Bloodsport XV Results: Barnett defeats Nagata, announces Bloodsport is “shelved”

April 17, 2026 John Kleinchester NEWS
Photo Courtesy: @Cory_Hays407

April 17, 2025
The Horseshoe – Las Vegas, NV

By: John Kleinchester

Bloodsport XV Results

  • Matt Mako over Angel Verduczo via Referee Stoppage in 5:41
  • Ulka Sasaki over Joe Dashou via Knockout in 5:17 (Recommended)
  • Zach Sabre Jr. over Ray Jaz via Submission in 6:08
  • Miyu Yamashita over Janai Kai via Knockout in 5:29 (Recommended)
  • Royce Isaacs over Shane Mercer via Submission in 9:06
  • Pete Dunne over Mashashi Takeda via Submission in 8:30
  • Fuminori Abe over Erick Stevens via Referee Stoppage in 6:38 (Recommended)
  • Charlie Dempsey over Timothy Thatcher via Submission in 10:41
  • Nattie Neidhart over Shayna Baszler via Countout in 8:15
  • Josh Barnett over Yuji Nagata via Referee Stoppage in 13:39

 

Welcome to Bloodsport

Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV kicked off with the traditional parade of competitors, followed by Josh Barnett starting to address the crowd when Charlie Dempsey ripped the mic away from him. Dempsey said that this was the most violent event in Las Vegas, and there was no place he’d rather be. With that, the show went into the first match of the evening.

Angel Verduczo vs. Matt Mako

The first matchup of the evening was Angel Verduczo taking on Matt Mako. Verduczo mounted Mako early on but was caught with a Triangle as the two returned to their feet and began a strike battle. Mako applied an armbar, but Verduczo reversed and escaped. He caught Verduczo in a variant of a stretch, but he was able to escape yet again. Mako got caught in a Muta Lock but managed to reverse it and escape. Mako and Verduczo yelled at each other to give the people what they wanted, and they started wailing on each other. From there, Mako got a full mount and scored the win via Referee Stoppage. 

Joe Dashou vs. Ulka Sasaki

Next, Joe Dashou took on Ulka Sasaki. Dashou offered Sasaki a handshake and a hug to start the match, but threw Sasaki to the mat from the hug as the match began. The two took it to the mat from there, and both came out evenly after each attempting submissions. The technical maneuvers continued as Dashou mostly kept Saski flat on the mat. Sasaki responded by striking with solid punches and kicks. Sasaki then absolutely killed Dashou with a knee strike, and Dashou was face down on the mat. 

Zach Sabre Jr. vs. Ray Jaz

The third contest was Zach Sabre Jr. taking on Ray Jaz. Jaz held his own with Zach as the bout began, but Zach continued to have answers for every hold that Jaz applied. The crowd gasped as Zach torqued back on Jaz’s leg, but Jaz escaped once more. Ray Jaz kept attempting submissions, but was unable to fully execute any, as Zach was ready for each one. Jaz hit a big Belly to Belly slam, and Zach appeared to be in pain as he returned to his feet. Ray Jaz got Zach up into position for an Air Raid Crash, but Zach reversed it into a submission as Jaz tapped out. 

Miyu Yamashita vs. Janai Kai

Fight number four featured Miyu Yamashita taking on Janai Kai. Both women began the match exchanging kicks, feeling each other out. Yamashita used her size advantage to drive Kai to the mat, but they both soon returned to their feet, again exchanging kicks and knees that had the crowd oohing and ahhing. Yamashita then nailed Kai with a number of brutal knees to the head, but Kai was able to recover, hitting Yamashita with thrust kicks, knocking her to the outside. She was able to make it back before the ten count, but caught a number of kicks when doing so. Yamashita then nailed Kai with a roundhouse kick to the face, knocking Kai out and scoring the win for Yamashita. 

Royce Isaacs vs. Shane Mercer

The fifth match of the evening saw “Iron Demon” Shane Mercer taking on Royce Isaacs. Both competitors exchanged technical mat-based reversals as the commentary team discussed both of their incredible strengths. No clear advantage was shown in the first four minutes until Isaacs hit some elbows to the head of Mercer. The two continued until Isaacs bailed to the outside to regain his composure. Isaacs then deadlift-suplexed Mercer and applied a Knee Bar, but Mercer broke the grip. Mercer responded with a Wrist Clutch Exploder and a standing Moonsault Fallaway Slam. Isaacs recovered, hitting a throw of his own and applying an Armbar, but Mercer would not tap. Mercer reversed and applied a choke, but Isaacs responded with a Death Valley Driver and a Dragon Sleeper for the Submission victory. 

