Usually I’m not the biggest fan of Bloodsport events. They can be really boring at times. Last year’s Bloodsport 6 event in Tampa was a bore until SHLAK and Super Beast went completely nuts. Then it picked up. This year’s Bloodsport 8 I’m totally on board for. It’s filled with wrestlers that are currently tearing up the scene rather than a bunch of Josh Barnett’s buddies (no Erik Hammer this year). I believe that on paper Bloodsport 8 is the best Bloodsport event yet.
Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 8 will be a part of this year’s The Collective in Dallas, Texas. The event will take place this Thursday March 31st at 3pm CDT. Here’s a full rundown of all 11 announced matches. For match announcements and information regarding all 12 Collective events, you can visit HERE.
One of the main attractions of this show is a rematch of October’s Bloodsport 7 event and the third in a series of matches between the two. One of the best things to happen in independent wrestling in 2021 was Minoru Suzuki’s US tour. In that short tour he fought Chris Dickinson twice in a matter of a week, coming out the victor both times. Both matches were hard hitting and I would expect this one to be also. Will third time be the charm as Dickinson looks to pick up his first victory over Japanese legend Suzuki?
Jon Moxley is no stranger to Bloodsport. Mox has competed in 3 Bloodsport events in the past and holds a 2-1 record. His only loss to Josh Barnett himself. Right before his huge GCW title defense he’s going to be stepping into the ring with someone who is making their GCW debut, Biff Busick. While Biff has never competed at Bloodsport before, his hard hitting style will make him the perfect fit for this show. This will be another very physical match. Expect this to go completely off the rails as both men are completely nuts.
Yoya and Ninja Mack have both been huge breakout stars for GCW in the year 2021. Yoya has competed in Bloodsport before, specifically the last two events. He’s 1-1 in these contests, defeating Starboy Charlie but losing to Lio Rush. While Ninja Mack has yet to compete in a Bloodsport before. Mack mostly known as a high flyer, has shown some tricks in his arsenal lately that might show that he’ll fit right in. Most people don’t know what to expect from this match but it could play similar to Yoya’s match against Rush from last year, a fast paced contest that ends up being one of the better matches on the show.
This is pretty much the rubber match between these two competitors. By now both Masha Slamovich and Janai Kai know eachother well. They each hold a win over eachother with both matches taking place at Combat Fights Unlimited. Both women are very dangerous in their own rights. Masha Slamovich is gonna have to avoid Janai Kai’s kicks while Janai is gonna have to avoid being dropped on her head by Masha. This match could go either way. No matter who wins, this will be a fight.
This might be one of the most intriguing matches of the entire week. Seeing SLADE announced for a match at Bloodsport just completely blows my mind. We know what to expect from a competitor such as Alex Coughlin in a match of this type, as he’s competed in the last four Bloodsport events. But we have absolutely no idea what to expect from SLADE. Not only is he making his Bloodsport debut but he’s making his GCW debut as well. The guy is a mad man and a total wildcard. This match can completely break down into a brawl and I’m here for it.
A battle between two former WWE stars. John Hennigan fka John Morrison will take on Simon Gotch fka Simon Grimm. Hennigan will be making his GCW debut here. While Gotch has competed in almost every Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport except for one, Bloodsport 7 this past October. Both men have a lot to prove here. Hennigan needs to make an impact in his return to independent wrestling. Grimm needs a win here as his record in Bloodsport events is 2-4. It’s going to be interesting seeing Hennigan in a Bloodsport environment and then a lucha show the following day.
HOSS FIGHT! This will be the battle of two giants as Josh Barnett will take on JONAH. Barnett is undefeated in Bloodsport competition, defeating the likes of Jon Moxley and Chris Dickinson. Current Impact Wrestling star JONAH is another wrestler making their GCW debut on this show. This will be the biggest battle on the show, literally, as both men come in at over 250 pounds.
Here is a fight that was set up back in October at Bloodsport 7. Both women picked up victories in their Bloodsport debuts that night. After Marina Shafir’s victory over Masha Slamovich that night, Zeda Zhang challenged Shafir to a match at the next Bloodsport. Zhang said that even though her and Shafir have the same friends and coaches, she’s always felt disrespected by her. Zhang will have to bring some fire to Dallas as Shafir has been on fire lately. She’s picked up quite the winning streak in AEW. The former MMA fighter has proven that she’s dangerous.
Here’s a battle between two Californians. This will be Timothy Thatcher’s first match back in independent wrestling. Even though he’s been in WWE for the past few years, Thatcher has competed at Bloodsport before. He’s no stranger to these types of matches. No better way to welcome him back than JR Kratos. Kratos is usually a fan favorite in these Bloodsport events. He’s a huge dude that’s been making waves lately in NWA and NJPW Strong. A huge test for Thatcher in his return to the indies.
A match that was originally scheduled as Yuya Uemura vs. Matt Makowski but Makowski had to pull out due to injury, as he could be out for up to a year. A lot of the times a match replacement does not live up to the original match announcement. That’s not the case here. No offense to Makowski as he’s a fantastic wrestler but this might even be an upgrade. Since returning to the US independent wrestling scene, Mike Bailey has been performing at the highest level, putting on match of the year contenders in almost every single match that he has. Here he’s facing New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Yuya Uemura. Uemura has only been wrestling for 4 years but has been putting on great performances with the best. He lost to Davey Richards at Bloodsport 7 so he’ll be looking to pick up a victory here.
As a member of New Japan’s Team Filthy, Royce Isaacs is looking to use his mat skills to push past his 1-3 record in Bloodsport. However his opponent is sure to give him a tall challenge as Isaacs is set to face Bad Dude Tito. Tito is also sitting at 1-3 in Bloodsport competition and is surely looking to make up the numbers, starting with Royce. This will be a match of two hungry fighters but which will be hungrier for the win?