Gallery 817 "Wrestling's Bloodiest Era"
		In their 1978 yearbook, this magazine ran a story analyzing the bloodiest matches of the day.  They interviewed a few wrestlers to see if wrestling could survive the public scrutiny of their brutal matches.
		There's an old saying among wrestlers: "Red equals green".  That means the fans enjoy seeing blood (red) in matches, so they will pay cash (green) for tickets if the action stays brutal.
The artical begins with the ominous threat that wrestling could be banned because of it's extreme and graphic brutality.  I'm sure the many fans who enjoyed watching the blood spill were upset when they heard that their exciting "bloodbath" might stop.
As usual, the author of the magazine uses just the right words to get the readers all hot and bothered:  "outburst," "violence," "bloodiest," "punishment."  Is this a mainstream pro wrestling magazine, or some underground porno fetish magazine?
Wow, according to this dramatic paragraph, these interviews are some of the "most important any wrestling fan can read."  Guess we'd all better keep reading then!
Ouch, the very fate of wrestling depends on these interviews!  How could any fan not buy this magazine and read every word!
		Again, the words are carefully chosen to get the fans worked up: "massacre", "slaughter", "bloodletting", "mayhem."  You could always count on the old wrestling magazines for a stiffy.
First match: Paul Jones vs "Dirty" Dick Slater
	Paul Jones	Dick Slater
Paul Jones, shown with blood pouring down his face and bare chest, says he's been to "bloody hell."  It probably feels more like heaven to the fans who get into this sort of violence.
A little blood (or even a lot of blood) seems to appeal to the fans' base desire to see agony, suffering and gore.  The wrestlers knew that blading would add drama and excitement to their major matches, to enhance the match in the fans' memories.
In his interview, Jones uses very graphic language to describe his battle with "Dirty" Dick.  Jones compares himself to a "jungle beast" rather than a "civilized man," which I'm sure captured the imagination of plenty of wrestling fans who tune in for the savage beastliness.
		Here is how an on-line article called "The History of Blading" describes it: "Blading" is the practice of purposely cutting oneself to produce "juice", or blood. Normally, this is done on the forehead and the announcers would refer to it as being "busted open".
		"There are lots of blood vessels in the forehead, the sweat makes the blood pour down the face dramatically, and the forehead heals fairly quickly."
		Jones says "the pain and blood drove me wild."  If I didn't know better, I'd say he is implying he was aroused by the brutality, as if he gets off on pain and blood. (Oh well, that makes him similar to many of the fans).
Second Match: Greg Valentine vs. Victor Rivera
	Greg Valentine	Victor Rivera
As one of the most brutal hard-asses in wrestling history, Valentine has been in plenty of blood-baths.  The heading above his "crimson mask" photo indicates he is willing to get bloody to win.
Standing with blood running down his face and his bare chest, Valentine uses very harsh language to describe his viciousness.  He even uses the "d-word", outrageous! Children may be reading this magazine!
		Apparently this cage match was so heinous, people became ill and passed out!  And masochist Greg Valentine "loved every minute of it."  (I'm sure these comments had plenty of readers eager to run to the local arena to watch some cage matches!)
		Greg Valentine finishes off his opponent with his patented Elbow Smash.  He's so tough and butch, a self-inflicted bloody face doesn't even slow him down.
Third Match: The Sheik vs. Mighty Igor
	The Sheik	Mighty Igor
Mighty Igor was a big cheerful oaf who the fans loved.  What ever made him think he had the balls to drive the Sheik out of wrestling??
Pulling Igor's hair, the cruel Sheik prepares to jab him with that spike.  The Sheik's spike was like a phallic symbol, the way he thrusted it into his opponents and penetrated them until they had to submit to his power.
Check out the Sheik, one of the most ruthless animals to ever climb in the ring, carving up poor Igor's forehead with his famouse spike.  According to his interview, Igor is willing to suffer like this to try to rid the federation of the evil Sheik -- what a noble hero!
		Lets zoom in for a closer look at the Sheik, calmly slicing open his victim like a surgeon.  He made dozens of opponents wear the crimson mask, and the fans couldn't get enough of it.  Igor has no idea what he's in for, the clueless oaf!
		Actually the Sheik -- AKA Ed Farhat -- owned the federation and Igor worked for him for years.  I may not like my boss sometimes, but at least he never ordered me to submit to his biting and slicing my face in front of a live audience!
		The Sheik blatantly ignores the ref and continues to brutalize poor Mighty Igor.  Igor wants to drive The Sheik from wrestling, but if he succeeds, nobody would attend the matches and buy tickets!
		Using some odd logic, Igor explains that we must allow slashing and bleeding in pro wrestling to actually help the scientific wrestlers careers, so they don't look too much like "victims."   Huh?
I'm sure the fans who go wild for bloody matches are relieved to read Igor's promises that wrestling will become more ferocious and the "blood will flow".
Here is one final close-up of the insane Sheik gnawing on poor Igor's face like some kind of dog.  I guess the Sheik gets off on the taste of blood.
		Fourth Match Ernie Ladd vs. Chavo Guerrero, Sr.
Ernie Ladd	Chavo Guerrero, Sr.
		Chavo Guerrero was a cute baby face who always wrestled clean and fought fair.  Imagine the fan's reaction when their pretty boy hero takes a bloody beating from Ernie Ladd!
		Ladd is the subruban white fans' worst nightmare: a huge black beast with no remorse for hurting smaller studs like young Chavo who is busted open early in the match.
		Wow, "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd looks like a hungry beast, gnawing on the cute man's forehead.  He describes "biting the flesh off his forehead" as Chavo cringes in horror and agony.
		The photographer snaps some close-ups of Ladd biting his victim's forehead as the juice begins to flow.  They say "sex sells," but in classic wrestling federations, "blood sells."
To make sure the readers are getting a good view of the suffering, the magazine included a center-fold that spans a page and a half.  Chavo looks dazed as Ernie Ladd uses his famous taped thumb to open the young man up wider.
Like most sadistic heels of the classic age, Ladd seems to get off on the other man's suffering.  He graphically describes Chavo's painful misery and whimpering, the "sweetest sounds" Ladd has ever heard.
		Ladd says that, besides gagging and wheezing from the blood in his mouth, Chavo began to cry.  Ladd had "fun while it lasted", again pointing out the pleasure he is feeing from Chavo's agony. Ladd assures the fans that, if they're willing to pay to watch this brutality, the wrestlers are willing to provide plenty of blood.