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GCW ANNOUNCES REVIVAL OF BLOODSPORT, SETTING OFF CRAZY BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Game Changer Wrestling announced early plans to bring back their Bloodsport event, which had been presented in conjunction with Josh Barnett in recent years.  Barnett stated he was retiring the event this past April during Wrestlemania weekend in Las Vegas.

Barnett had recently talked about trying to get seeking backers in order to resurrect the MMA-infused Bloodsport event and noted online he was not consulted about GCW reviving the event.

This led to Matt Riddle tweeting, "I’m very happy and proud of where blood sport went after I got signed to WWE but the rules, the idea and even the name all came from me. It was my show and my vision and WWN and GCW made it possible along with all the talented wrestlers that participated. One thing I can say with 100% certainty is Josh Barnett did not create or even help with the original bloodsport and then tried to take it for himself, even when I saw him at wrestlemania this past year he said there wouldn’t be anymore blood sports then I replied “that’s not your choice, you don’t own blood sport”. And that was said with a smile and no malice but at the end of the day blood sport will continue and I can’t wait to see what happens next."

Barnett responded, writing on Twitter, "Eh, that's not even close to the whole story lol. And as I have said many times before, over and over again - Matt Riddle's: Bloodsport is a singular, separate event and tangentially related at best. If I made a box set, I would not include it, especially because: Josh"

Danny Demanto, who now runs ICW: No Holds Barred stepped into the chat, stating neither Riddle nor Barnett were part of the initial Bloodsport discussions:

Beyond Wrestling's Drew Cordeiro then wrote, "As someone that worked the first show, I felt like it was treated like a complete afterthought. I got to pick my commentary partner shortly before the show went on air. All the matches went so short there was an impromptu intermission to draw out the run time. Total money grab."

GCW owner Brett Lauderdale wrote in response, "Yes the show that drew 1000 people on a thursday afternoon with Matt Riddle (the hottest indie wrestler in the world at the time) vs Minoru Suzuki was an afterthought and a money grab. Meanwhile beyond wrestling drew 100 people... Which was the afterthought?"

Cordiero responded:

No date has been announced for a Bloodsport event as of this writing, but there sure has been a lot of arguing over the return of the concept.

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