GCW presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 7
October 22nd, 2021
By: John Siino
Ukrainian Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA
Commentary: Lenny Leonard & Rocky Romero
Welcome to Bloodsport
Show starts with all of tonight’s competitors being introduced in the ring. Chris Dickinson hypes up the crowd until he insults Minoru Suzuki which results in a scuffle that everybody else has to break apart.
Starboy Charlie (0-0) vs. Yoya (0-1)
Charlie comes out to Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’ while Yoya comes out to Davie Portman’s favorite song ‘Leave Me Alone’, by Flipp Dinero. Charlie catches Yoya right away and takes him down as he continues to keep on waist locks for takedowns. They start trading kicks as they head to the rope-less apron, close to falling out, but Charlie hits a suplex before running into a pair of kicks. Charlie jumps on Yoya for a guillotine choke into a rear-naked choke and then into an armbar. Charlie takes down Yoya into an ankle lock, but Yoya escapes out, but Charlie turns it into three German Suplexes. They scramble on the mat into a couple of submission attempts, but Charlie runs into a couple of kicks, Yoya hits the penalty kick and starts delivering strikes until the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Yoya by knockout at 3:51
Zeda Zhang (0-0) vs. KZT (1-0)
Zhang starts by connecting some kicks, but KZT comes back with a straight punch to the face. They go to lock up, and Zhang can take down KZT a couple of times, tries to mount her, and deliver strikes before trying to put on an armbar. KZT slithers out and tries one herself, but Zhang fights it from fully happening. Zhang gets on top and starts raining punches and knees to the body. KZT comes back with a takedown, as they scramble on the mat for a bit with KZT putting on a triangle choke, but Zhang comes out and rains down more strikes before picking KZT up for a short powerbomb as the crowd is behind Zhang. Zhang sweeps KZT down and starts throwing forearms and knees, before hitting a rolling neckbreaker. They stand again as Zhang hits a couple more kicks before applying a cross-arm breaker on KZT while delivering punches to the face until the referee calls off the match.
Winner: Zeda Zhang by submission at 7:04
Royce Isaacs (1-2) vs. Clark Connors (0-0)
Connors is wearing black shorts as a tribute to his trainer Katsuyori Shibata. They lock up and try to take each other down, with Connors coming out on top. They go back to waist lock takedowns until Isaacs tries an ankle lock before Connors escapes out. They start trading big heavy slaps, but Connors seems to throw his shoulder out during which allows Isaacs to hit a big kick taking Connors down. Isaacs takes Connors down again and tries to put on a double wrist lock with elbows to the back. Isaacs transitions into an arm breaker, but Connors escapes out, hits a spear, rains down punches, but Isaacs targets Connors injured shoulder and hits a Saito suplex. Isaacs tries an armbar, but Connors reverses into a rear-naked chokehold as Isaacs taps out.
Winner: Clark Connors by submission at 5:30
Erik Hammer (2-0) vs. Bad Dude Tito (1-2)
Hammer goes right for the takedown, but Tito puts on a waist lock. Tito then takes down Hammer, but Hammer turns it into a chokehold and rains down a series of punches. They stand and deliver strikes, but Tito quickly takes down Hammer again. Tito tries an armbar, but Hammer hits a bunch of elbows knocking Tito to the outside. Tito gets right back inside and takes down Hammer who was trying a jumping knee. Hammer puts on a kneebar, as Tito tries to roll out of it. Tito gets out and hits a suplex on Hammer as they go right to trading strikes and knees. Hammer rolls through with a suplex and into a choke, but Tito grabs Hammer’s ankle. Hammer punches his way out and hits a big German Suplex into a double wrist lock and Tito taps out right away.
