Josh Barnett Reveals Scrapped Plan for Bloodsport Match Against Goldberg

Josh Barnett just dropped a surprise that has left fight fans stunned — he was originally supposed to face Goldberg in the main event of Bloodsport Bushido in Japan last year.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Barnett revealed that before his 22-minute war with Jon Moxley, the initial plan for the show’s top match was something far more explosive: Josh Barnett vs. Bill Goldberg.

“This isn’t something I’ve said publicly yet, but I’ll do it here. So when we did Bloodsport Bushido in Japan last year, the main event was me vs. Jon Moxley. But during the planning of the event, the original main event was actually going to be me vs. Bill Goldberg.”

Barnett explained that the match wasn’t just an idea — it was practically locked in. He and Goldberg had agreed on all terms and were actively trying to make it happen.

“Me and Bill had come to an agreement about it and everything—we were trying to make it happen. We had agreed on all the necessary items, but he’s a very important man with a lot of obligations and contracts and stuff, so unfortunately, we couldn’t make it happen.”

Instead, the card featured Barnett defeating Jon Moxley by TKO in what many considered a classic slugfest. Still, the idea of seeing Goldberg in Bloodsport — a gritty, no-ropes, hard-hitting environment — had the potential to be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

With Goldberg now officially retired from in-ring competition following his farewell match against GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Barnett’s revelation is a reminder of just how close fans were to witnessing a dream match that never came to life.

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