Originally published at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 4 Report: Cobb vs. Dickinson, Moxley speaks
GCW presents Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 4
February 13th, 2021
By: John Siino
Commentary: Max Bretos & Josh Barnett
“Welcome to this worldwide celebration of violence known as Bloodsport. This is the hardest hitting event in all of professional wrestling. A sacred ground for those who roam the earth in search of combat to offer their blood, sweat, and guts. A chance to be venerated in victory. There’s nothing left to do but fight. We come here to Bloodsport.”
Rules
- No biting
- No eye-gouging
- No groin attacks
- No foreign objects are allowed
- If the fighter ends up outside the ring, the fighter must be allowed to return freely, and they must return within 10 seconds or lose by TKO
- A fighter can win by knockout (referee stoppage – TKO) or by submission
Diego Perez (debut) vs. Gil Guardado (debut)
These are two current lightweight MMA fighters, Perez (CMMA) from Los Angeles, CA with a professional record of 1-2-0, and Guardado (Xtreme Couture) from Las Vegas, NV comes in at 5-3-0. They take it right to the mat with Guardado escaping from a back take. They start kicking until Guardado takes Perez back down into a guard position. Perez escapes out of a side choke, applies a waist lock that Guardado escapes from. They end up back on the mat with Perez mounting Guardado. Perez attempted a cartwheel lick that got blocked. Perez mounts into a front choke to get the submission victory.
Winner: Diego Perez by submission at 4:13
Royce Isaacs (debut) vs. Calder McColl (debut)
Two heavyweights here, with Isaacs (WCWC) from Denver, CO most recently seen on NWA Powerrr as a former NWA Tag Team Champion with Thomas Latimer, while McColl from Glasgow, Scotland is a former MMA fighter turned pro wrestler. They start by teasing each other with an amateur wrestling point system until Isaacs takes him down with a double leg. They exchange side headlocks with Isaacs coming out on top. Isaacs with another double-leg then mounts on McColl to land some strikes but turns McColl into another front headlock. McColl comes back with a hip toss, but Isaacs applies a choke that McColl is able to break out of. McColl rolls through into a choke while connecting with stomach strikes. Isaacs reverses out as McColl strikes back in guard. McColl ends up on the mount, but Isaacs blocks the strikes. Isaacs applies a half crab that quickly gets broken up. Isaacs breaks out of a triangle choke and suplexes McColl right into a wrist lock submission. McColl hits a back kick right into an armbar, transitioning into a triangle choke as Isaacs taps out.
Winner: Calder McColl by submission at 8:09
Super Beast (debut) vs. Bad Dude Tito (debut)
Not much is known about the masked wrestler Super Beast from Sacramento, CA as he goes up against Bad Dude Tito (Vermin) from Los Angeles, CA. These two big heavyweights quickly get on the mat before Tito rolls out. They start exchanging strikes and kicks with Beast blocking a takedown and rolling through Tito. Tito takes Beast down with a headlock takeover and strikes the head. Beast hits a massive backdrop suplex and mounts Tito into an armbar. Tito reverses into an armbar himself. Beast is able to escape and slam Tito down to the mat. They continue with strikes and forearms, but Tito takes the Beast down with kicks. Tito attempts a waist lock, but Beast reverses into a German suplex. Super Beast from a wrist lock into a toss as he cranks down on Tito for the submission.
Winner: Super Beast by submission at 5:31
JR Kratos (1-1) vs. Alex Coughlin (debut)
Coughlin (NJPW) from Long Island, NY is making his return from a neck injury (sporting a nice mustache), his first match since June 2020 while Kratos (NJPW) from Sacramento, CA has most recently been seen on NJPW Strong. Kratos comes in with a 60-pound weight difference as they both get into each other’s faces before the contest starts with the referee separating them. They start with strikes, Coughlin is able to mount on Kratos but the much bigger Kratos is able to just toss him off. Coughlin is able to take down Kratos with a double leg, but Kratos is able to get on top and deliver knees before Coughlin squirms out. They exchange mounts and takedowns until Kratos is able to use his power and is able to deliver a front neck suplex back into the front face. Kratos goes for a big slap but Coughlin is able to dodge it and take Kratos back down. Kratos delivers a kick but Coughlin blocks the second one and delivers stomps to Kratos. Coughlin is able to lift up the big Kratos with a deadlift suplex into a submission, but Kratos is able to powerbomb out of it and delivers a huge knee and the referee stops the match as Kratos starts the strikes and opens up the face of Coughlin.
Winner: JR Kratos by knockout at 8:00
Kal Jak (0-1) vs. Nolan Edwards (debut)
Kal Jak (SPW) is fighting out of Vacaville, CA against the much younger and smaller 22-year-old Edwards (Dirty Orphan Gang) from Long Island, NY. Jak with a 111-pound difference on Edwards. Jak easily takes down Edwards with a suplex at the start and this match quickly scrambles along with Edwards escaping repeatedly until Jak takes him down once again with a pair of suplexes. Jak with a single leg takedown, but Edwards is able to keep escaping and fighting back. Jak hits a German suplex into a front face. Edwards is able to reverse into a front headlock, but Jak hits a release Northern Lights Suplex, but Edwards escapes out of a Gut wrench suplex. Jak throws Edwards and then hits a gut wrench into a knee. As it looks like the referee is about to call it off, Jak throws Edwards right into the brick wall, and the referee calls off the match before he can even count him out.
