Barnett feels it’s the best-looking show he’s ever done.
The first time a Bloodsport event took place in Japan was in June. Josh Barnett brought the brand to the country and it emanated from Ryōgoku Sumo Hall.
The main event saw Jon Moxley best Barnett in a 22-minute bout. Barnett looked back at the match and event while speaking to THE HANNIBAL TV. He revealed that he has a Bloodsport Inc. office in Japan.
He put together a network of people that can help him present events as such. He feels Bloodsport Bushido is the best-looking show he’s ever done or been a part of.
Well, any time that you get into the ring with somebody that’s world champion-level, anything is possible. He’s not entirely new at all to this format either because he’s been in actually quite a few of our shows and done quite well for himself, other than losing to me the one time, and at the time, he was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. So he was really feeling himself, really at his peak. So, I know, as a competitor, you don’t always sit around thinking about every match you’ve had that didn’t go your way. However, there are those ones that always sit in the back of your (mind) that if given another shot, you feel like you could go out there and change the story, the tone of how the world sees the relationship between you and that opponent. Not to mention… in the back of your own mind, it changes things for you. It’s a bit of vindication. Even without being necessarily a victory. Let’s say somebody went out there and they had a really bad showing. Then they come out in a rematch and show that, no, no, no. I was always capable of hanging in there with this guy. Well, it’s a little different when you’re Jon Moxley. So, he came out there and he found a will to win, which is what makes him so dangerous. The guy is a never quit, never give up kind of guy and in any professional wrestling in the world, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that could go out there and take the victory over him and well, it was a fine margin. But, within that small margin, he found the recipe for success so, you know, that’s the way it goes.
This was something that me and my Japanese crew put together ourselves. So, I was approached by Rakuten Tickets, by a person from Rakuten Tickets about doing some events or whatever the case may be and through my Japanese agent and we took a meeting and sat down, I explained the concept and forwarded a bunch of video and other things and made my pitch and they found an ear and that ear was receptive to what we had to offer and then, you know, away we went. There’s a Bloodsport Inc. office that I have out there in Japan for doing these events and just a great network of people that I’ve collected along the years that are really capable of doing great things for us, as well as finding the other necessary components to help make these kind of events happen and then, I don’t know, decades of good will in and amongst professional wrestling in Japan and in the world that I’m able to call upon to help me try to build these events in whatever way we can.
Bloodsport Bushido was an incredible experience. Something I really never thought would come to reality and I have to say it’s the best-looking show that I have ever done or been a part of.
The next installment of Bloodsport is taking place under the GCW banner on July 28th. It’ll feature Shayna Baszler, The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed), Miyu Yamashita and Masha Slamovich among others.
If the quote(s) in this article is used, please credit THE HANNIBAL TV with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription.