Winner: Erik Hammer by submission at 4:27
Marina Shafir (0-0) vs. Masha Slamovich (0-1)
Shafir is continuing with the Black Widow-like gimmick that she introduced at the end of Free the Narrative II as she takes on Slamovich who recently signed to IMPACT Wrestling. They go right at it with kicks and strikes, but Shafir takes Slamovich down quickly and hits her with a couple of palms. They roll around on the mat, with Shafir putting on a heel hook as they both roll to the outside. Slamovich hits a big kick and a senton from the apron before rolling Shafir back inside where she mounts onto her back. Shafir rolls out and hits more palm strikes. Slamovich tries to punch Shafir, but she takes her down with a Judo throw and keeps raining down strikes. Slamovich holds on to Shafir’s ankle, but Shafir cartwheels out. Slamovich comes back with a Northern Lights Suplex into an arm breaker. Shafir catches Slamovich hitting her with a Muffler Slam into an arm submission as Slamovich submits.
Winner: Marina Shafir by submission at 4:25
Zeda Zhang comes out and gets in Shafir’s face and says they have a lot of history with WWE and have the same friends and coaches, but Shafir has always treated her like garbage and challenges her to a match at Bloodsport 8. Shafir agrees but brushes off the threat of Zhang.
Calvin Tankman (2-1) vs. JR Kratos (2-2)
Commentary hypes up the power in this super heavyweight match as they go right to trying to take each other down with neither succeeding. They try kicks and punches next, with Tankman ending up on top of Kratos’ back. Tankman takes Kratos down with a double leg and mounts him with strikes, but Kratos quickly blocks it. Kratos reverses and gets on top with a front chancery. They get up as Tankman hits a series of strikes and knees before putting on a tight standing guillotine. Kratos takes that and turns it into a suplex and starts hitting Tankman with a bunch of punches, but Tankman turns it into a German Suplex. They start trading big forearms and punches, but Tankman comes back with a back elbow before running into a jumping knee and a big strike down to Tankman knocking him out for the match.
Winner: JR Kratos by knockout at 6:38
Alex Coughlin (1-2) vs. Tom Lawlor (2-3)
Lawlor is out sporting a mustache, the one knee pad, and black trunks pretty much mirroring the look of Coughlin. They go to the mat a bit before Coughlin blocks Lawlor’s kicks for a takedown, followed by another takedown. Lawlor escapes out and starts working on Coughlin’s legs. Lawlor takes down Coughlin, but Coughlin grabs Lawlor’s ankle as they have a face-to-face staredown before trading slaps. They stand and trade elbows, with Lawlor taking Coughlin down with a big knee and into a chokehold. Lawlor works on the arm while dropping knees to the kidneys of Coughlin. Lawlor has an armbar on, but Coughlin powers out with one arm and drops Lawlor down before dropping elbows down, but Lawlor turns it into a wrist lock with head scissors. Lawlor starts landing strikes, but Coughlin fights out again, suplexing Lawlor down and trying the Boston Crab. Lawlor fights it and puts on the Guillotine choke, but Coughlin powers out again. Lawlor lands on him and drops hammer fists and into a heel hook. Coughlin kicks his way out of it, but Lawlor keeps the heel hook on as Coughlin taps out.
Winner: Tom Lawlor by submission at 9:01
Yuya Uemura (0-0) vs. Davey Richards (0-0)
Uemura gets a really strong reaction during his entrance for this match. Richards goes for a kick, but Uemura takes him right down, but Richards tries to get right on top before Uemura escapes out. Uemura counters Richards’ leg lock attempt into one of his own. Uemura pulls guard to invite Richards in who drops on him with a double stomp and gets on his back, but Uemura gets back on top and into a heel hook. They stand and lock up again with Richard hitting a flurry of kicks, but Uemura hangs in there as the crowd erupts, but Richards can take Uemura down with a kick to the arm. As the referee was tending to Uemura, he surprised Richards with a vicious dropkick knocking him to the outside, and goes to town on Richards with strikes and punches outside and right back inside as well. Uemura tries a suplex, but Richards turns it into a kneebar and then an ankle lock. Uemura rolls out and hits a big knee to the face followed by more knees and a suplex. Uemura puts on a cross-arm breaker, but Richards turns it into an ankle lock. Uemura rolls out again, but Richards goes right back to the ankle lock. Uemura keeps trying to roll out, but Richards locks in the deep ankle lock again until Uemura taps out.
