Summary

Thekla says blood can add a different level of intensity to a wrestling match, but only when it is used at the right moment.

Speaking during a recent interview, Thekla explained that the first time she bled in a match changed the way she experienced the moment in the ring. She described it as something primal, and said that is exactly why blood can lose its impact if fans see it too often.

Thekla also pointed out that while she has already worked matches in AEW where blood was involved, she has intentionally not bled herself yet.

Quote from Thekla

"A hundred percent. A hundred percent. The first time I bled in the match and, and I could- the first thing is you just smell it, you know, just smell it, and it just weirdly, it unlocks everything, something that is so animalistic and monstrous. I could feel my pupils just going like somebody had just injected me with some crazy shit. It’s like survival instinct and the hunt starts. It’s weird. It’s just this next level of arousal. It’s like, yeah, let’s go. Let’s fuck the shit up."

Thekla later went on to say:

"See, I think you gotta be careful with that shit because it is so potent. It can create so much drama and it really can enhance something. But when you see it all the fucking time, it loses the magic, you know? So, like, if you noticed what I’ve been doing, I’ve been in matches with blood here since I’ve been in AEW, but me, I haven’t been bleeding. I’m saving myself. Also, I’m the champ. I’m the motherfucker, right? I don’t need to have anybody slice me up. It’s not that time yet. But in general, yeah, I like the blood too. But I don’t need to see it every week. I already… Like, I’m a woman, I have to see that shit a lot in general, you know?"

What Thekla's AEW approach says

Thekla made it clear that her current AEW presentation is built around restraint as much as shock value. Because she says she has deliberately avoided bleeding so far, any future match where that line is crossed would immediately feel bigger than an ordinary TV brawl.

That also fits the larger point she made in the interview. If blood is meant to raise the stakes, using it selectively gives Thekla and AEW a stronger payoff when a feud finally reaches that point.

Sources

Thekla while speaking with Westwood One Sports