Riddle Says Barnett Did Not Create Bloodsport and Does Not Own It
Summary: Matt Riddle said in a social media post on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that the rules, idea and name of Bloodsport came from him and that Josh Barnett did not create it. GCW announced Bloodsport Reborn on Nov. 9.
The quick version
- Matt Riddle posted on Nov. 11 that Bloodsport's "rules, the idea and even the name all came from me," per F4W Online and Ringside News.
- He wrote that Josh Barnett "did not create or even help with the original bloodsport and then tried to take it for himself."
- GCW announced Bloodsport Reborn on Nov. 9 with no date or card. Barnett has not replied to Riddle in anything we read.
Matt Riddle says Josh Barnett did not create Bloodsport and does not own it. Riddle wrote on social media on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, that the rules, the idea and the name all came from him, F4W Online (Ian Carey) and Ringside News (H Jenkins) reported. The post comes two days after GCW announced Bloodsport Reborn.
What Riddle wrote
The quotes below are as printed by F4W and Ringside, and we did not open the post. Riddle wrote: "I'm very happy and proud of where blood sport went after I got signed to WWE but the rules, the idea and even the name all came from me. It was my show and my vision and WWN and GCW made it possible along with all the talented wrestlers that participated."
He then wrote: "One thing I can say with 100% certainty is Josh Barnett did not create or even help with the original bloodsport and then tried to take it for himself."
Riddle said he saw Barnett at WrestleMania weekend this year. He wrote that Barnett "said there wouldn't be anymore blood sports then I replied 'that's not your choice, you don't own blood sport'." He said it was "said with a smile and no malice," and that "blood sport will continue."
F4W says the post was made on Wednesday and calls it social media. Ringside says it was on Instagram.
The background
The first show, Matt Riddle's Bloodsport, ran on April 5, 2018, produced by GCW, per F4W. Barnett took the concept over in 2019 after Riddle signed with WWE, per Fightful and Wrestling Inc. Barnett ended the series in April 2026 at Bloodsport XV, per Fightful. Fightful notes the shows carried GCW branding even though Barnett put them together.
On Monday, Nov. 9, Barnett told Ariel Helwani he was looking for investors to bring Bloodsport back. See our story on his comments. Hours later GCW posted "Bloodsport Reborn, coming soon." On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Barnett replied "You and me both" to a fan who said they were not consulted. See our story on that reply.
What is not known
GCW has not said who is running Bloodsport Reborn, or given a date, a venue or a card. Neither GCW nor Barnett has responded to Riddle in anything we read. Who holds the rights to the Bloodsport name has not been reported, and Riddle's post does not claim a legal right.
Source: F4W Online's story and Ringside News' story, both read in full. Both print the same quotes. Wrestling Inc., Fightful and an earlier F4W story, read as search excerpts only, for the background. We did not open Riddle's post, so the exact words and the platform rest on those two outlets. We did not contact Riddle, Barnett or GCW. Nothing in this story is a rumor. It reports what Riddle said, not whether it is true.
Sources
- F4W Online (Ian Carey), "Matt Riddle accuses Josh Barnett of trying to take Bloodsport for himself", Nov. 11, 2026 (Riddle's post, the 2018 date, Barnett's Helwani comments). https://www.f4wonline.com/news/other-wrestling/matt-riddle-accuses-josh-barnett-trying-to-take-bloodsport/
- Ringside News (H Jenkins), "Matt Riddle Accuses Josh Barnett of Stealing Bloodsport After Claiming He Created It", Nov. 11, 2026 (the same quotes, and that it was on Instagram). https://www.ringsidenews.com/matt-riddle-accuses-josh-barnett-stealing-bloodsport-claiming-he-created-it
- F4W Online (Shounak Chakrabarti), "GCW officially announces Bloodsport Reborn", Nov. 2026 (the Nov. 9 announcement and what it said). https://www.f4wonline.com/news/indies/gcw-officially-announces-bloodsport-reborn/
- Wrestling Inc. (Eric Mutter), "GCW Teases Return Of Former Josh Barnett Promoted Event Bloodsport", Nov. 10, 2026 (Riddle as the first face, Barnett taking over in 2019). https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2312130/gcw-return-josh-barnett-bloodsport-reborn/
- Fightful (Jeremy Lambert), "Josh Barnett Says He Wasn't Consulted On Bloodsport Reborn", Nov. 10, 2026 (Barnett's reply, the GCW branding). https://www.fightful.com/wrestling-news/josh-barnett-says-he-wasnt-consulted-on-bloodsport-reborn
- Fightful (Jeremy Lambert), "Josh Barnett Explains Decision To Stop Bloodsport Events For The Foreseeable Future", Apr. 20, 2026 (the April end of the series). https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/josh-barnett-explains-decision-to-stop-bloodsport-events-for-the-foreseeable-future
- Matt Riddle's post, Nov. 11, 2026. No link: we did not open it.
- WrestlingNews.com, "Josh Barnett Says Bloodsport Is Shopping for Investors", Nov. 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/josh-barnett-says-bloodsport-is-shopping-for-investors/
- WrestlingNews.com, "Barnett Replies 'You and Me Both' to GCW Bloodsport Reborn", Nov. 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/barnett-replies-you-and-me-both-to-gcw-bloodsport-reborn/
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read the F4W and Ringside stories in full, read Wrestling Inc. and Fightful as excerpts, and checked the dates against our earlier stories. We did not see Riddle's post.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.