GCW presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 5
February 20th, 2021
By: John Siino
Commentary: Max Bretos & Josh Barnett
Rules
- No biting
- No eye-gouging
- No groin attacks
- No foreign objects are allowed
- If the fighter ends up outside the ring, the fighter must be allowed to return freely, and they must return within 10 seconds or lose by TKO
- A fighter can win by knockout (referee stoppage – TKO) or by submission
Bad Dude Tito (0-1) vs. Calder McColl (1-0)
Off the bat, Tito was able to dodge McColl’s roll attempts and is able to take down McColl to the mat with a hip toss. McColl kicks Tito in the face to get him off followed by a couple of soccer kicks and rolling toe hold. McColl takes Tito down with a double leg takedown into a back mount. Tito is able to cartwheel out and back on top of McColl. Tito hits a big German suplex followed by a bunch of punches to McColl into a leg lock. McColl is able to escape out and put Tito into a front headlock. They both get back up on their feet and circle around delivering a couple of light kicks until one McColl is able to land one to Tito’s stomach and quickly applies a sleeper hold that Tito is able to squirm out of. They trade off mounts until Tito applies a Cobra Clutch into a cross-arm breaker that McColl quickly escapes out of. Tito lands a couple of strikes followed by a suplex attempt, that McColl gets out of and delivers a knee to the face to Tito followed by a sleeper hold until Tito taps out.
Winner: Calder McColl by submission at 7:45
Calvin Tankman (1-1) vs. Nolan Edwards (0-1)
Tankman with about a 170-pound difference over Edwards here. Tankman from the get-go delivering a bunch of smacks to Edwards who stands tall from them and trying to battle back with kicks of his own and comedically tries to suplex Tankman. Edwards is able to take Tankman down by the leg and apply a leglock. Tankman gets out by hitting heavy smacks and mounts on to strike on Edwards. They stand and deliver strikes back and forth until Tankman lands a giant right hook and ground pounds until Edwards kicks him off followed by a cartwheel kick and a flying knee. Edwards applies a front choke hold that Tankman turns into a powerslam followed by more ground pound until the referee calls it off.
Winner: Calvin Tankman by knockout at 3:16
Kal Jak (1-1) vs. Super Beast (1-0)
Beast starts off the offense until Jak quickly takes down Beast with a double leg. Jak applies a half nelson into a gut wrench suplex right into a front headlock. Beast comes back with a couple of kicks ending with a tornado kick and strikes to the back of Jak. Jak comes back with a throw and right into a side choke. Beast is able to escape, but Jak hits a belly-to-belly suplex, he tries another suplex, but Beast comes back with offense until Jak is able to slam Beast once again and puts him right into another side choke, and out of nowhere Beast passes out and the referee stops the match.
Winner: Kal Jak by submission at 3:56
Alex Coughlin (0-1) vs. Royce Isaacs (0-1)
Both men here looking hungry to get their first win in Bloodsport and start off the fight fast and quick with takedowns and mounts until Isaacs is able to slow down the action and attempt a chokehold, Coughlin comes back with a toss and a mount of his own. After a couple of blocked attempts at submissions, they stand once again as Isaacs blocks a takedown attempt into a single takedown of his own. Isaacs is able to apply a Calf Crusher, but Coughlin quickly reverses it into a full mount followed by a couple of forearms into an arm lock, Isaacs reverses into a powerbomb. Isaacs attempts a suplex, but Coughlin rolls through into an arm breaker that Isaacs reverses into a Texas cloverleaf but both men end up rolling to the outside. Back inside, Isaacs attempts a gut-wrench suplex, but Coughlin hits a Doctor bomb into a half crab transitioning into an STF but Isaacs escapes with a backdrop suplex. Isaacs applies a North-South chokehold, pulls back on the previously injured neck of Coughlin until he taps out. After the match, Isaacs tries to handshake Coughlin but gets pushed off.
Winner: Royce Isaacs by submission at 5:38
Rocky Romero (debut) vs. Simon Grimm (1-3)
Romero comes in here in his first Bloodsport event representing NJPW. Grimm is quick on offense, but Romero comes back with a takedown, but Grimm is able to transition an ankle lock into a headlock. Romero escapes with a headscissors into a cravat. Grimm escapes with a body slam followed by quick strikes followed by a mount that Romero escapes out into a headlock of his own, rolling into an armbar attempt but Grimm is able to reverse into a shin lock. Romero with a standing front face lock, but then transitions into kicks and strikes until Grimm hits a hard lariat into another side headlock into an Anaconda Vice. Romero gets into a full mount until Grimm is able to slither out. Romero attempts some knees, but Grimm takes him down, but Romero gets out with an Enziguri followed by a snap brainbuster into a cross arm breaker. Grimm roll-outs into a kneebar, as Romero is trying to apply a heel hook of his own. After exchanging a couple of mounts, Romero puts on a cravat, but Grimm is able to hit a captured suplex followed by a belly-to-belly. As Grimm tries a Fireman’s carry, Romero reverses into an abdominal stretch, back onto the mat where Romero rolls through and applies an armbar where Grimm quickly taps out.
