Between Eddie Guerrero And JBL Was A Spectacle

One Of The Bloodiest Matches In WWE History

• Guerrero and JBL fought at Judgment Day 2004
• Guerrero bladed too deep in a scary moment
• The amount of blood in this match was shocking

Eddie Guerrero bladed during his match with JBL at Judgment Day 2004, resulting in the single most bloody match in WWE history. It was shockingly violent by every definition, and it was gruesome to watch. On the Something To Wrestle podcast, Bruce Pritchard revealed that Vince McMahon hated the amount of blood.

“He hated it. He just hated it because it was just way too much. It took away from the match, and it put the sympathy in the wrong place if you know what I mean in Eddie bleeding. That’s not where we wanted the sympathy. It was just too much. It was overdone. It was just way overdone, and it wasn’t meant to be that way. It was just an accident that happens.” H/T 411Mania

1 The Rock’s Assault Of Mankind Might Be WWE’s Most Uncomfortable Moment Ever

A Violent Chair Shot Attack Shocked Fans

• Unprotected chair shots are frowned upon today
• The Rock nailed Mankind with countless chair shots
• The impact of these hits were sickening

The Rock’s assault on a handcuffed Mankind with a steel chair was a shockingly violent moment which is very hard to go back and watch. Knowing the impact of unprotected chair shots to the head, seeing Mankind being hit with shot after shot, filled with a lot of impact and power, is truly vile to witness.

This should never have been given the ‘okay’ from WWE. It is up there with the most violent moments in WWE history, and all it involved was a chair.