The 13th edition of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport returns as part of WrestleMania week in Las Vegas, live from the Palms with a slew of WWE talent on the show.
Barnett himself will compete in the main event, taking on former NJPW Strong champion and Barnett disciple Gabe Kidd.
WWE’s Natalya will make her Bloodsport debut as she goes one-on-one with Miyu Yamashita. She will be flanked by roster mate and Bloodsport regular Shayna Baszler who takes on Konami.
The men’s WWE main roster will also be well-represented as Karrion Kross fights JR Kratos while Pete Dunne goes heads-up against Timothy Thatcher.
NXT will also have a presence with Tavion Heights vs. Royce Issacs; Charlie Dempsey vs. Shinya Aoki; and Karmen Petrovic fighting Maika.
The card is rounded out by former IWGP World Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. former ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, and former AEW/ROH wrstler Leyla Hirsch against Jordan Blade.
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Bloodsport rules: Fights are won by KO, submission, countout, DQ, or referee stoppage. If a fight falls out of the ring, fighters must allow their opponent the chance to get back into the ring. There is a 10 count on the outside. No biting, no eye gouging, no hair pulling, no small joint manipulation, no low blows, no foreign objects, no fighting after the bell. Any violation can result in a disqualification.
The Las Vegas crowd was hot for all competitors during the introductory ceremony before the fights. Karrion Kross got on the mic and hyped the show, thanked Josh Barnett for bringing it back to Vegas, and then said they had the best in the world on this show.
Leyla Hirsch (0–0) vs. Jordan Blade (0–0)
The Las Vegas crowd was hot for all competitors during the introductory ceremony before the fights. Karrion Kross got on the mic and hyped the show, thanked Josh Barnett for bringing it back to Vegas, and then said they had the best in the world on this show.
Leyla Hirsch (0–1) def. Jordan Blade (0–0) via TKO in 3:34
Jimmy Smith and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor on commentary for this event tonight. Jordan Blade was super-stoked to be there, slamming her hands on the mat upon entrance into the ropeless ring. The venue and camera setup looked really cool for this show and might be the best looking of all the Bloodsport events so far.
Hirsch with a quick double-leg seconds into the fight. Blade took her back and slammed crossfaces across Hirsch head, then picked her up with a waist lock and German suplexed her before mounting her and laying down fists. Blade attempted an arm bar but then went to an omoplata but Hirsch rolled out of it, stood up, went for a straight ankle lock but Blade tried reversing it, swept her, and tried a footlock of her own. Smith referenced Bas Rutten vs. Frank Shamrock when they were trading slaps in while they fought for leglocks. That’s what it looked like.
Hirsch went for a fireman’s carry, but Blade blocked it and sprawled. Hirsch rolled out of it and went for a cross-arm breaker. She looked like she had it locked in, but Blade was able to stack her, lift her up, and then powerbomb her to the mat, breaking the hold. Blade then pounced and went into mounted ground-and-pound before attempting a cross-arm breaker of her own. Hirsch broke out of it and kicked Blade in the leg, then gave her a German suplex of her own. Blade was stunned.
They traded open palm strikes on their feet for a bit until Hirsch caught Blade with a power slam and followed up with ground and pound and the ref called for the TKO.
Maika (0–0) defeated Karmen Petrovic (1–0) via submission in 4:27
Petrovic debuted at Bloodsport last year and impressed with her karate background on display. She beat Sumie Sakai previously. “The Crimson Cannon Empress” Maika is one of STARDOM’s top stars.
Petrovic was quick with her low leg kicks early on. Maika took her down to the mat but neither could gain the upper hand and both ended up on their feet shortly after. The crowd was split cheering for both. Maika slammed Petrovic a few times with mat returns. Maika slapped Petrovic on the ground and broke away.
On their feet, Petrovic took Maika down with a spinning sweep and followed with a rear headlock. Maika was able to balloon-sweep her way out of Petrovic’s grips and later caught Petrovic with an armlock. Crowd got hot towards the end of this.
