Josh Barnett was originally supposed to face Jon Moxley at Bloodsport before the bout fell through twice. Now that Moxley is set for his Bloodsport debut this weekend, he’s facing Chris Dickinson instead. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion explained why he isn’t competing and why he chose Dickinson as a replacement in a recent interview.
“Well, I have some other prior commitments,” Barnett revealed in an interview with Wrestling Inc. “So, I’m not able to actively participate in this one as a wrestler, even though I will be there as a producer and booker, but Bloodsport isn’t just about getting in the ring. It’s about the nature of the event itself. The design behind it, and I’m really happy to be able to have Moxley there against someone like Chris Dickinson. And I think they’re going to make for a hell of a main event, and we’re going to continue on that legacy that we’ve been establishing since our very first event.”
As for his replacement, Barnett says Moxley is in for a challenge with Chris Dickinson.
“Dickinson is as tough and gritty as they come. I know that he’s got all the skills to go out there and perform, but he’s got that something in common with Moxley and that is they’re just down and dirty, and he’s got the guns. And it wasn’t just about how their skill set would match-up or weakness, strengths and vice versa, but it was about the mental match-up as well, that spiritual magic so to speak. They both have something in common in that vein, and I figured why not. This is like adding gasoline to the fire, and I love it.”
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