Josh “The War Master” Barnett has had a long history with professional wrestling. He trains in catch wrestling, which is basically the for real and super nasty older brother of pro graps. He’s also straight-up done some pro wrestling in New Japan, so while it might not have been expected, it shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise when Barnett’s open workout for his UFC on Fox 18 appearance was invaded by a masked assailant.
Despite the mystery man getting the jump on him, Barnett managed to get the upper hand and sealed the deal with a running bulldog and a snap suplex that sent his opponent fleeing the ring. Then, in true “War Master” fashion, Josh cut a promo, slipping in a reference to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
It’s very similar to his open workout before his Strikeforce bout against Brett Rogers, which resulted in a second round submission win for Josh. In that exhibition, Barnett dropped a Dusty Rhodes “Hard Times” promo, which obviously isn’t as good as the original, but it’s still pretty solid.
You can see Josh “The War Master” Barnett legitimately fight “Big” Ben Rothwell in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 18 on Saturday. The winner is very likely inches from a heavyweight title fight, so don’t miss it!