Petrovic with a flurry of kicks towards the end, but when she went for a spinning kick, Maika caught it, locked her ankle, then transitioned to a sleeper before taking her over, slamming her backwards, then finished Petrovic off with the rear naked choke. The fights continue to heat up.
Charlie Dempsey NXT (3–1) defeated Shinya Aoki DDT (0–0) via TKO
Dempsey has become somewhat of a Bloodsport regular in the past few years. He picked up a win over Tracy Williams and a loss to Royce Isaacs since he’s been appearing. Aoki, on the other hand, hasn’t appeared on any of the Bloodsport shows, but he’s perfect for the setting. At a time in the 2000s–2010s he was arguably the best grappler from Japan. He has plenty of MMA experience, recently picking up a win for ONE FC, but regularly wrestles atypical matches for DDT.
They began with a Greco-Roman knucklelock test-of-strength that showed off both wrestler’s power and flexibility. Dempsey was eventually able to suplex Aoki over, but Aoki slipped away and went for a double wristlock. He’d move to a kneebar attempt but couldn’t sink it in, nor the heel hook. They’d fight in a figure-four that Aoki’d lock in but Dempsey broke out of it, again with power. He’s the bigger of the two here.
Aoki attempted a full nelson but Dempsey broke out of it. Aoki has Dempsey back on the mat with a headscissors. The crowd started chanting for Dempsey. They fought for armlocks again.
Dempsey fought for a suplex but Aoki answered with a cobra twist. Dempsey used a sneaky toehold to escape. He went for a bridging calfslicer but Aoki caught Dempsey in a choke. Dempsey went back to the toehold and bent himself backwards with it. Aoki scored a toehold of his own. Quite literally hold-for-hold in these moments, nonstop.
Dempsey went for a butterfly suplex but he couldn’t bring Aoki over. Aoki again went to a sleeper but Dempsey reversed it with a Regal Plex, TKO’ing Aoki. This was technical grappling heaven. Really good stuff.
Karrion Kross WWE (1–1) defeated JR Kratos (1–1) in 7:41 via submission
Both Kratos and Kross return to Bloodsport after a while away. Kross had one of the best Bloodsport matches ever against Davey Boy Smith Jr. on the first of Barnett’s Bloodsports. This is another Bloodsport “dream match,” one where you think to yourself “huh, why hasn’t this one happened yet?”
Kross fought in his jiu-jitsu gi; Kratos in just his gi pants. Kross had a big hometown advantage in Las Vegas and sounded to have a lot of fans in the house. He bowed to each side before the bout.
They were cautious at the beginning of this. Kratos was on top early in this and the crowd booed a bit even then. They cheered when Kross reversed and got on top. Kratos came back with control from the side as Kross was in turtle position; Kratos threw a few knees.
Kross tried a choke from behind but couldn’t cinch it in. This was a slower power match with two big, big dudes. Kross attempted an armbar but no dice. Kratos got on top, pulled Kross’ gi top over his head and threw a couple knees to the grounded Kross—which is legal in Bloodsport. Kross didn’t look too happy and whipped off his gi and the crowd hyped up for it. They chanted “you f’d up” at Kratos.
They traded strikes on their feet from here. They talked trash. Kratos dropped Kross with one shot but Kross was up quickly afterwards. At the five-minute call they were trading chest chops. Kratos said something about WWE and insisted Kross lay in harder chops, which Kross did. Kratos then leveled Kross with a lariat, then folded him with a German suplex. “F*ck you, Kratos!” was Kross’ response to that. Kratos answered with a power bomb. Kross flipped him off. Kratos grabbed his middle finger. Kross shoved him off and drilled Kratos with a backdrop suplex. This looked awesome. The crowd chanted “one more time!” and he obliged them.
Kratos somehow came back with a jumping knee, but Kross was able to grab an arm triangle from the back position and get Kross to tap with it. This was really fun, really violent and everything you’d want out of a “hoss fight” like this.
Next on the card was a tribute ceremony to Combat Icons Tank Abott and Don Frye, who appeared on stage between bouts.
