Blood sport

{{Short description|Any entertainment sport where blood is commonly shed}} {{About|sports that involve violence for entertainment|other uses}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2024}} thumb|right|upright=1.25|A hare caught by two greyhounds

A '''blood sport''' or '''bloodsport''' is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |title=Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary |chapter=Blood sport |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TAnheeIPcAEC&q=blood+sport&pg=PA134 |page=[https://archive.org/details/merriamwebstersc00merr_0/page/134 134] |year=2003 |edition=11 |isbn=978-0-87779-807-1 |access-date=20 May 2017 |publisher=Merriam-Webster, Inc |url=https://archive.org/details/merriamwebstersc00merr_0/page/134}}</ref> Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities characterized as blood sports, but involving only human participants, include the ancient Roman gladiatorial games.

==History== According to ''Tanner Carson''{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}, the earliest use of the term is in reference to mounted hunting, where the quarry would be actively chased, as in fox hunting or hare coursing. Before firearms, a hunter using arrows or a spear might also wound an animal, which would then be chased and perhaps killed at close range, as in medieval boar hunting.

Later, the term seems to have been applied to various kinds of baiting and forced combat: bull-baiting, bear-baiting, cockfighting, and later developments such as dog fighting and rat-baiting. The animals were specially bred for fighting. In the Victorian era, social reformers such as Henry Stephens Salt opposed bloodsports on grounds of ethics, morality, and animal welfare.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Salt |first=Henry Stephens |url=http://archive.org/details/killingforsporte01salt |title=Killing for Sport: Essays by Various Writers |last2= |first2= |date=1915 |publisher=London : Bell |others= |year=1915 |editor-last=Salt |editor-first=Henry S. |pages=130-146}}</ref>

==Current issues==

===Online videos=== Many online video-sharing websites such as YouTube do not allow videos of animal bloodsports to be shown on the site, except for educational purposes, such as in public service announcements.<ref>{{cite news |title=Animal cruelty films on YouTube |last=Brooke |first=Simon |website=The Sunday Times |date=19 August 2007 |url=http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2284380.ece |access-date=20 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519094714/http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2284380.ece |archive-date=19 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1255 |title=Uproar at fish cruelty on YouTube |last=Clarke |first=Matt |date=17 May 2007 |website=Practical Fishkeeping |access-date=20 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917020746/http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1255 |archive-date=17 September 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Animal fighting=== [[File:Rooster fights.jpg|thumb|Cockfight]] Limitations on blood sports have been enacted in much of the world. Certain blood sports remain legal under varying degrees of control in certain locations (e.g., bullfighting and cockfighting) but have declined in popularity elsewhere.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lewine |first=Edward |title=Death and the Sun: A Matador's Season in the Heart of Spain |page=231 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |date=July 2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A-6oZQc1rfgC |isbn=978-0-618-26325-7 |access-date=20 May 2017 |author-link=Edward Lewine |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502003635/https://books.google.com/books?id=A-6oZQc1rfgC&printsec=frontcover |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Timothy |title=Blood Sport: a social history of Spanish bullfighting |url=https://archive.org/details/bloodsportsocial00mitc |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |date=July 1991 |isbn=978-0-8122-3129-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/bloodsportsocial00mitc/page/244 244]}}</ref> Proponents of blood sports are widely cited to believe that they are traditional within the culture.<ref name="PR">{{cite web |url=http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues2/2005/vol09n19/Cockfighting.html |title=Cockfighting Persists as Underground Sport |last=Stratton |first=Jim |date=18 January 2005 |website=Puerto Rico Herald |access-date=20 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006071848/http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues2/2005/vol09n19/Cockfighting.html |archivedate=6 October 2008}}</ref> Bullfighting aficionados, for example, do not regard bullfighting as a sport but as a cultural activity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spanish-living.com/bullfighting-in-spain/ |title=Bullfighting in Spain |date=October 31, 2018 |access-date=August 11, 2019 |archive-date=August 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811090709/https://www.spanish-living.com/bullfighting-in-spain/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It is sometimes called a tragic spectacle, because in many forms of the event, the bull is invariably killed and the bullfighter is always at risk of death.

