Shayna Baszler’s role at the upcoming Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X is the culmination of years of a deal trying to be reached between the indie promotion and WWE.
The two-time WWE NXT Women’s Champion will be part of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport event that will take place during WrestleMania week. This is a huge get for GCW as WWE has historically been against allowing their talent compete elsewhere, though that stance has softened in recent years.
Years in the Making
Baszler’s role at Bloodsport X is a huge deal and isn’t the first time Barnett has made the effort, Fightful Select reports. Years ago, Barnett inquired about the possibility of Jessamyn Duke working Bloodsport while she was under WWE contract. Duke was said to be open to the idea but WWE said no.
Duke had trained with Barnett in the past and had MMA experience thanks to her time on The Ultimate Fighter and UFC. She has not competed in WWE or UFC since her 2021 release.
Getting in Touch
Barnett made the call and personally requested that Baszler appear on the GCW Bloodsport show. It’s reported that he and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque have known each other for years.
Working Together Again?
When the news of Baszler’s involvement with Bloodsport was made public, some suggested that WWE and GCW were working together “again.” This is in reference to a photo that surfaced in 2022 featuring Brett Lauderdale and Stephanie McMahon. At the time, the sight of the pair, alongside GCW talent and staff, in a suit at WrestleMania led to rumors that the two companies were working together.
This wasn’t the case and WWE had some fun with the rumors as company reps didn’t shoot down the notion, but later definitively denied the connection. The ‘Mania suite belonged to Orange Crush, a co-owner of Jersey Championship Wrestling and McMahon was on hand to greet everyone, regardless of affiliation. Sources told Fightful that both WWE and GCW got a good laugh out of the “harmless” rumors.
