MMA Veteran Spoke To CM Punk For Competing In Bloodsport Following WWE’s Association

CM Punk is currently on the road to recovery after sustaining an unfortunate triceps injury at the hands of Drew McIntyre back at the WWE Royal Rumble 2024. Despite being on the sidelines, he was still considered for an opportunity to get in the ring with WWE’s new associative partner, Bloodsport.

Started by Josh Barnett, Bloodsport has established itself as standout event during WrestleMania weekend, offering a unique fusion of wrestling and MMA that sets it apart from the plethora of other offerings throughout the week.

Breaking new ground, Bloodsport X will feature WWE talent Shayna Baszler, who has honed her skills under Barnett’s guidance, stepping into the ring against Masha Slamovich. This marks an unprecedented crossover between the worlds of WWE and Bloodsport, promising an electrifying clash unlike anything seen before.

During a recent conversation with Phil Strum on Under The Ring, Josh Barnett revealed that he had contacted multiple individuals to compete in the show including The Best in the World, CM Punk.

“If given the chance to bring other guys in, of course, I’ve spoken with Malakai Black a few times about coming into Bloodsport. I’ve spoken to CM Punk. It would be great to have Chad Gable or Bron Breakker or any number of people with amateur backgrounds. Charlie Dempsey is out there showing catch-as-catch-can. He spent the time abroad training for quite some time and I’ve worked with him over distance for some years prior, just sending videos, going over techniques, and having conversations. The kid is doing all his own work because he really wants to be the type of wrestler that you think he is, it’s important to him. I can see it. There is a whole wealth of talent out there that could be great. Miro, from AEW, maybe someone like him would be a good fit. There is plenty of talent. At the end of the day, it’s not just what I would want or who I could get. Bill Goldberg is like family to me. Maybe he’ll want to get into Bloodsport, who knows. Whoever it is, they have to see this ring for what it is and what we’ve created and say, ‘That’s something I’ve got to do. That’s me. I want to show myself and shine myself in a place like this.’ When you put those two things together, who knows what can happen.” 

CM Punk is slated to appear on next week’s edition of Monday Night RAW, emanating from the All-State arena in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. While he currently recuperates from the injury that led to him missing WrestleMania 40 as a competitor, he could explore the idea of collaborating with Josh Barnett for an appearance on Bloodsport in the future.

Do you want to see CM Punk compete in Bloodsport against some of the world-class in-ring talent someday? Sound off in the comments!