Josh Barnett Rules Out AEW Vs WWE Match at Bloodsport Due to Promotional Rivalry – As GCW and Josh Barnett gear up for Bloodsport XIII on Thursday, April 17 in Las Vegas, the event is already turning heads for featuring several prominent WWE Superstars. Shayna Baszler, Pete Dunne, Karrion Kross, and Natalya are all scheduled to compete, marking a notable presence from the WWE roster at the traditionally gritty and hybrid-style wrestling showcase.
However, despite Bloodsport’s history of crossover appearances—like Marina Shafir from AEW and MVP at Bloodsport XII—this year’s lineup notably excludes any AEW representation. In a new interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Josh Barnett addressed the idea of a potential AEW vs. WWE showdown at a future Bloodsport event, casting doubt on the possibility due to the ongoing rivalry between the two promotions.
Barnett explained:
“I don’t think at the moment that is something that will work for either company. They’re very much in a heated rivalry… These are not my companies and technically, these are not my wrestlers… At this moment, I don’t see that being something that either would be comfortable with. It wouldn’t be something, in regards to the wrestlers specifically themselves, but it’s just the politics I suppose you could say of competition.”
Despite the roadblocks, Barnett expressed a willingness to work with any talent, regardless of affiliation, and emphasized his neutral position in the matter. He acknowledged that while WWE vs. AEW may be off the table, Bloodsport still has the freedom to feature crossovers from other promotions such as DDT, New Japan, STARDOM, MLW, and NWA.
“We put the matches together and we always try to make sure that everybody represented comes out better than when they stepped in that ring,” Barnett concluded.
Bloodsport XIII will stream live from Las Vegas and continues Barnett’s mission of blending pro wrestling with MMA-style intensity—just without an interpromotional AEW vs. WWE dream match, at least for now.
Here is the lineup for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XIII on 4/17:
- Miyu Yamashita vs. Natalya
- Timothy Thatcher vs. Pete Dunne
- Leyla Hirsch vs. Jordan Blade
- Shinya Aoki vs. Charlie Dempsey
- Karmen Petrovic vs. Maika
- Karrion Kross vs. JR Kratos
- Zack Sabre Jr vs. Jonathan Gresham
- Shayna Baszler vs. Konami
- Royce Isaacs vs. Tavion Heights
- Gabe Kidd vs. Josh Barnett
- Dan Severn, Don Frye, Mark Kerr, Butterbean, and Tank Abbott to be honored
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Josh Barnett Rules Out AEW Vs WWE Match at Bloodsport