Pete Dunne vs. Masashi Takeda

Fight number six featured Masashi Takeda taking on Pete Dunne, appearing for the first time as himself since Bloodsport XIV in August 2025. Takeda and Dunne took it to the mat to start things off as both exchanged technical holds. The two started pounding each other in the middle of a submission attempt, neither man flinching. The two stood up and began a striking exchange, with Takeda capturing Dunne in an arm bar. Takeda reversed another Dunne submission attempt by flipping Dunne over onto the mat. Takeda and Dunne then both knocked each other’s mouthpieces out as they returned to an upright strike battle.  Dunne used small joint manipulation on Takeda’s fingers (against the rules, the referee didn’t care), applied a Triangle choke, and nailed Takeda with elbows to the head, forcing Takeda to tap out. 

Erick Stevens vs. Fuminori Abe

The seventh fight saw Fuminori Abe square off against Erick Stevens. This was another bout that saw both men start on the mat, exchanging technical moves with occasional strikes. Both men exchanged headbutts and slaps to the face while trying to get the better of a headlock. One of the headbutts opened Stevens up on the forehead. Stevens hit Abe in the face with crossface strikes and started bleeding from the mouth. Abe then gouged Stevens’ eyes, and for some reason, the referee did nothing to stop it. The two went back and forth until Abe mounted Stevens and hit more headbutts, scoring the stoppage victory.  

Charlie Dempsey vs. Timothy Thatcher

Fight number eight was Charlie Dempsey taking on Timothy Thatcher. Dempsey took control early, applying a Cravat and making Thatcher scream. Thatcher gained an advantage, and Dempsey executed a flip to escape, following it up with a Side Slam. Thatcher then hit a nasty-looking knee to the elbow of Dempsey. Dempsey then got caught in a Half Crab but quickly reversed it into an Ankle Lock. Dempsey then took to strikes and a gut-wrench suplex, but Thatcher would not give up. The two then exchanged brutal strikes, and Thatcher returned to the single-leg crab. The two began an Uppercut exchange before Dempsey hit a German Suplex on Thatcher, following that up with a Chicken Wing that was barely locked in as Thatcher tapped. 

Shayna Baszler vs. Nattie Neidhart

The ninth match saw Shayna Baszler (3-0 in Bloodsport) taking on The Low-Key Legend Nattie Neidhart. Both competitors were accompanied by representatives of their clans, including TJ Wilson, Chris Bey, and plenty more. Both women struggled to gain an advantage as the match began until Baszler sat down on the mat and invited Nattie to take it to her. Baszler feigned going for the Sharpshooter but instead gave Nattie the finger. The two exchanged slaps, and Baszler nailed Nattie in the face with a knee. Nattie applied the Sharposhooter, but Baszler reversed it into the Kirifuda Clutch. Nattie reversed that into a Sleeper and nailed Shayna with strikes to the face, busting Shayna open. Baszler stood up with Nattie on her back and ran, jumping off the ring and into Nattie’s posse on the outside. Shayna then attempted to put Nattie in a choke on the outside, but Nattie rammed her back into the ring steps. Nattie rolled back onto the ring, and Shayna was counted out. Both women started brawling after the bell, and both camps brawled as the crowd booed. This was good, but it became Sports Entertainment by the end. 

Josh Barnett vs. Yuji Nagata

The tenth and final match was Josh Barnett taking on “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata at 57 years young. Nagata took a few shots to the face early on and already had some blood in his mouth. Nagata responded by kicking Barnett in the eye as the two returned to their feet. Both competitors exchanged submission attempts, but neither gained an advantage. Barnett trapped Nagata in a leg lock as Nagata screamed but would not tap, then rolled to the outside to recover. Nagata then hit a sequence of offense, throwing Barnett to the mat and landing a spinning heel kick that the announcers noted was how he beat him 23 years earlier in Japan. The Nagata Lock was applied, and it was Barnett’s turn to scream in pain. Barnett attempted a German Suplex, but Nagata reversed it into a seated armbar. He then caught Nagata with a kick and hit a short arm lariat. Barnett hit Nagata with a suplex, but Nagata shot up and screamed at Barnett to come at them, and the two began a strike exchange. The Warmaster executed a spinning heel kick, followed by ground-and-pound, as the referee called for the bell. Barnett was announced as a winner by submission, but it was a referee stoppage. 

Barnett got on the mic after the match, thanking Nagata and all of the fans. He talked about how it’s been seven years since their first show in Jersey City in 2019. Barnett announced that he was “shelving” Bloodsport, and it wasn’t going six feet under, but it was done for the foreseeable future.  

 

About John Kleinchester 316 Articles
John Kleinchester is a New Jersey–based wrestling reporter, primarily covering WWE and AEW. He can be reached at [email protected].
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