SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
GCW JOSH BARNETT’S BLOODSPORT 4
FEB. 13, 2021
AIRED LIVE ON BLOODSPORT.WATCH
Announcers: Max Bretos and Josh Barnett
A slick video package introduced the matches for the show.
Bretos went over the rules, which are as follows: no biting, eye gouging, groin attacks, or foreign objects. If a 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.
Barnett and Bretos narrated a video package. They mentioned that both Perez and Guardado are active MMA fighters. Perez trains with Barnett in LA. Guardado trains with Team Couture in Las Vegas.
The show is being shot with some very good cameras and lighting. They are in an empty warehouse of some sort it looks like, but there are Bloodsport banners hung around the ring. It’s definitely being shot with a cinematic flair, which is interesting for a wrestling show.
They added some smoke effect to the entrances, which looks cool.
(1) DIEGO PEREZ vs. GIL GUARDADO
Both men went at it on the mat, but neither man did much damage. Perez got the mount, but Guardado managed to shake him off. Perez went for a couple of kicks, but Guardado avoided them. Perez got his first takedown and he got a mounted front choke and Guardado tapped out.
WINNER: Diego Perez in 4:00.
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a rather unexciting start to the show. Both men looked good working an MMA influenced match, although it’s hard to suspend disbelief when trained MMA fighters are getting out of top mount positions so easily.)
A video package for Royce Isaacs vs. Calder McColl aired. The announcers mentioned McColl was a MMA fighter turned wrestler.
(2) ROYCE ISAACS vs. CALDER McCOLL
The announcers mentioned Isaacs used to play football at 280 pounds and he also had a background in amateur wrestling. Isaacs took McColl down a couple of times. The shots of the ring surrounded with smoke look really nice from certain angles. McColl countered Isaacs and went for a sleeper on the mat, but Isaacs got out of it. Isaacs kept going for stuff on the mat, but McColl kept escaping. McColl had a choke, but Isaacs managed to free himself. McColl got a triangle, but Isaacs got out of it and hit a German. Isaacs went for a wristlock, but it wasn’t tight enough and McColl got out of it. McColl went for a spinning arm bar. He transitioned to a triangle. This time Isaacs tapped.
WINNER: Calder McColl in 10:00. (***)
(Radican’s Analysis: Isaacs seemed to be in control at times, but McColl kept outclassing him on the mat. It eventually paid off in the end with McColl finally getting a tapout to a triangle choke. They did a nice job of teasing the match could end at any point with some realistic looking submission struggles between both men.)
Both men shook hands after the match.
The announcers narrated the backgrounds of Bad Dude Tito and Super Beast. Barnett talked about Tito’s MMA background. Barnett said they didn’t know a lot about Super Beast, who wore a mask.
(3) BAD DUDE TITO vs. SUPER BEAST
Tito had a headlock on the mat, but Beast hit a big backdrop suplex. He went for an arm bar, but Tito countered. They did a nice job of teasing immediate danger for Tito after taking the big duplex. They went back and forth and Beast hit a big German. Beast hit a double wrist lock throw and eventually held on for the submission.
WINNER: Super Beast in 5:00.
(Radican’s Analysis: A short, but compelling fight between these two with some really good drama sold by the announcers and wrestlers.)
The announcers previewed J.R. Kratos vs. Alex Coughlin.
Coughlin, a LA Dojo Young Lion, sprinted full speed into the ring. A short time later he went face-to-face with Kratos before the ref pushed him back.
(4) ALEX COUGHLIN vs. J.R. KRATOS
Kratos has a big size advantage here. Kratos hit a front necklock suplex. He continued to work Coughlin’s neck. Coughlin went for a leg, but Kratos blocked him and continued to pound on his back. Coughline took Kratos down a short time later and went for a Fujirwara armbar. The announcers pointed out how good Coughlin looked making his return to the ring from injury. Coughlin hit a big strike and Kratos went down. He hit some big stomps and went for a deadlift gutwrench suplex and landed it. Kratos tried to block another arm submission attempt from Coughlin. Kratos hit a big slam to escape the arm submission. He then hit a big knee to the jaw and Coughline was out as the ref dove on top of him when Kratos went for some followup strikes.
