NJPW STRONG Openweight ChampionGabe Kidd Announced For JOSH BARNETT'S BLOODSPORT

The NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion is coming to Bloodsport.

This year’s show is scheduled for Las Vegas the week of WrestleMania. Talents from numerous promotions such as WWE, AEW, MLW, TNA/Impact Wrestling, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling are scheduled for this annual event. Thus far, Tom Lawlor, Miyu Yamashita, Timothy Thatcher, Simon Gotch, Royce Isaacs, David Modzmanashvili, Natalya Heidhart, and just recently, Pete Dunne have been confirmed for the upcoming show. 

Gabe Kidd will make his debut for Bloodsport. 

He came through the NJPW US dojo under Shibata - raised in the shark infested waters of "Strong Style".

Then when it seemed all had been lost, has come back like a Phoenix from the ashes and is now set to burn down the opposition...or anything else that may get in his way.

Gabe… pic.twitter.com/12Z0Lzv9fW

— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) March 20, 2025

The 27-year-old has been one of the biggest standouts for New Japan Pro-Wrestling over the past year. However, his match against Kenny Omega really opened some eyes as that bout and the entire feud elevated Kidd as a wrestler. The NJPW’s star continued to rise throughout the 2025 New Japan Cup, even though he was eliminated pretty early. 

At the moment, an opponent has yet to be determined for Kidd, though Pete Dunne vs. Gabe Kidd has become a dream match that could possibly happen. Of course, it’ll still be fun to see Kidd mix it up with anyone under the Bloodsport format. 

For those who don’t follow the unique format, Bloodsport started in 2018 under Matt Riddle’s name. Once Riddle signed to WWE, the event was turned over to former UFC fighter Josh Barnett. The rules are quite simple: every match will end either by knockout or submission. Instead of the traditional pro wrestling ring, the canvas has no ropes or turnbuckles. 

We’re just a little over a month away from the annual Bloodsport and the growing list of names shows signs of a good show. Which name will be announced next for Bloodsport?

There’s still no confirmed matches for the event, but the show still has less than a month away so it’s not a concerning thing. Below are the confirmed names for Bloodsport XIII:

Josh Barnett's Bloodsport XIII (4/17)

• Miyu Yamashita in action
• David Modzmanashvili in action
• Tom Lawlor in action
• Timothy Thatcher in action
• Simon Gotch in action
• Shinya Aoki in action
• Jonathan Gresham in action
• Natalya in action
• Royce Isaacs in action
• Maika in action
• Leyla Hirsch in action
• Konami in action
• Pete Dunne in action
• Gabe Kidd in action