Josh Barnett's Bloodsport Recap (4/4): Suzuki And Barnett Go The Distance, Mir Takes On Severn

By Joseph James

Welcome to our live coverage of Josh Barnett's Bloodsport. We will be providing live ongoing coverage of today's show, while you all can chime in with your thoughts in the "Comments" section below. Wrestling Inc is also live at the event, which you can follow on Twitter.

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Commentator Denver Colorado welcomes us to Bloodsport. Loud GCW chants. Ring announcer runs down the rules:

1. Match can only be won via referee stoppage. Knockouts, submission, etc. No pinfalls.
2. If the fight spills outside of the ring the referee will restart them in the center.
3. No weapons...low-blows...or eye pokes.

Our first match of the evening is between Phil Baroni and Dominic Garrini.

Phil Baroni versus Dominic Garrini

Garrini goes for the early takedown. Baroni shoves him off. Hammerlock...Garrini nearly locks in a kamura. Baroni escapes...he lights up Garrini with knees to the gut. Ground wrestling. Baroni with a powerful takedown. He is in half-mount and lands a few body blows. Garrini catches him in an arm-lock! Baroni quickly escapes and calls for a timeout. Crowd boos Baroni.

Second exchange Garrini tries for another armbar...Baroni thumbs Garrini in the eye. (That's illegal!) Baroni hits a series of haymakers. He pins Garrini then taunts the crowd. (Garrini is still conscious so the match goes on.) Garrini gets to his feet...Baroni destroys him with a right-hook sending Garrini back to the mat. Ref counts to 10. That's it.

Phil Baroni wins by knockout

Following the bout...Baroni gets into a shoving match with the referee. He's not happy...and reverse the decision!

Garrini wins via the referee reversing the decision

Garrini wins via the referee reversing the decision

J.R. Kratos is out for the second match of the day. His opponent...Simon Grimm.

J.R. Kratos versus Simon Grimm

Kratos lands a slap to open. Grimm with a leg kick. He goes for a takedown but they fall out of the ring. Ref stops them and returns them to the center. Kratos goes for the takedown this time...Grimm sits on him....he's not able to gain the advantage as Kratos shoves him off. Grimm on his back...he baits Kratos in wraps him in a body-scissor. Huge elbow strike to the back of Kratos' head. They wrestle to the edge...ref stops them and restarts in the center again.

Big slap from Kratos...Grimm responds with a reverse headlock. Fight spills to the mat...they roll of the edge. Restart.

The two men taunt each other in the ring. Kratos with another slap...Grimm fires back with an enziguri! Another scuffle. Kratos gets Grimm to the mat. Kratos targets Grimm's arm...Grimm reverse the pressure. Kratos breaks the hold with a belly-to-belly. Another armbar attempt...Grimm catches Kratos in a headscissor. Back to their feet...HUGE KNEE from Kratos. Rear-naked choke. Grimm is in trouble. He tries to escape but Kratos keeps the hold applied. He transitions into an armbar...Grimm just has it blocked. He shifts and enters half-mount. Ground and pound....he misses an elbow and Kratos with a headlock. Grimm dead-lifts him and slams him to the mat.

Grimm with a huge combo right in the center. He goes for the Gotch piledriver...Kratos blocks it...armbar from Gotch! Now Kratos deadlifts him...powerbomb.ELBOW TO THE HEAD. Gotch is out. It's over.

J.R. Kratos wins by knockout.

Killer Kross is up next. He faces...Davey Boy Smith Jr!

Killer Kross versus Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Both men with a series of low leg kicks. Feeling each other out to start. Davey Boy with the first takedown. Ground wrestling...Davey Boy nearly applies the rear naked choke. Kross is able to escape. Davey Boy lets him up and they restart in the center.

Kross and Davey Boy show off their hand speed. Kross takes control. He stands over Davey Boy but the Canadian is able to gain half-mount. Kross keeps him close to avoid taking damage...he blocks all of Davey Boy's strikes. Kross rolls over and now has half-mount. He goes for a leg submission...they roll...Davey Boy with a potential sharpshooter...Kross rolls them out of the ring. Restart. Crowd is loving this.

Back in the center...Kross gets behind Davey Boy and goes for a sleeper. Back and forth ground wrestling. Kross with an armbar attempt...Davey Boy takes advantage and applies one of his own. Referee stops them because they are too close to the edge...Davey Boy won't let go! He eventually does. Restart.

Smith goes for a suplex...instead he drops to the ground and takes Kross with him. Kimura attempt from Davey Boy...Kross has it scouted. Side-mount from Davey Boy...another restart.

Kross grabs Davey Boy in a waist-lock. Takedown. Davey Boy bounces back up..arm-drag...Kimura is in! Kross rolls with the submission still in. His feet are outside...ref breaks the hold. Davey Boy doesn't like it. Jaw-jacking from both men. Saito suplex from Kross! Rear naked choke attempt...hold is not fully in. Kneebar from Davey Boy right in the center! Kross attacks with the knees. Palm strikes to Davey Boy's chest. Somehow Davey Boy regains position. Chinlock. Commentators tells us we're getting close to a time-limit draw. Knees to the head by Davey Boy. Restart.

