Chad Gable almost made a surprise appearance in GCW during WrestleMania 40 weekend, and now we’re finding out just how close the match came to happening before WWE changed its plans.
GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale took to Twitter on November 5 and revealed that Gable was originally booked to face Jonathan Gresham at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X in April 2024. This wasn’t just an idea being thrown around backstage, either. According to Lauderdale, the match was already planned, and GCW had even prepared an announcement graphic featuring Gable. Everything was ready to go until WWE changed course roughly an hour before the announcement.
Lauderdale explained that the original plan would have seen Gable step into Bloodsport’s unique wrestling environment against Gresham, a matchup that could have been something special considering both men’s technical wrestling backgrounds.
“It was supposed to be Chad Gable vs Jonathan Gresham and it would have been one of the greatest matches of all time lol.”
However, WWE pulled the plug at the last minute because Gable wanted to focus on WrestleMania 40. Lauderdale made it clear that he understood the decision and wasn’t holding anything against Gable or WWE.
“But alas wwe changed course at the last minute because chad wanted to focus on wrestlemania (which i understand). It ended up being a landmark event regardless.”
WrestleMania 40 took place in Philadelphia, where Gable was heavily involved in Sami Zayn’s storyline with Gunther. Gable had been helping Zayn prepare for his Intercontinental Championship match, which ended with Zayn defeating Gunther and ending his historic title reign.
Bloodsport X still featured WWE talent despite Gable’s canceled appearance. Shayna Baszler and Charlie Dempsey competed at the event, while several WWE names, including CM Punk and company president Nick Khan, attended.
The event featured a different style of wrestling, with matches taking place without traditional ring ropes and focusing heavily on submissions, strikes and MMA-inspired competition. Of course, the revelation comes months after Josh Barnett announced in April 2026 that Bloodsport was shutting down for the foreseeable future.
Gable never got the chance to face Gresham at Bloodsport X, but Lauderdale’s comments show that the match was much closer to happening than anyone knew at the time. GCW had the graphic ready, the match was planned, and everything fell apart just before the announcement. That’s a pretty frustrating way to lose a match that could have stolen the show during WrestleMania weekend.
Would you have liked to see Chad Gable face Jonathan Gresham at Bloodsport X, or do you think focusing on WrestleMania was the right decision? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.
