GCW Bloodsport: CM Punk, Malakai Black Discussed For Indie Wrestling Event

WWE has begun to open its forbidden door. Earlier this month it was announced that former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler would be competing at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X, a worked-shoot event that combines professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Bloodsport is produced by Game Changer Wrestling, one of the industry's top independent promotions. Beyond Baszler, Bloodsport X is set to feature notable names like Timothy Thatcher, Minoru Suzuki, John Morrison, Nic Nemeth, and Mike Bailey. A common denominator of Bloodsport talent is having an amateur or MMA background, which all of the aforementioned names possess in varying capacities.

Major Names Discussed For Bloodsport

Josh Barnett wants to supersize future Bloodsport events.

Speaking to Under The Ring, Barnett revealed that he has had conversations with both Malakai Black and CM Punk about participating.

"If given the chance to bring other guys in, of course, I've spoken with Malakai Black a few times about coming into Bloodsport," Barnett said. "I've spoken to CM Punk."

Black's roots are in martial arts, as his in-ring style combines elements of kickboxing and Muay Thai. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling where he regularly competes in the trios division alongside his House of Black stablemates. Punk has also trained in martial arts, holding a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He fought two professional fights in UFC in 2016 and 2018, both of which he came up short in.

"Whoever it is, they have to see this ring for what it is and what we've created and say, 'That's something I've got to do. That's me. I want to show myself and shine myself in a place like this,'" Barnett continued. "When you put those two things together, who knows what can happen.

"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. We're focusing on that. It helps to keep your eyes forward, but also demonstrate that whether you're New Japan, AEW, WWE, I'm not here to get into any competition with them. I'm not here to do anything but to build a place to where wrestlers, wrestlers first and foremost, can shine above all. The more they have confidence and trust in me maintaining that environment, the more these type of things will happen. I love giving people opportunities, and that's a huge reason to do this."

Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X goes down on Thursday, April 4th.