In northern Iran, a traditional form of bull‑on‑bull combat called '''Varzajang''' (ورزاجنگ) is practiced in Gilan province. While local proponents regard it as a preserved cultural heritage, this view has been systematically challenged by Iranian sociologist Hossein Solati and his colleagues through a series of phenomenological studies published between 2023 and 2025.<ref name="generational2023">{{cite journal |last1=Solati |first1=Hossein |last2=Bahrani |first2=Morteza |last3=Mortazavi |first3=Seyed Khodayar |title=A Phenomenological Study of the Evolution of Relations Between Generations in the Varzajang Phenomenon |journal=Contemporary Sociological Research |date=October 2023 |volume=12 |issue=22 |pages=281-312 |url=https://www.csr.basu.ac.ir/article_5220.html |publisher=Bu-Ali Sina University |language=en, fa |issn=2476-3085}}</ref><ref name="animalabuse2024">{{cite journal |last1=Solati |first1=Hossein |last2=Bahrani |first2=Morteza |last3=Mortazavi |first3=Seyed Khodayar |title=A phenomenological study of animal abuse in the Varzajang ceremony |journal=Journal of Sociological Cultural Studies |date=2024 |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=169-192 |url=https://socialstudy.ihcs.ac.ir/article_9312.html |publisher=Institute for Cultural and Social Studies |language=en, fa |issn=2008-3653}}</ref><ref name="gender2025">{{cite journal |last1=Solati |first1=Hossein |last2=Bahrani |first2=Morteza |last3=Mortazavi |first3=Seyed Khodayar |title=بررسی پدیدارشناختی جنسیت در میانۀ سنتِ‌فرهنگیِ ورزاجنگ |trans-title=A Phenomenological Study of Gender Within the Cultural Tradition of Varzajang |journal=Iranian Cultural Research Quarterly |date=2025 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=167-192 |doi=10.22035/jicr.2025.3319.3595 |url=https://www.jicr.ir/article_542.html |language=fa |issn=2476-5053}}</ref>

Solati argues that referring to the bloody fights as a "game" (''bāzi'') is a euphemism that obscures the inherent violence, animal suffering, and social harms such as gambling.<ref name="animalabuse2024" /><ref name="generational2023" /> His 2023 study, inspired by Mannheim's theory of generational relations and employing Moustakas' phenomenological strategy, demonstrates how Varzajang has transformed from a natural pastoral encounter into a commercialized and gambling‑ridden spectacle across different generations.<ref name="generational2023" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sid.ir/paper/1068576/en |title=A Phenomenological Study of the Evolution of Relations Between Generations in the Varzajang Phenomenon |publisher=Scientific Information Database (SID) |access-date=2026-02-11}}</ref> His 2024 study critically examines animal abuse through the concept of "phantom pain" (drawing on Blumenberg), revealing that both proponents and opponents of Varzajang struggle to abandon the traditional view of animals as mere instruments.<ref name="animalabuse2024" /> His 2025 study adds a feminist phenomenological critique, analyzing the exclusion of women from the ceremony and the gendered construction of this cultural tradition.<ref name="gender2025" />

Solati further provides a philosophical foundation for this critique in his work on bioethics, advocating for the recognition of animal subjectivity and rights as a counterweight to traditional justifications for animal suffering.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taghavian |first1=Nassereddinali |last2=Solati |first2=Hossein |title=Animal from Feeling to Subjectivity: Discourse in the Philosophy of Bioethics |journal=Ethical Reflections |date=2023 |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=73-107 |doi=10.30470/er.2024.2011929.1253 |url=https://jer.znu.ac.ir/article_711548.html |language=en |issn=2717-1150}}</ref> Collectively, these studies represent the most extensive academic critique of Varzajang in Iranian scholarship, directly challenging cultural justifications similar to those cited by bullfighting aficionados in Spain and Latin America.<ref name="generational2023" /><ref name="animalabuse2024" /><ref name="gender2025" />

===Hunting and recreational fishing=== Trophy hunting and fox hunting in particular have been disparaged as blood sports by those concerned about animal welfare, animal ethics and conservation.<ref name="GreenwoodSalt1915">{{cite book |last=Greenwood |first=George |chapter=The Cruelty of Sport |pages=1–33 |title=Killing for Sport |editor-last=Salt |editor-first=Henry S. |chapter-url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/49097/49097-h/49097-h.htm#THE_CRUELTY_OF_SPORT |year=2015 |orig-year=1915 |publisher=George Bell & Sons |author-link=George Greenwood |editor-link=Henry Stephens Salt |access-date=20 May 2017 |archive-date=13 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013182338/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/49097/49097-h/49097-h.htm#THE_CRUELTY_OF_SPORT |url-status=live}}</ref>

Recreational fishing was once described as a blood sport by those within the recreation.<ref name="Wyatt">{{cite book |last=Wyatt |first=Bob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dLgi0yL1ddkC&q=blood+sport |title=What Trout Want: The Educated Trout and Other Myths |page=3 |year=2013 |publisher=Stackpole Books |isbn=978-0-8117-1179-1 |access-date=20 May 2017 |archive-date=2 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502001625/https://books.google.com/books?id=dLgi0yL1ddkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=blood%20sport&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref>

==In fiction== {{See also|:Category:Fiction about death games}} Blood sports have been a common theme in fiction. While historical fiction depicts real-life sports such as gladiatorial games and jousting, speculative fiction, especially dystopic science fiction, suggests variants of blood sports in a contemporary or future society. Some popular works themed on blood sports are ''Battle Royale'', ''The Hunger Games'', ''The Running Man'', ''The Long Walk'', ''Fight Club'', ''Death Race 2000'', ''Amores Perros'', ''Squid Game'', ''Bloodsport'', and ''The Most Dangerous Game''.

