Baszler set for Bloodsport as part of reported WWE/GCW collaboration

Not long after Fightful Select reported on a collaboration between WWE and independent promotion Game Changer Wrestler, Shayna Baszler was announced for a WrestleMania week GCW show.

No word yet on Baszler’s opponent at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, one of 11 shows set for GCW’s The Collective, taking place April 4-6 at Philadelpha’s Penns Landing Caterers. But according to Fightful’s report, Shayna will be joined by other WWE wrestlers on that show the Thursday before WrestleMania XL.

Bloodsport features worked mixed martial arts/wrestling matches that can only be won by knockout, submission or referee stoppage, contested without ropes… making it a logical place to feature Baszler given her MMA background.

AEW’s Jon Moxley has worked several past Bloodsport shows, including the last two ‘Mania week editions, but he hasn’t been announced for this year’s edition. AEW-contracted wrestlers are on the card, though — including Baszler’s fellow MMA Horsewoman Marina Shafir. Nic Nemeth, fka Dolph Ziggler, is also booked along with several other TNA and New Japan talents. Here’s the current line-up:

• Josh Barnett vs. Johnny Bloodsport
• Shayna Baszler vs. TBA
• Nic Nemeth vs. Mike Bailey
• Minoru Suzuki vs. Royce Isaacs
• Fuminori Abe vs. Takuya Nomura
• Axel Tischer vs. Timothy Thatcher
• Matt Makowski vs. AKIRA
• Masha Slamovich, Lady Frost, Marina Shafir, and Lindsay Snow in a one-night tournament

Whoever else heads to Barnett’s show, and wherever else this arrangement with GCW leads, it will be WWE’s latest step toward partnering with other wrestling promotions. At the end of last year, NXT’s Charlie Dempsey worked a handful of shows in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Interesting times…