Pete Dunne (0–0) defeated Timothy Thatcher (2–3) via submission in 11:15
Thatcher is another Bloodsport stalwart and holds a big and special win over Josh Barnett in the past. This will be Dunne’s Bloodsport debut and I think a number of fans are eagerly awaiting for Dunne to be “let off the leash,” so to speak.
The two locked up early and traded positions. They targeted each other’s shoulders. Thatcher went for an armlock but Dunne countered out and then went after Thatcher’s legs and ankles. Thatcher offered a standing straight anklelock as an answer before moving into a single-leg crab, and from there to a bow-and-arrow submission.
Thatcher and Dunne began trading fists on the ground after a while. Thatcher would return to the single-leg crab and really wrenched on it. Dunne threw some upkicks but Thatcher dropped to his back and went for an achilles lock. The two booted each other in the face on the ground. Thatcher rolled into a hammerlock using his legs, then went after Dunne’s joints, his fingers and knuckles, before transitioning to a head-and-arm shoulder lock. Dunne slipped out of that but Thatcher would then go for an STF but couldn’t finish it. Dunne with an armlock attempt but Thatcher was able to escape into Dunne’s closed guard. Dunne threw closed fists at Thatcher and then was able to catch Thatcher with a triangle choke. Thatcher moved out of that back into the single-leg crab. Dunne had a nice escape, then he tried snapping Thatcher’s fingers while he held him in a scarf hold.
Dunne went for an STF of his own and had a bit more luck than Thatcher did, kind of. Neither of these guys could cinch anything in for more than a few seconds. Dunne finally locked in a heel hook, a deep one, but Thatcher tried slapping his way out, then stomping his way out, which worked. The 10-minute call sounded. Thatcher slapped Dunne in the face on the ground and move into a cross ambreaker. Dunne escape and started stomping Thatcher’s head. Thatcher fired back with huge uppercuts. Dunne with a gamengiri kick to Thatcher’s head before snapping Thatcher’s fingers and tapping him out with an armbar. The crowd chanted “Brusierweight!” afterwards.
Nattie Neidhart WWE (0–0) defeated Miyu Yamashita TJPW (0–1) via submission
Neidhart has been vocal on social media about her passion for this match. It will be the first time in 18 years she’ll have stepped inside a non-WWE ring. Yamashita’s Bloodsport debut was a violent spectacle of a main event against WWE’s Shayna Baszler.
Crowd was excited for Nattie during this. They were tentative early, with Yamashita throwing kicks and Neidhart trying to grapple Yamashita to the mat. Yamashita threw knees but Neidhart caught her with a double-leg. She’d pass Yamashita’s guard, but Yamashita went for a guillotine choke.
Yamashita went for a straight ankle lock on the ground. She slapped Neidhart will they were on the ground, with Yamashita attacking the legs. The crowd sounded split between the two wrestlers at this point. Yamashita came down on Neidhart with a heavy spinning kick to Neidhart while she was on the ground.
Neidhart fought out of Yamashita’s back control and found Yamashita in an ankle lock, then later a rear chinlock. She almost caught Yamashita in a leglock.
The two traded hard strikes on their feet. They jaw-jacked and slapped the snot out of each other. Neidhart grounded Yamashita and locked in an Americana lock. Yamashita moved back to the guillotine lock before Neidhart slammed Yamashita to the mat to break the hold.
Neidhart went for the sharpshooter but no luck. Yamashita caught Neidhart with a massive wheelkick to the face that looked like it KO’d Neidhart but it didn’t. Neidhart shoved Yamashita into the ring post, then rolled her over and slapped on the sharpshooter. Yamashita was passed out, so the ref called the match. The crowd went wild for Neidhart. A “both these women” chant broke out.
Neidhart offered a handshake afterwards, but Yamashita shook her head “no” and then flipped her the double bird. This set Neidhart off, and the two started fighting again. Neidhart flipped her own double bird before high-fiving fans walking to the back. She’d run into Kenzie Page from NWA who then flipped her own double bird, which sparked another mini-brawl in the crowd. Security broke that one up.