WINNER: J.R. Kratos in 7:00. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really good mat based encounter with some nice strike and submission battles. Kratos caught Coughlin with a knee strike to the jaw to get the win. Kratos is so impressive on Bloodsport shows.)
The announcers said Nolan Edwards was new to the sport and had two years experience. Kal Jak was positioned as the vet with an ameteuer background looking to annihilate Edwards, who is fresh out of high school. Edwards is also at a big size disadvantage.
(5) NOLAN EDWARDS vs. KAL JAK
Edwards showed some good defense on the ground during the early going. Edwards targeted Jak’s leg, but he eventually got caught with a German. Edwards had the advantage on the mat, but Jak suplexed him. Edwards hit a big leg kick and a jumping headbutt to ground Jak. Jak once again picked up Edwards and dumped him to the mat. Jak hit a gutwrench into a knee drop. The ref checked on Edwards, who was deemed able to continue. Edwards tossed Edwards into the brick wall next to the ring and the ref stopped the match! WOW!
WINNER: Kal Jak in 4:00. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: Edwards had some nice moments here, but he got annihilated down the stretch and it was glorious.)
The announcers previewed Tom Lawler vs. Simon Grimm. These two have wrestled previously on Bloodsport.
Tom Lawler came out to Hanging Tough by New Kids on the Block. They were both even on the tale of the tape. Lawler, of course, has the edge in MMA experience.
(6) TOM LAWLOR vs. SIMON GRIMM
They went back and forth and came to a stalemate. Lawler hit a liver chop and Grimm sold it well. Grimm got a jumping front choke, but Lawler got out of it. Lawler had the upper hand on the mat, but Grimm dumped him over his back to the mat. Grimm got a top wrist lock from the mount position. Lawler was going after Grimm’s leg, but Grimm caught him with some big kicks from his back. Grimm went after Lawler’s arm again on the mat. Lawler hit a knee strike to the liver and he tried to follow up, but the ref quickly dove in.
WINNER: Tom Lawler in 7:00. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: The fight told a nice self-contained story. Grimm took a liver shot early and he made a comeback and seemed to be a step ahead of Lawler at times until he took the big knee to the liver late.)
They showed some nice picture-in-picture replays after the match of some of the action at different angles.
They went to a highlight package for Calvin Tankman vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr.
(7) DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. vs. CALVIN TANKMAN
Tankman took Smith down and got the mount. Smith got his ankle and they came to a stalemate a short time later. They traded bombs and Tankman got the upper hand. He hit some big knees and launched Smith with a German. Smith got up and hit several strikes. They traded blows. Tankman hit some leg kicks, but Smith finally checked one. Smith hit several big knees and a backdrop suplex. He applied a crossface and Tankman tapped.
WINNER: Davey Boy Smith Jr. in 3:00.
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a good showcase of Smith. Tankman appeared to be a threat, but Smith overwhelmed him in the end.)
Smith and Tankman shook hands after the match.
The announcers previewed the Chris Dickinson vs. Jeff Cobb main event.
(8) JEFF COBB vs. CHRIS DICKINSON
Both men went back and forth on the mat. Dickinson got on top of Cobb and hit some big palm strikes. Cobb reversed and got on top of Dickinson. He got out of Dickinson’s guard and backed away. Dickinson wanted Cobb back on the mat and this time Cobb hit some big strikes from the back mount. Dickinson got away and this time he stood up instead of staying on the mat. Dickinson hit a combination of kicks on Cobb and took him down.
Cobb got on top of Dickinson and threw some strikes. Dickinson went for an arm submission. Cobb hit a nice powerslam to escape. Cobb went after Dickinson again, but he got a leg submission. Cobb had Dickinson on top of him on the mat. Cobb suddenly hit a big slam and a series of suplexes and the ref waved the match off.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb in 12:00. (****)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really nice ground based match. Both guys hit hard and they really shined trading bombs. Cobb looked fantastic getting the win down the stretch with a crazy finishing sequence.)
The announcers signed off.
A video narrated by Jon Moxley aired. He said he knows Harry Smith is the toughest out in Bloodsport. He said he wants to rip his head off and put it on his wall. That was the end of the show.
Contact Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him on Twitter @sr_torch
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