Winner: Davey Richards by submission at 7:09
This crowd isn’t happy at the result and boos Richards. Richards acknowledges the crowd and picks up Uemura.
Tiger Ruas (0-0) vs. Josh Barnett (2-0-1)
Tiger is the former Arturo Ruas/Adrian Jaoude from NXT. The story is here that they shared the same master in Roberto Leitao Sr. and the match is in honor of him. The crowd seems behind both these men as they start by trading kicks and waist locks before falling on the mat. Barnett gets on top, but Ruas tries to trap his arm before getting on his back hitting him with cross faces. Ruas gets on top and starts striking down, rolls over into the triangle choke, but Barnett elbows his way out and into a kneebar. Lenny Leonard brings up seeing Ruas get experience and better in his two-year stint with EVOLVE. Ruas hits a fireman’s carry and back into a headlock. Ruas keeps striking down, but Barrett comes back with a side suplex and into the mount delivering palm strikes and into an armbar. Ruas fights out and puts on a kneebar, but Barnett punches his way out until Ruas throws him back down and strikes down himself. Ruas tries to apply a chokehold, but Barrett gets up and hits a sidewalk slam. Barrett puts on a double wristlock, but Ruas hits a couple of strong kicks to the midsection of Barrett before hitting a suplex. They both stand again and start trading kicks and punches. Barrett hits a big kick, but Ruas comes back with a knee and a kick followed by a German Suplex. They end up on their knees and trade strikes before standing up and delivering knees to each other. Barnett puts on a front guillotine into a Michinoku Driver and the cross arm breaker for the submission.
Winner: Josh Barnett by submission at 10:11
They both embrace after and point to their late master.
Chris Dickinson (3-4) vs. Minoru Suzuki (1-0-1)
This is a rematch from their first encounter at the NJPW Strong Showdown tapings from Philadelphia, PA that Suzuki won. Their original match was supposed to be in April 2020 for Bloodsport but that obviously couldn’t happen. This crowd is extremely amped up for this main event. They go right to try to take each other down, with Dickinson doing so with a single leg takedown and trying to mount but Suzuki fights him off. Suzuki quickly applies an ankle lock, but Suzuki twists his way out and escapes to the outside and takes a seat ringside daring Dickinson to come out and jokingly tells a lady next to him to go inside instead. Suzuki grabs a chair just to use it to step back inside as Dickinson gets in an amateur wrestling position and challenges Suzuki to it, but Dickinson quickly gets on top of Suzuki and tries an armbar that Suzuki turns it into a guillotine. Dickinson quickly escapes out as they trade off mounts. Suzuki cranks back on the arm of Dickinson and pulls back on his fingers. Dickinson turns it into an ankle lock, but Suzuki just smiles at him. Dickinson doesn’t take that kindly and hits him with some ‘Staten Island Strong Style’ strikes. The crowd chants ‘You fucked up’ as they stand and start trading chops until Dickinson hits a German Suplex into a chokehold. Dickinson puts on a cross-arm breaker, but Suzuki digs his knuckle into Dickinson’s eye to escape. They get back up and trade chops again with Suzuki knocking Dickinson down with a big one and going right back to pulling back on the fingers before putting on a double wrist lock. Suzuki starts kicking Dickinson’s head in, Bryan Danielson style, but Dickinson puts on the ankle lock. Suzuki starts kicking at Dickinson challenging him to get up. They start trading big forearms and slaps until Dickinson starts kicking away, but Suzuki turns it into a kneebar, with Dickinson turning it into an armbar. Suzuki rolls out the floor and when he comes back in is welcome with a couple of big kicks from Dickinson. Suzuki knocks Dickinson down with a forearm and puts on an ankle lock as Dickinson taps.
Winner: Minoru Suzuki by submission at 15:14
Suzuki celebrates his way out through the crowd and holds up one of his t-shirts to a big reaction. The crowd also gives Dickinson a great reaction as he leaves.
Another fun Bloodsport event that showcased a lot of former WWE/NXT talent and what they are truly capable of while delivering some solid matches with established Bloodsport veterans and newer talent as well.