Blood sports are also a common setting for video games, going as far back as the early years of the medium itself. Games about blood sports attracted controversy from newspapers and civic organisations due to their graphic content, in particular the 1976 vehicular combat game ''Death Race'' whose game mechanic of scoring points by running over humanoid figures (marketed by Exidy as "gremlins" in their official literature) generated a moral panic.<ref name="deathrace76">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/288123577 |title='Death Race': Cartoon or Morbid? |last=New York Times News Service |date=December 28, 1976 |work=The Post-Crescent |access-date=2017-08-30 |page=A-1 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19761229&id=eiFOAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,5559430 |title=Local Safety Authorities Denounce Game |last=Young |first=Larry |date=December 29, 1976 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane |page=10}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112448529_s01.do |title=Weekend: That's Nice, Don't Fight (Death Race) Archival Footage |work=NBCUniversal |accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> Contemporary examples such as ''Street Fighter'', ''Mortal Kombat'' and ''Tekken'' make up much of the fighting game genre, and first-person arena shooters such as ''The Finals'', ''Quake III Arena'' and ''Unreal Tournament'', as well as vehicular combat games like ''Twisted Metal'' likewise depict some form of armed combat with firearms in a gladiatorial setting. Such games typically offer a laconic if not nominal plot or backstory to flesh out the characters and settings, which often take place in a large tournament attracting combatants from various locales.<ref name="Wilde">{{Cite web |last=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=2009-03-10 |title=Gaming's greatest blood sports |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-greatest-blood-sports/ |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=GamesRadar |language=en}}</ref> While ''Unreal Tournament'' and ''Quake III Arena'' do portray the game's violent combat as a "real world" blood sport within the games' fictional settings, some, such as ''The Finals'', attempt to downplay the genre's violent themes by presenting the game as a virtual reality simulation within a fictional game show instead, devoid of any in-story human casualties.<ref name="Franzese">{{Cite web |last=Franzese |first=Tomas |date=6 March 2023 |title=''The Finals'' is the shake-up the competitive first-person shooter scene needs |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-finals-closed-beta-preview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324120205/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/the-finals-closed-beta-preview/ |archive-date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=Digital Trends |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2023-03-06 |title=''The Finals'' has frenetic gameplay full of destruction: hands-on preview |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/the-finals-has-frenetic-gameplay-full-of-destruction-hands-on-preview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313164034/https://venturebeat.com/games/the-finals-has-frenetic-gameplay-full-of-destruction-hands-on-preview/ |archive-date=2023-03-13 |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref> The film ''Battle Royale'' also notably inspired the battle royale genre, where players compete against each other for survival in a shrinking area, popularised by games such as ''PUBG: Battlegrounds'' (2017), ''Fortnite Battle Royale'' (2017),<ref name="Wolf">{{Cite book |last=Wolf |first=Mark J. P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eRnOEAAAQBAJ&dq=battle+royale+games+popularity&pg=PT324 |title=Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming [3 volumes] |date=2021-05-24 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=979-8-216-16182-0 |language=en}}</ref> ''Apex Legends'' (2019), and ''Call of Duty: Warzone'' (2020).<ref name="evolution">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-29 |title=The Evolution of the Battle Royale Genre |url=https://www.superjumpmagazine.com/the-evolution-of-the-battle-royale-genre/ |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=SUPERJUMP |language=en}}</ref>

==List of blood sports==

===Human – human=== {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| * Academic fencing * Ancient Greek boxing * Bare-knuckle boxing * Boxing * Slap fighting * Calcio storico fiorentino * Folk wrestling * Gladiatoral spectacles * Hardcore wrestling * Human hunting * Jousting * Kalaripayattu * Kun Khmer * Lethwei * Mardani khel * Mesoamerican ballgame * Mixed martial arts * Muay Boran * Muay Thai * Pankration * Pasola * Senegalese wrestling }} {{Clear}}

===Human – animal=== {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| * Alligator wrestling * Bullfighting * Cat burning * Cock throwing * Fox hunting * Fox tossing * Goose pulling * Human-baiting * Octopus wrestling * Rampokan * Steer wrestling * Venatio }}

===Animal – animal=== {{See also|Baiting (blood sport)|Coursing}} {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| * Badger-baiting * Bear-baiting * Betta-fighting * Boar-baiting * Bull-baiting * Bull wrestling * Camel wrestling * Cockfighting * Cricket fighting * Dog fighting * Donkey-baiting * Duck-baiting * Falconry * Fox hunting * Hare coursing * Hog-baiting * Hyena-baiting * Insect fighting * Jackal coursing * Lion-baiting * Monkey-baiting * Organized horse fighting * Ram fighting * Rat-baiting * Spider fighting * Wolf-baiting }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Don Atyeo, ''Blood and Guts: Violence in Sports'', Grosset & Dunlap, 1979. {{ISBN|0448220008}} * [https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/3956118 Podcast: Cage fighting and the rise of the UFC], Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-04-22

Category:Blood sports Category:Animal rights Category:Animal welfare Category:Cruelty to animals Category:Pejorative terms