Winner: Rocky Romero by submission at 10:24
JR Kratos (2-1) vs. Chris Dickinson (1-4)
Kratos right away takes down Dickinson and hits quick strikes followed by a suplex. After a collar and elbow, Dickinson is able to take down Kratos. Kratos is able to get on top and strike down on Dickinson holding him in that position for over a minute until Dickinson rolls over for a mount of his own. They stay rolling around on the mat for a while until Dickinson applies a heel hook and kicks off Kratos in the face to finally get both men on their feet where they deliver hard strikes and kicks. Dickinson gets Kratos back on his knees where he delivers kicks to his side, but Kratos is able to hit a big powerbomb. Kratos gets on top, but Dickinson rolls over for a waist lock into a gut-wrench German suplex. Dickinson jumps right back on Kratos, as Kratos tries to escape by throwing Dickinson off, Dickinson slides on a quick sleeper hold as Kratos taps out. After the match, they show signs of respect and hug each other.
Winner: Chris Dickinson by submission at 6:47
Jeff Cobb (1-0) vs. Tom Lawlor (2-2)
Very quick for both to get on the mat, with Lawlor getting the upper hand until Cobb takes Lawlor down. After a couple of reversals, Lawlor attempts an arm lock, but Cobb rolls over into a side headlock putting his weight on top of Lawlor. On his back, Lawlor attempts to kick off Cobb, Lawlor sweeps Cobb followed by a couple of kicks to the legs of Cobb. Cobb takes down Lawlor, but Lawlor puts on a kneebar into a wrist lock. Lawlor takes down Cobb, as they roll around on the mat a bit, Cobb is able to apply a cradle choke, but back on their feet, Lawlor hits kicks leg chops, and body shots right into a standing headlock. Cobb hits a side toss right into a Bas Rutten neck lock. Lawlor jumps in a front lock, but Cobb is able to easily break out trying a Northern Lights Suplex, but Lawlor is able to keep the lock on and rolls over into a mount. Cobb is able to fight off and hits a quick German suplex, waist lock into another. Cobb tries to go for the third, hits it but Lawlor is able to hold onto the arm of Cobb, Cobb quickly puts on a full nelson and the referee stops the match.
Winner: Jeff Cobb by submission at 7:33
Jon Moxley (1-0) vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (4-0)
Moxley is out here in black shorts and sneakers representing AEW. Smith is able to take down Moxley quickly into a half nelson, into a waist lock, and quickly rolls him over and tosses him to the outside. Moxley takes his time on the outside but eventually comes back in just to be taken down once again, Moxley does end up on the back of Smith and starts clubbing Smith across the face and into a chin lock, as Smith applies a reverse toe hold. Smith ends up on top of Moxley into a double wrist lock as Moxley is struggling to get out. Moxley rolls Smith over tries to apply a wristlock, but Smith stands out as Moxley tries to kick him away. Both men stand and start striking until Smith rolls Moxley over into an ankle lock and eventually mounts Moxley and lands about a dozen strikes hard into the face of Moxley who tries his best to protect himself. Smith tries to put on a sleeper hold but ends up continuing the strikes as he opens up Moxley, but Moxley comes back with headbutts and mounts over and starts to deliver blows of his own to Smith until Smith reverses it over. Moxley applies a gogoplata, but Smith tries to stretch out the cut of Moxley making him bleed even more. Moxley quickly gets up delivering knees straight to Smith and a hard boot to the face and quickly into a headlock but Smith hits a snap suplex as Moxley is holding on to the lock. Smith hits a Northern Lights suplex, as they roll around, Moxley attempts to put a Sharpshooter on Smith who easily pushes him off. Smith hits a backdrop suplex as Moxley tries to fire himself up. After hitting a big elbow to Moxley, Moxley comes back with a bulldog choke and brings Smith down to the mat. Smith comes back quickly into a cross-arm breaker, but Moxley escapes and hits a stomp followed by quick strikes to the head of Smith. On the mat, they start trading headbutts, but Smith rolls Moxley into a toe hold. Moxley escapes and they start trading strikes standing up again. Moxley hits a big knee, followed by a quick DDT and the referee stops the match.
Winner: Jon Moxley by knockout at 11:51
After the match, Moxley stood in the ring fired up asking for more saying that “This is professional wrestling, 100% in your face”. He kept circling and then said he isn’t there to moonlight and he isn’t there for a payday, before eventually leaving saying he needs a drink.
We then hear a voiceover from Josh Barnett saying that Jon Moxley is always looking for the fight that will make him feel truly alive and that he will give him everything he’s looking for and he can bet his life on it, as we see an announcement for Bloodsport 6 with the main event of Josh Barnett vs. Jon Moxley on Thursday, April 8th during the GCW Collective on WrestleMania Weekend.
Siino Vision: This show felt like it flew by and after an hour we were already into the semi-main event. Although that made the made for a fun and quick watch, the majority of the card seemed to suffer and didn’t have the same effect as last week’s show. The matches didn’t seem to really click for me until the final two and that’s when I started to feel more invested in the matchups and their outcomes. My overall score definitely got bumped up though for the total run time.
It was nice to finally see some blood in the main event on a show called ‘Bloodsport’, and maybe this is just a tease of what’s to come with Moxley’s next couple of weeks with matches against KENTA and the Exploding Barbed Wire Match with Kenny Omega. The match with Smith was good, just expected a little bit more before that sudden finish, but Moxley looks strong going into the long-awaited and promised match against Josh Barnett during WrestleMania week.
I largely have been really enjoying these shows, not only for the uniqueness of the feel and look, but for them using all these different promotions and each wrestler being affiliated with an organization or brand. I hope they are able to use more names from AEW and even an IMPACT or NJPW in the future to make some dream match scenarios.
7 circling Moxley’s out of 10
