Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 7 results: Minoru Suzuki vs. Chris Dickinson
The seventh installment of GCW Bloodsport is set for Los Angeles, California, Friday as part of two straight nights of shows for the promotion.
The event’s namesake will be in competition against Tiger Ruas, the former Arturo Ruas in WWE NXT. He’s made one AEW appearance since being released and will look for his first GCW win against the former UFC heavyweight champion who is looking for his third straight Bloodsport victory.
Minoru Suzuki will continue his busy U.S. run with a return to the Bloodsport mat when he faces Chris Dickinson. This is his first Bloodsport outing since April 2019 when he and Barnett went to a 25:00 draw. Dickinson is looking for his third straight win at this event.
The rest of the ten-match show will see some returns (“Filthy” Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos, Calvin Tankman, Royce Isaacs) and some debuts (Davey Richards, Marina Shafir, Starboy Charlie).
Our live coverage begins at 11 PM Eastern.
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Show Report —
The entire cast of wrestlers on tonight’s card was introduced, and each came out to open the show. Minoru Suzuki was the last to be brought out.
Chris Dickinson hyped up the crowd before turning his attention to Suzuki. He told Suzuki to save his energy, because he’d need it. Josh Barnett got in between them to prevent a scuffle.
Lenny Leonard and Rocky Romero were on the card. That’s a great commentary team.
Fights on this show can only end by submission or referee stoppage. There are no ropes.
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Yoya defeated Starboy Charlie via TKO (3:42)
Charlie caught a dive right away and took Yoya down. He controlled Yoya’s back with a waistlock, which Yoya rolled out of. There was a great sequence early where Charlie hit an overhead throw, Yoya came back with an up kick, but then Charlie returned fire with a flying guillotine. Charlie flipped out of an ankle pick and landed three sick Germans suplexes.
Yoya went for a convoluted flip into an armbar. Charlie went to shoot, but Yoya met him with a kick and then a PK and laid in ground and pound for the stoppage.
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Zeda Zhang defeated KZT via submission (7:09)
KZT landed a palm strike right away to Zhang’s face. Zhang came back with a judo takedown and then a Northern Lights suplex. She looked for an armbar, but KZT transitioned out and went for an armbar of her own. Zhang stopped the attack and landed body shot knee strikes. KZT got a top wristlock, but Zhang powered out. Neither woman could establish an extended advantage.
Zhang made a mistake and was baited right into a triangle choke. She then gave up her back, and KZT locked on a rear naked choke. Zhang turned it around and powered out of it with a powerbomb.
They stood and faced each other. Zhang was able to take KZT down with a leg sweep before landing wild strikes. She used side control to land more knees to KZT’s body. Zhang then locked on almost a crucifix while laying in strikes, forcing KZT to submit.
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Clark Connors defeated Royce Isaacs via submission (5:34)
They had an amateur wrestling exchange to open things up. It started to kick off with a slap from Isaacs, leading to a great slap fight which concluded with a high kick from Isaacs. Connors blocked an armbar but was met with a double leg takedown. Isaacs got a head-and-arm choke and then a cross armbreaker, but he lost the grip when Connors tried to escape.
Conners hit a spear and a Saito suplex. He escaped another armbar attempt and hopped on with a rear naked choke for the submission.
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Erik Hammer defeated Bad Dude Tito via submission (4:35)
Hammer laid in some quick ground and pound, which staggered Tito. He forced Tito out of the ring, which just infuriated Tito. Tito avoided a jumping knee and took Hammer down with side control. Hammer went for a kneebar. Tito had to fight desperately to escape and used a crotch-grip suplex. They slugged it out, leading to Hammer landing knees and taking Tito down once more. A German suplex followed by the double wristlock got Hammer the submission victory.
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Marina Shafir defeated Masha Slamovich via submission (4:53)
Neither woman could establish an advantage early on. The first big moment was a double ring-out. Slamovich landed a rare Bloodsport dive with a senton onto Shafir on the outside. Shafir caught a spinning backfist and landed a judo throw, taunting Slamovich and daring her to hit back. She landed hard palm strikes to Slamovich, who came back with a Northern Lights suplex into a cross armbreaker (the Minoru Tanaka special).
Shafir caught a kick and landed a big muffler slam. A modified triangle, which Shafir calls “Greedy,” was enough to force Slamovich to tap.
– After the match, Zeda Zhang, who won a match earlier in the show, came out with a mic. They share a similar past in WWE. Zhang called out Shafir, but Shafir brushed it off. They will likely fight at Bloodsport 8.