Kross lans a leg kick. Another. He goes for a third but Davey Boy sweeps him to the mat. He picks him up...huge forearm. Kross with one of his own. Davey Boy with a stiff slap. Kross responds. Back and forth slapping. Kross with a roundhouse! Back suplex! Another headkick. That one woke Davey Boy up. Leg kicks from each man. Davey Boy wins the exchange...boot the head by Davey Boy. Combo from Davey Boy...Kross on spaghetti legs...Kross tries another roundhouse but Davey Boy ducks...back suplex...crossface! Kross taps!

Davey Boy Smith Jr. wins by submission.

Crowd with a huge ovation for both Kross afterwards.

Next bout is given a 20-minute time limit. It's between Jon Gresham and Masashi Takeda

Jon Gresham versus Masashi Takeda

Takeda shows his speed with a quick-takedown. He rolls all over Gresham to the crowd's delight. Gresham slows him down and goes for a sleeper. Takeda gets to his feet...slam from Takeda. Gresham with a side-mount. He tears away at Takeda's neck. Takeda reverses the pressure. Gresham grabs Takeda's right leg....dragon screw takedown. Gresham locks up Takeda's leg in a submission. Full mount. Takeda turns it into a boston crab but Gresham is near the edge and the referee pulls them apart.

Tie-up. Waist-lock from Takeda. Arm-lock. They both drag to the edge...they fall and hit the floor hard. Takeda and Gresham get into a brawl on the outside. Takeda is busted open. He grabs a chair...referee stops him. They restart in the ring. Brawl between both men. Gresham slows the momentum with a takedown. He clinches to regain his breath.

"15 minutes remaining."

Both men trade blows in the center. Gresham with a six-hit combo. Takeda with a armbar! Gresham shifts and hammers down fists! Takeda lands some shots of his own. GCW chants!! Back on their feet...Gresham hits a head kick! Takeda with a leg kick...HUGE KNEE! Referee pulls Takeda off! It's over!

Masashi Takeda wins via referee stoppage.

Both men shake hands out of respect. Crowd gives a standing ovation.

Next bout...also a 20-minute time limit...Andy Williams against Chris Dickinson. Williams was originally supposed to face Tom Lawlor...but Dickinson replaced him.

Andy Williams versus Chris Dickinson

Brawl to start. Dickinson with a big combo...Williams responds with haymakers of his own! Hockey fight! Crowd is losing it! Williams with a jacknife powerbomb! He takes a full mount...Dickinson clenches him to slow the action down. He slips behind Williams and unloads headshots! Williams gets to his feet and nails a knee to the face. Williams picks Dickinson up...gut-wrench suplex! Triangle armbar! Dickinson is able to escape and take full-mount! Karate chop to William's head! He locks in a sleeper...Williams gets to his feet...Dickinson keeps the sleeper on...Williams taps!

Chris Dickinson wins by submission.

Show of respect from Dickinson.

Next bout...also a 20-minute time limit. Frank Mir is out first. He has a quick-word with Phil Baroni, who jumps in the ring to pump Mir up. Dan Severn is out second. He receives a standing ovation.

Dan Severn versus Frank Mir

Handshake from both competitors. Tie-up. Severn with a headlock takedown. Rest-hold. Baroni is going nuts on the outside cheering for Mir. Back on their feet...Severn with another takedown. Mir with an early submission attempt...Severn has it scouted. Ground wrestling, with momentum shifting back and forth. Kneebar from Mir...Severn is trapped...he taps out!

Frank Mir wins by submission.

Severn raises Mir's hand. Mir gets on the microphone and says it was an honor to compete with Severn. He thanks the crowd, and calls out Brock Lesnar, saying that he got into wrestling to face Lesnar. He promises to make Lesnar an in-ring casualty.

Timothy Thatcher is out next. His opponent...Hideki Suzuki

Timothy Thatcher versus Hideki Suzuki

Tie-up. Intense grapple...Thatcher gets escapes a full-nelson. He ties up Suzuki with a headlock. Suzuki tries to break free but Thatcher has it applied tight. Suzuki endures...he grabs a front facelock and blocks Thatcher's attempt to escape. Arm-takedown from Thatcher. He lands the first strike with a thrusting knee to Suzuki's side. Ground wrestling with Thatcher in control. Suzuki attacks Thatcher's leg...elbow drop. They break free...but Thatcher's leg is hurt. Restart.

Thatcher with a waist-lock takedown. Suzuki quickly targets the injured leg. Thatcher with a strike to Suzuki's chest. He goes for another...Suzuki applies a butterfly lock! Thatcher shifts and cranks at Suzuki's neck. Indian deathlock from Thatcher...somehow Suzuki drops in and snatches a submission of his own. Chain wrestling back and forth. Thatcher pulls on Suzuki's ankle. He gets to his feet...single-leg crab right in the center. Thatcher sits down on it! Suzuki shifts his weight...he now has Thatcher's leg tied up. Thatcher with head kick...they have little effect. Headbutt from Suzuki...Thatcher nails one of his own. Suzuki gets to his feet...HE STOMPS THATCHER ON THE HEAD. KNEE TO THE FACE. That wakes Thatcher up...forearm. They go back to the ground. Rabbit punch from Suzuki. Thatcher bounces up and walks right into a forearm. He fires back one of his own. European uppercut from Thatcher...it drops Suzuki. They trade strikes...Suzuki with an uppercut. Gut-wrench from Thatcher...he slams him down!

