Baron Corbin is back. Well actually, Tom Pestock is back.
The former WWE star officially has his first match on the independent scene as he’ll take on Josh Barnett in a Bloodsport match this Sunday! It will take place at The People vs. GCW at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
The former Baron Corbin’s WWE contract wasn’t renewed last November. He was in a string of releases that featured Tegan Nox and Indi Hartwell. The former United States Champion expressed his dismay over the way officials handled him in his final months leading up to his release, but Pestcok has been relatively silent otherwise. There were rumors that New Japan Pro-Wrestling was in talks with the 40-year-old, though that news has yet to be confirmed.
Nevertheless, it should be fun to see how Corbin does on the independent scene as his style is mainly based on WWE’s. Though a Bloodsport match still plays within that ballpark, it's still vastly different from what he was used to for 12 years.
For anyone who doesn't know what a Bloodsport match is, it’s a hybrid of MMA and wrestling. The matches have no roped rings and you CANNOT win by pinfall. You can only win by knockout, submissions, or decisions. Past Bloodsport matches were genuinely fun to watch and given that Barnett is one of the masterminds behind the concept then it should be no different here.
Below is the full line-up for The People vs. GCW show on January 19th:
- Griffin McCoy, Kerry Morton & Tony Deppen vs. Amazing, Grim Reefer & Homicide
- Steel Cage Match: Richard Holliday vs. Charles Mason
- Megan Bayne vs. Atticus Cogar
- Matt Cardona open challenge
- Masato Tanaka vs. Joey Janela
- Little Guido, Super Crazy & Tajiri vs. Los Desperados (Arez, Gringo Loco & Jack Cartwheel)
- Bloodsport Match: Josh Barnett vs. Tom Pestock (Baron Corbin)
- GCW Ultraviolent Title DLC Match (vacant): Matthew Justice vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Matt Tremont vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Dr. Redacted vs. Drew Parker
- El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem
- GCW Tag Team Title Match: Violence Is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) (c) vs. Gahbage Daddies (Alec Price & Cole Radrick)
- GCW World Title #1 Contendership Match: Effy vs. Allie Katch
- GCW World Title Match: Mance Warner (c) vs. Effy or Allie Katch
- PCO to appear
- Sabu to appear