Tavion Heights (0–0) defeated Royce Isaacs (1–2) via TKO in 8:38
Isaacs, longtime Bloodsport competitor, secured a victory over NXT’s Charlie Dempsey at Bloodsport XI on July 28, 2024. Tavion Heights was a Greco-Roman bronze medalist in the 2020 Olympics and competed in NOAH’s N1 Victory tournament in 2024.
Heights with a big suplex early on. Isaacs rolled into a leglock or kneebar after this. Heights used an anaconda roll on Isaacs but couldn’t keep him down. Isaacs with a double wristlock from guard position as Heights tried rolling out of it. He eventually did and locked in a scarf hold. Isaacs picked Heights up by the leg before headbutting him to the mat and going for an armbar. Filthy Tom made a good point mentioning that many competitors had gone for armbars all night but no one had been able to finish with one, at least not yet.
When the five-minute call sounded, the two traded fisticuffs before a big German suplex from Isaacs, who’d then move back into an armlock submission, then to a leglock. Heights escaped and leveled Isaacs with a lariat. He then took Isaacs over with a deadlift capture suplex that could have turned out to be a disaster but they pulled it off in the end. Heights moved into an arm triangle but Isaacs escaped. He’d answer with a big sit-out power bomb on Heights, then mounted him and dropped elbows before transitioning to an armbar, then to a toehold. Heights was figuratively on the ropes.
Isaacs locked in a guillotine choke but the two ended up spilling out of the ring onto the floor. Heights suplexed Isaacs back into the ring, the hit his super high-angle belly-to-belly before TKO’ing Isaacs with headbutts on the mat. Really good bout with a different flavor from the others tonight.
Shayna Baszler (2–0) defeated Konami (1–0) via TKO in 5:58
Konami has appeared on Bloodsport: Bushido in Japan last year. Baszler is back for her third Bloodsport after two matches against Miyu Yamashita and Masha Slamovich, respectively.
Michin from WWE was in Baszler’s corner. She went for a takedown early on. Both were aggressive from the get-go. They traded footlocks on the mat until they rolled out onto the floor. Well, Konami more so. She took advantage of the ring post and cranked on a leglock.
Konami took Baszler out with two heavy kicks of her own, one of the running, sliding kind. Baslzer collected herself on the floor before getting back into the ring.
The two traded high and low kicks in the center of the ring before Baszler caught Konami with a huge cradle suplex. Konami was back a few moments later with a takedown that smoothly transitioned her into an armbar.
Konami had both hooks in as she locked Baszler in a rear naked choke, stuck to her back like a spider, before Baszler escaped by locking Konami’s foot and twisting it into an ankle lock, thus forcing Konami to break the choke. She then held Konami in a standing ankle lock, but Konami rolled out of it and then kicked Baszler in the back, which forced Baszler face-first into the ringpost. Konami followed with a German suplex. Baszler answered with a modified Fisherman’s buster and followed with a flurry of stomps to the back of Konami’s head. The ref called for the bell. Baszler wins via TKO.
Zack Sabre Jr. NJPW (0–0) defeated Jonathan Gresham (0–1) in 2:34 of Overtime via TKO
Gresham returns to Bloodsport after a long time away. Gresham’s memorable match was against hardcore wrestler Masashi Takeda. Sabre is making his debut. I think this is a total dream match for a lot of people, especially for those who love World of Sport-style wrestling.
The speed of which they were exchanging holds was smooth, quick, fluid. At one point Sabre kicked Gresham so hard across the ring that Gresham flew out onto the floor.
They traded holds at a mile a minute, stretching and bending and rolling and folding. They’d move from the head and neck to the legs and feet and back up again at a fast pace. Sabre again kicked Gresham away in the ass and sent him out onto the floor. Gresham would later get his revenge and boot Sabre to the floor while he was on the edge of the apron.
This match is great in that it completely fits at a Bloodsport event, but on the other hand it feels very different, fresh, and the pace and flow they were moving at, the story that was told, it really worked.