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JR Kratos defeated Calvin Tankman via TKO (6:55)
They boxed around at the start. Neither man could take the other down as they had a strength stalemate. They went to the mat, where Tankman utilized his weight advantage. After a long bout of grappling, Tankman landed standing knee strikes and locked on a guillotine. Kratos turned it into a big-time vertical suplex.
They faced off again. Tankman was loopy and Kratos hit a big palm strike, but Tankman fired up and landed a German suplex. They traded forearms in the center of the ring. Kratos hit a punch, Tankman hit a back elbow, but then Kratos surprised his opponent with a jumping knee and a sliding forearm for the TKO.
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“Filthy” Tom Lawlor defeated Alex Coughlin via submission (8:10)
Filthy came out in black trunks and a mustache, mocking Coughlin and the NJPW Young Lions.
They performed some classic fundamental-level wrestling at the bell. Coughlin moved to the open guard and took a palm strike for his effort. They both had an Achilles hold on and stared each other down before trading hard strikes and resetting.
Coughlin threw an elbow smash but took a knee strike to the gut. A head and arm choke wore Coughlin down. Filthy went for a key lock, but Coughlin bridged out of it and powered all the way up for an overhead throw. He laid in ground and pound, but Filthy turned it back around and went for an armbar. Coughlin countered a Kimura attempt into a fallaway slam. He tried to follow it up with the Boston crab, but Filthy turned it into a guillotine. Coughlin couldn’t power out, and Filthy landed hammer fists from the omoplata position. Coughlin got one brief moment of respite, but Filthy turned it into a double heel hook and Coughlin tapped out.
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Davey Richards defeated Yuya Uemura via submission (7:17)
The first big moment of the fight was Uemura laying on his back and pulling guard, inviting Richards in. Richards countered it with a jumping double stomp à la Sakuraba. Back at a standing position, Richards laid in strikes, but Uemura leaned into them. One mid kick finally dropped Uemura to the mat, leading the official to check on him.
Uemura exploded out with a shotgun dropkick, sending Richards to the floor. Out on the floor, Uemura dished a relentless assault before bringing Richards back into the ring and going for a double wristlock. Richards rolled into a knee bar and then an ankle lock. Uemura rolled out and caught Richards with a knee to the face. After more knees, Uemura hit a back suplex and locked on a cross armbreaker.
The crowd really wanted a submission there, but Richards eventually countered into an ankle lock. Uemura tried multiple escapes, but after hitting some desperation up kicks, Richards locked on an inverted Figure Four for the submission.
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Josh Barnett defeated Tiger Ruas by submission (9:00)
Some intense grappling early on resulted in both competitors trading control. Ruas went for a triangle but was stacked up by Barnett, the bigger man. A fireman’s carry takeover allowed Ruas to maintain control. The first big move of the fight came about five minutes in, with Barnett landing a belly-to-back suplex. He followed it up with ground and pound, but Ruas transitioned out of an armbar and went for a modified kneebar himself.
Strikes from Barnett evened the fight. Ruas came back with a single leg take down and then overhand palm strikes. Ruas wanted a choke from the back, but Barnett stood up out of it and hit a sidewalk slam. A foot stomp gave Ruas a chance to make a comeback with strikes and a vertical suplex.
They separated and moved to a standing position. Barnett hit a high kick and a knee, but Ruas landed almost a flip kick and then a German. They traded strikes from a kneeling position and then stood up, where Barnett locked on a front choke. A Michinoku Driver followed, allowing Barnett to slap on an armbar for the submission win.
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Minoru Suzuki defeated Chris Dickinson via submission (15:22)
Dickinson utilized his power advantage early on as Suzuki was content to hold back in the guard. Suzuki rolled to the floor and taunted Dickinson, trying to bait him out for a brawl. Dickinson returned by giving Suzuki the amateur wrestling back position. Neither man earned control for a few minutes as they traded holds. Suzuki smiled in Dickinson’s face with a heel hook applied, which got the match to another level.
Suzuki took some hard overhand palm strikes and changed his mood from playful to all business. They traded overhand chops in the center of the ring. After a sick exchange, Dickinson hit a German and went for a head-and-arm choke. Suzuki came back by grinding his knuckles into Dickinson’s eyes. He then hit Bryan Danielson-esque curb stomps.
Dickinson leaned into forearm strikes and they began trading really stiff slaps to the face. The crowd fired up huge for that exchange. Suzuki went for a knee bar, but Dickinson transitioned into an armbar. Suzuki forced a break and rolled to the floor to create some distance between himself and Dickinson.
Back in the ring, Dickinson landed a big mid kick and then a high kick. Suzuki caught a kick and floored Dickinson with a forearm before transitioning into a single-leg Boston crab, which forced Dickinson to tap.