Josh Barnett Assesses Relationship Between WWE & Bloodsport

This year's GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport will feature WWE Superstars for the first time in the history of the MMA-Pro Wrestling hybrid promotion. Former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler is the first announced WWE talent, with more reportedly set to follow. In a new interview with the "Battleground Podcast," Barnett said this would be the biggest opportunity in Bloodsport history, one he always held in the back of his head.

"I never thought it was impossible, just unlikely and I've spoken to them in the past around previous Bloodsports about being able to have some access or to take advantage of some of their talents but this is the time," Barnett said. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion says that Baszler is a perfect MMA representative for WWE to provide.

"There's more than a handful of wrestlers in WWE who I think would be a perfect fit for this," Barnett said, hesitant to say who he was considering for future events.

The news of GCW and WWE working together is especially shocking as WWE often doesn't provide talent to independent wrestling shows, outside of WWE's previous relationships with EVOLVE and PROGRESS. Baszler is set to face TNA Wrestling's Masha Slamovich at the hybrid event. Also announced for the event so far is TNA's Nic Nemeth, who will take on former TNA X Division Champion "Speedball" Mike Bailey. Bloodsport has a long history of calling out WWE stars, as Karrion Kross once called out former WWE Champion Batista at a Bloodsport event many years back, though the challenge led to nothing between the two men.