"10 minutes remaining."

Neither man with a clear advantage. Thatcher eats a headbutt...but remains in half-guard. Enziguri from Thatcher. Full mount...Hammer fists down. Back suplex attempt but Suzuki blocks it...BIG ELBOW. Enziguri from Suzuki...rib-breaker! Double-underhook suplex! Thatcher is out.

Hideki Suzuki wins by knockout.

Suzuki throws his towel in Thatcher's face. Thatcher extends his hand for a handshake...Suzuki takes it.

Main event is next. NJPW's Minoru Suzuki faces the man of the hour...Josh Barnett.

Minoru Suzuki versus Josh Barnett

Fans are hot for Suzuki. They start with a test-of-strength. Barnett with a waist-lock takedown. Suzuki grabs the arm...ground wrestling from both. Impressive sequence of counters. Suzuki attempts a flurry that Barnett blocks. Headlock takedown. Suzuki transitions into a headscissor...it's locked in tight. Barnett breaks free and goes for the legs. Suzuki gets to his feet...shot to Barnett's chest. He whips the leg out but Barnett is quick to roll to avoid the submission. Barnett sits atop Suzuki...he tries for an armbar...Suzuki shifts to the top. He cranks at Barnett's neck.

"15 minutes remaining."

Barnett with a kneebar...Suzuki catches his ankle and bends it awkwardly. Suzuki goes for the rear-naked choke...he's got it in! They're right in the center.Barnett somehow escapes...armbar from Barnett. Suzuki in trouble...Barnett slowly applies the full-nelson. Suzuki gets to his feet...hammerlock from Suzuki. He goes for the full-nelson but instead switches to a reverse chinlock. Barnett Angle-Slams his way out! Suzuki hits the mat hard. Both men are slow to get up.

Running kick from Barnett. Full-mount on Suzuki. He reigns down fists but Suzuki blocks them all...leg submission by Suzuki out of nowhere! Barnett trying not to tap. Suzuki brings him to his feet...knee to the gut. Signature forearm by Suzuki. Barnett is rocked...but gets to his feet. They stare each other down. Barnett with a four hit-combo! Suzuki fires back! It's a brawl! Big knee from Barnett lands. Suplex from Barnett! Suzuki is able to land a few knees to the head. Another huge knee. He goes for the Gotch piledriver...Barnett can barely stand...Suzuki can't get him up...but he doesn't let go. Barnett refuses to be picked up...half-crab from Barnett. He switches it to an STF. Fans chanting loud for Suzuki...but he's fading...ref lifts the arm...he keeps it up on the third try! He gets to his feet but Barnett still has a headlock applied. Suzuki with a back suplex! Suzuki falls to the outside. He tries to grab a chair...but someone takes it from him. Restart.

Back in the ring...Barnett goes for a takedown...Suzuki drags him to the outside...he hits the ref! Suzuki picks up a chair and smashes Barnett over the back. That wakes Barnett up. Big boot! He drags Suzuki in the ring...multiple knee strikes to Suzuki's head. No referee to stop the match! Headlock from Barnett!

"5 minutes remaining."

Headlock still in. Suzuki fights out...release suplex from Barnett. Both men down again. Referee has been revived. He decides to let the bout continue. Suzuki and Barnett meet in the center. They trade stiff shots. Barnett wins the exchange...but Suzuki just smiles back. (This man is terrifying.) Suzuki with a haymaker. Barnett reciprocates. They pick up the pace. Barnett with a headbutt! Suzuki with a bigger headbutt!

"1 minute remaining."

Slaps back and forth. This is going down to the wire. Hockey fight. Each man giving it everything they got. Time runs out.

Match goes to a 20-minute draw.

Crowd chants for five more minutes. Suzuki silences the crowd...but then asks for five more minutes. It's granted! CROWD LOSES IT! "GCW! GCW!"

Barnett with a big headkick. Spinning wheel kick! Suzuki bounces back up! Barnett with a German suplex! Suzuki won't stay down! Rear-naked choke locked in by Barnett. He's right in the center. Suzuki bites Barnett's arm! He gets to his feet and bites Barnett in the head! He targets the leg...and bites Barnett's toes! Kneebar is in! Suzuki lets him up. They trash-talk each other. Big shots by both men. Suzuki catches Barnett in the Octopus...Suzuki transitions into a modified chicken-wing. Barnett rotates over...time's running out...Barnett with a waist-lock.

"30 seconds left."

Suzuki with a knee-bar. Time runs out. Neither man will let go. The referee breaks them apart. He calls it.

Minoru Suzuki versus Josh Barnett ends in a draw.

Following the match. Suzuki and Barnett show each other great respect by kneeling to each other. Fans give a standing ovation.

That's the show friends.

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