Jasmin St. Claire thinks deathmatch wrestling has gone way too far, and she believes fans would rather watch a good love story than another wrestler getting smashed through a pile of light tubes. The former ECW and XPW personality isn’t against hardcore wrestling entirely, but she thinks promoters have become so obsessed with violence that they’ve forgotten what makes wrestling entertaining in the first place.
During the November 9, 2026, edition of her Off the Rails podcast, St. Claire discussed the growing number of independent wrestling promotions and the increasing reliance on dangerous spots involving glass, barbed wire, and other weapons. She questioned how promoters are supposed to build excitement throughout an event when the opening matches are already filled with extreme violence.
“You know, you wonder about that sometimes cuz like you have to, you know, and that’s the other thing with death matches. It’s great, but I think there’s a certain limit. Everyone is doing so much in a match and where does that leave us? Is it going to stop when someone actually gets snuffed out in the ring? Like how far is too far in death match wrestling?”
St. Claire argued that the problem isn’t necessarily hardcore wrestling itself, but how far performers are willing to go. She questioned what happens when wrestlers continue trying to top one another with increasingly dangerous stunts.
“And do you feel sometimes it’s too much when they have all the light tubes and all the barb wire? Because I feel as though if you start show out with light tubes, where do you go in the second match or third match? Like where does it build up to?”
The conversation eventually turned toward what fans actually want from professional wrestling. St. Claire made it clear that she believes storytelling and emotional drama are more important than watching wrestlers destroy themselves with weapons. She initially stumbled over her explanation before stopping to make her point again.
“I mean they want a story and something that feels real. People would see a love affair in wrestling than seeing some [ __ ] go through 30 Let me rephrase this. People want a story and something that feels real. People want the drama and they’d much rather see a love affair in wrestling than seeing some white trash wrestler go through 30 light tubes on a ladder. There, I said it.”
St. Claire immediately acknowledged that her wording might have been a little harsh, but she wasn’t backing away from the point she was making.
“Um I don’t know if the word white trash was appropriate, but it makes sense, you know?”
She went on to recall the competition between XPW and GCW in New Jersey, where multiple companies were running deathmatch events. According to St. Claire, the constant use of light tubes, blood, and other dangerous spots eventually made the violence feel repetitive rather than meaningful. She also questioned whether performers were putting enough effort into giving audiences a reason to care about what was happening in the ring.
“It just isn’t I don’t think there’s any storytelling.”
St. Claire’s concerns aren’t coming from someone unfamiliar with hardcore wrestling. She previously worked with XPW and managed deathmatch veterans including Necro Butcher and Madman Pondo. She acknowledged that experienced performers understand how to work dangerous matches, but she still questioned whether the level of violence has become excessive. Those concerns aren’t without real examples. Ringside News previously covered a GCW deathmatch that was stopped after a serious light tube injury, showing how quickly those spots can go wrong.
St. Claire isn’t asking wrestling companies to eliminate hardcore matches. She wants them to remember that smashing glass over someone’s head isn’t a replacement for telling a story, and making every match more violent doesn’t automatically make the show better.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
Do you agree with Jasmin St. Claire that wrestling fans would rather see meaningful storylines than increasingly violent deathmatches? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
