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LAS VEGAS – The typical sports activities fan who thinks of professional wrestling most probably has the theory of their head that the entirety within the trade is WWE-like – a four-sided, cable-roped ring, with 4 facets, that includes muscle-laden women and men appearing extremely choreographed strikes and not using a violence or blood concerned.
Whilst that could be true for many occasions that may happen in Las Vegas within the lead-up to WrestleMania 42, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV guarantees hard-hitting motion and an tournament not like another.
For one, there aren’t any ropes across the ring in Bloodsport. Two competition input the intimate venue taking a look to knock the snot out of one another. Wrestlers move one-on-one with blended martial arts-like regulations. A winner is made up our minds by way of knockout, referee stoppage or submission.
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Josh Barnett stands within the nook of Victor Henry earlier than a bantamweight combat in opposition to Charles Jourdain throughout the UFC Struggle Evening tournament at Rogers Position in Edmonton, Alberta, on Nov. 2, 2024. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Barnett helped determine what the development is nowadays as he took over manufacturing of the development underneath Brett Lauderdale’s Recreation Changer Wrestling (GCW) banner. He advised Fox Information Virtual he launched into a adventure to create fits that can by no means occur anyplace else.
“I believe something about wrestling, or truly more or less the rest, is that when one thing turns into established at any given time, it begins to turn into the set usual, or the rope usual, the place you in finding that just about completely all over the place you move and not anything else,” he defined. “And it is at all times excellent to have one thing else to supply that also falls inside of that very same class as professional wrestling. So, with Bloodsport, it is not simply what’s regularly referred to within the trade as a shoot or like a like an MMA or form of extra lifelike genre, however principally, I believe the object was once that it is stripping away the wrestling all the way down to its rawest, most-purest shape.
“For me, I need to Bloodsport to be a spot that, irrespective of what you consider it, however you must most likely attempt to seize the lovers first, however I constructed Bloodsport in some way, probably the most attractive to wrestlers, to lead them to need to be there and be part of this, particularly as a result of if, in my thoughts, we had been ready to do what I used to be hoping, there can be wrestlers of an excessively prime caliber from everywhere the sector that will be prepared, or athletes basically, that will prepared to do BloodSport, regardless of us being an indie display, as a result of it is me.
PANDEMONIUM: PRO WRESTLING KICKSTARTS WRESTLEMANIA WEEK WITH HARD-HITTING ACTION IN LAS VEGAS
Charlie Dempsey and Joe Hendry compete throughout NXT on the WWE Efficiency Heart in Orlando, Fla., on Aug. 12, 2025. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE)
“And I’d profit from that within the sense of constructing one thing that turns out so fascinating to them that they did not that they truly simply sought after to do it taking into account that it is a lot smaller sandbox than what they are used to and I figured from there that is the place you can get the lovers you are able to do issues right here with athletes and matchups that you’ll be able to’t in finding anyplace else and you will not it is simply by no means going to occur. You are no longer going to seek out Masashi Takeda as opposed to Pete Dunne. Plus, that is imaginable nowhere else. It’s by no means going to occur. And issues of that nature. However by way of being one thing this is so a lot more uncooked and competitive, We are the toughest hitting tournament in skilled wrestling for a reason why.”
Discovering a professional wrestler that matches the mildew of what Barnett is on the lookout for isn’t simple to return by way of.
Alternatively, the development has had good fortune at bringing in wrestlers or even MMA opponents to the canvas. WWE stars like Dunne, Nattie Niedhart and Charlie Dempsey, All Elite Wrestling champion Jon Moxley, or even Barnett himself, have participated in BloodSport within the display’s historical past.
Barnett relishes the chance to permit different professional wrestlers the power to show off a special aspect of themselves that lovers won’t were ready to look in different places.
WEST COAST PRO TO SHOWCASE WRESTLING AT ITS ‘RAWEST FORM’ WITH RISING WOMEN’S STAR HEADLINING ITS MAIN EVENT
Josh Barnett appears to be like on throughout New Japan Professional-Wrestling’s Strive against Kingdom 19 at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 4, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Pictures)
“It truly is necessary that you’ve got a correct figuring out and set of abilities earlier than participating in a kind of fit like this. And in truth, I imply that helps to keep the ability pool small, which I knew was once going to be a topic main into this, however it is OK,” he advised Fox Information Virtual. “I additionally noticed it as a possibility to show off possibly wrestlers that people have not noticed as a lot or were not as acutely aware of just because they are compatible like hand and glove on this, and possibly in one of the vital different displays, or the extra conventional wrestling displays, they really feel like they’re extra restrained and no longer having the ability to use this aspect of themselves or it doesn’t check in as neatly in that different atmosphere.
“Right here, they may be able to be one thing totally other. It is been the case that numerous folks that experience even come from the WWE, you’ll see them in BloodSport. It’s like, ‘Wow, who is that this individual? I’ve by no means noticed them earlier than.’ Smartly, that’s at all times been there, that is a part of who they’re and the place their capacity as a wrestler stems from. It additionally permits us to usher in MMA opponents now and then, too, when imaginable, like a Frank Muir or Rampage Jackson.”
Barnett will probably be amongst the ones in motion in what guarantees to be an implausible lineup.
Matt Mako vs. Angel Verduczo
Ulka Sasaki vs Joe Dashou
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ray Jaz
Erick Stevens vs. Fuminori Abe
Miyu Yamashita vs. Janai Kai
Shane Mercer vs. Royce Isaacs
Masashi Takeda vs. Pete Dunne
Timothy Thater vs. Charlie Dempsey
Nattie Neidhart vs. Shayna Baszler
Josh Barnett vs. Yuji Nagata
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Zack Sabre Jr. enters the hoop throughout New Japan Professional-Wrestling at Edion Area Osaka in Osaka, Japan, on Feb. 11, 2026. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Pictures)
“I believe there may be numerous attainable for some breakout fits in this card with the extent of ability that is concerned. And no longer each and every fit is gonna appear the similar in any respect, form, or shape.”
Bloodsport XV is ready for Friday on the Horseshoe On line casino in Las Vegas at 3 p.m. PT.