Josh Barnett has made enough friendships, training and business contacts within the pro wrestling industry to last several lifetimes. So when he asks about something that’s previously been unthinkable — like getting a current WWE superstar to work on one of his Bloodsport shows — people consider it.
That’s relevant in a big way right now as Barnett revealed that Shayna Baszler, who he trained to make the jump from MMA to pro wrestling, will compete on his upcoming Bloodsport X card in Philadelphia on April 4. It’s a huge deal as WWE has famously prohibited talent from working on outside shows, but as Barnett told Under the Ring host Phil Strum, there was no secret to making it happen other than the connections he’s made over the years.
“I guess the easiest way to describe it is just through my relationships with people there,” Barnett said. “That’s really what it comes down to. With anybody, when speaking with a promotion, you’re always going to want a … If you’re going to do anything outside of it, you want a certain level of trust and consideration given to you, and it’s hard to lend your toys out when there’s so much money put into them and the product itself.
“Of course, we see cross-promotion happening out there in the world of wrestling, but it’s really a big deal when you think about all the different things involved in it and the value of some of the athletes that are going back and forth. But fortunately, through relationships I’ve cultivated over the years, something like having Shayna Baszler at GCW Bloodsport is … it’s a reality now.”
Barnett also added that it helps that he’s not out to compete with any promotions with Bloodsport, but simply give talent another way to shine.
“I try to create this show as a neutral body, as something that stands alone and apart from all the rest of pro wrestling’s politics and ratings wars and so on and so forth. We’re not out there thinking about competing with anyone else but ourselves, and being capable of making the absolute best shows in the spirit of how I am trying to build Bloodsport to be. That’s it.”
Listen to Strum’s full conversation with Barnett above for many more insights from the Warmaster. Tickets for Bloodsport X, including Baszler’s match with Masha Slamovich, are sold out, but the event can be seen live along with the rest of the GCW Collective events during WrestleMania week on TrillerTV+.