Sabre and Gresham stood toe-to-toe. Sabre emphasized their height differential. This caught boos from the crowd. He put his chin on top of Gresham’s head. He slapped at Gresham, which Gresham kept brushing away. Gresham caught Sabre with a big chop that awed the crowd. He’d then take Sabre over with two suplexes before methodically moving into a wild pretzel lock that involves so many different limbs that I just don’t know what to call it. He was twisting Sabre’s ass up. He’d eventually fall into a single-leg crab while he peppered Sabre with hammerfists to the head.
On their feet, Gresham chopped Sabre, but Sabre answered with a huge palm strike. Blasted him. Gresham eventually came back with one of his own. They traded hard uppercuts, chops. Sabre threw kicks. Gresham furiously grappled Sabre back to the mat. The pace in this was wild.
Gresham locked in a figure four with two minutes left in the match. Sabre tried reversing the hold but Gresham rolled him back. With one minute left, they both rolled out onto the floor while tangled up in the figure four hold. They scrambled back into the ring with thirty seconds to go. They traded hard strikes, hard ones; Gresham took Sabre down and tried hammerfisting his way to victory but the time limit expired. A draw.
We find out that we are going into a five-minute overtime period.
Gresham and Sabre pick up right where they left off, trading really hard strikes, chops, kicks, the works. Sabre eventually went down after a chop. The two looked exhausted. Sabre was back up and they again traded kicks for chops. Sabre caught Gresham with some hard slaps behind the ear.
The finish saw Sabre block Gresham with a hard fist to Gresham’s arm, then a hard Penalty Kick to the face for the TKO.
It’d be fair to put this on your top matches of the year lists. It was really good. Very high level pro wrestling.
Gabe Kidd NJPW (0–0) defeated Josh Barnett (10–2–1) via TKO
Kidd made his Bloodsport debut here. He lost the NJPW Strong title to Tomohiro Ishii recently at Windy City Riot.
Barnett threw a fast hands early on. Kidd went for a single-leg. Kidd yelled at people in the crowd. Fans chanted “STFU” at Kidd. He’d sweep Barnett, but Barnett would reverse it and throw palm strikes. Kidd is nearly Barnett’s size and his body matches well.
Kidd would abruptly step out of the ring to shout at a fan in the crowd, more towards the second level.
When he was back in the ring, he’d bully Barnett out of it, shoving him to the floor before flying onto him, then locking in a front facelock. Barnett would toss Kidd onto the apron and rain down elbows.
Barnett hunted for a double wrist lock. Lawlor and Smith argued on commentary about whether it’s called a double wrist lock or a Kimura. Barnett locked Kidd in a butterfly neck crank that Kidd fought out of.
Barnett would sweep Kidd into a straight ankle lock with a smooth technique, almost like a schoolboy rollup into the submission.
Barnett held a headlock on Kidd for a bit, up until Kidd stood up and drilled him down with a backdrop suplex. They’d trade hard shots on their feet and Barnett landed some hard knees. Kidd launched Barnett with an exploder suplex, and would finish Barnett off with knees of his own and a brutal piledriver for the TKO victory. Excellent main event finish.
After the match, Kidd grabbed the mic and yelled at the same kid he was yelling at during the match and said he’d kick his arse. He then mentioned how there were lots of different promotions on the show but the guy from New Japan won the main event. He then asked for anyone to name him someone other than Barnett who’s done more to defend pro wrestling more than him. He said Barnett’s a champion in his heart and that he owed his life to Barnett. He offered a life’s worth of respect to Barnett for everything he’d done for Kidd. It was a solid speech.
Barnett got on the mic and put Kidd over and how much stronger, wiser and better Kidd had become after he’d gone through his darker days. Barnett thanked the fans and wrestlers for everything.
Final Thoughts: Maybe I’m just high on it from the last two matches, but I truly think this was the strongest Bloodsport of them all. Production-wise, it was the best next to Bloodsport Bushido. The crowd was extremely it, every match. The bouts themselves had a good variety and the competitors all looked stoked to be a part of the show. Every match was excellent but Sabre vs. Gresham was something else, and the main event was a great heavyweight match with good drama. Again, everything on this is very much worth watching. Go out of your way to watch. And I hope they continue to film at similar venues with similar production value. Bloodsport continues to come into its own. Well done to all involved.