Winner: Kal Jak by knockout at 3:42
Simon Grimm (1-2) vs. Tom Lawlor (1-2)
Lawlor (Syndicate MMA) from Las Vegas tries to get the invisible crowd to swing their arms to ‘Hangin’ Tough’ against Hoboken, NJ’s Simon Grimm. Neither men with any of their MLW CONTRA Unit or Team Filthy shenanigans here, as in Bloodsport, shit is real. They quickly take it to the ground with Grimm with a leglock that Lawlor gets out of. They start striking before Lawlor takes Grimm down with a spinebuster. Lawlor applies the side choke, as Grimm escapes out and applies an upside-down waist lock. Grimm applies a front choke quickly, but Lawlor easily escapes into an armbar. Grimm gets in the guard position but flips out into a front headlock. Grimm is able to hit a water wheel drop and a knee to the side of the head. Grimm transitions into a Fujiwara arm lock, but Lawlor rolls through right into a head scissors by Grimm. Lawlor gets out a kneebar attempt and strikes knees to the liver of Grimm. Grimm takes down Lawlor into another arm lock. Lawlor hits a soccer kick to the liver, and then they hit a barrage of standing strikes until Lawlor hits a charging knee strike followed by strikes until the referee stops the fight.
Winner: Tom Lawlor by knockout at 7:18
Davey Boy Smith Jr. (3-0) vs. Calvin Tankman (1-0)
Smith from Calgary, Alberta is representing UWF x USA here coming out to Loverboy’s “Turn Me Loose” while Tankman from New Castle, IN is representing GCW to 2Pac’s “Hail Mary”. Smith tries to take down the big Tankman, but Tankman is able to fall on Smith and strike until Smith reverses into a quick ankle lock. Smith is able to take Tankman down from a waist lock into a wristlock, but Tankman rolls over until Smith powers out. Smith mounts Tankman and delivers elbows to the side of Tankman’s head. Smith is able to toss Tankman out of the ring, but the frustrated Tankman is able to get back in at 6. They deliver standing strikes until Tankman delivers knees into a German suplex. They go into another strike exchange, throwing in forearms, kicks, and knees until Smith hits Tankman with a backdrop suplex, right into a cross face and Tankman quickly taps out.
Winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr. by submission at 4:29
Jeff Cobb (debut) vs. Chris Dickinson (1-3)
Cobb from Honolulu, HI representing NJPW vs. Staten Island, NY’s Dickinson representing GCW both have been appearing on NJPW Strong but have yet to cross paths there. They quickly lock up, with Cobb able to knock Dickinson up and over. Dickinson comes back with a takedown of his own and mounts onto the back of Cobb. Dickinson attempts an armbar, but Cobb escapes but falls right into a heel hook by Dickinson. They both catch a breather until they go through a test of strength, with Dickinson able to take Cobb down with a single leg. They roll around until Dickinson puts on a kneebar. Cobb continues to be taken down on his back, but Cobb bridges and turns over Dickinson and strikes Dickinson on the head. Dickinson ends up back on the mount and delivers strikes of his own until Cobb quickly reverses. Dickinson applies an ankle lock that Cobb is able to forearm strike his way out of. Dickinson with a barrage of kicks followed by an under-hook takeover putting Cobb back on his back. They stay on the mat for a while trying to upper hand until Dickinson mounts the back of Cobb and rains down with strikes. Dickinson gets into full mount and into an attempted armbar that Cobb reverses out of. They go back and forth trying to outmaneuver each other until Cobb hits a power slam. Dickinson gets right back up and is able to take down Cobb. Cobb powers out and launches Dickinson with a pair of German suplexes that causes the referee to stop the match.
Winner: Jeff Cobb by knockout at 11:08
Jon Moxley Speaks
We go to a quick video where we see Jon Moxley speaking; “I know that Harry Smith is the toughest out in Bloodsport. And that’s why I’m coming after him. I’m going to rip his head off and put it on my wall”. And this is our announced main event for Bloodsport 5 on February 20th, 2021.
Siino Vision: Highly enjoyed the aesthetics of this undisclosed ‘secret location’ in Los Angeles. This is what Raw Underground should have been. Empty warehouse, with brick walls and nobody in there but the fighters and some staff, with a real smoky look to the whole presentation and having no fans there made it feel and sound more vicious with every strike and blow, and a much-improved overall attempt than the last one in Indiana.
I like how they have built Davey Boy Smith Jr. as an undefeated threat at 4-0 and should make his match with Jon Moxley a much-anticipated match that hopefully will get more people talking about it with just a week build. I feel like the fact that these two shows are happening in such close proximity to each other and overall was very quick from its initial announcements to the shows themselves. I must admit though, this is the first time I didn’t see a GCW show on FITE as these shows were only available for purchase on their Bloodsport.Watch website and I had zero issues when watching some of it as it aired live as well on-demand the next day, and the layout of the website made it really user friendly for me. They had a couple of packages where it was cheaper to buy it in a bundle and even included a T-shirt bundle but wished there were more of a buzz for the shows.
These events are always fun being so different from the norm. The closest to a ‘pro wrestling’ spot we might have got when former NXT talent Kal Jak viciously threw Nolan Edwards against the brick wall. We don’t have a card without the aforementioned Moxley/Smith main event for Bloodsport 5, but hopefully, that alone will get enough people to come and join me here next week and check it out.
7 bricks walls out of 10