Josh Barnett’s other career got a little heated over the weekend, as the former UFC star was involved in a confrontation with a pro wrestler that apparently was not a work.
On Saturday Night at G1 Special in San Francisco recently released UFC fighter/NJPW commentator Josh Barnett was involved in an altercation with professional wrestler Jay White after Barnett’s announcing partner, Jim Ross, was injured by a move White was inflicting on an opponent outside of the ring.
Ross’s own announce table was shoved into his torso by the guardrail Jay White and Juice Robinson were interacting with and the 66-year-old Oklahoman was sent flying — and reportedly suffered minor injuries.
.@JoshLBarnett has had enough! 😡#G1USA #NJPW @njpwglobal pic.twitter.com/4g6v7dfBwU
— AXS TV (@AXSTV) July 8, 2018
Barnett then audibly said on the microphone, “Wow! You done f***** up now,” before jumping the guardrail in an attempt to confront White in the ring.
The whole incident lasted about a minute before Barnett rejoined Ross to the announce table to finish their broadcasting duties, as they had yet to call the night’s main event — the Kenny Omega vs. Cody Rhodes match for Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
For the record, the ‘bump’ I took at ringside at #G1SanFrancisco was not storyline driven matter nor was it discussed.
I think I broke a rib.
Couldn’t put my roller bag in the overhead today after a sleepless Sat night. pic.twitter.com/E9hd2FDsXi
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) July 9, 2018
After the incident, many fans took the opportunity to voice their opinions that Josh Barnett had acted unprofessionally during the encounter if it weren’t a staged event, to which the former UFC Heavyweight Champion replied, “Not a work.”
So you’re bad at your job for two different reasons?
— Ham & Eggers (@hamandeggersIG) July 8, 2018
Not a work
— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) July 8, 2018
If we’re to believe Barnett, then that means he jumped over the barricade and selfishly interrupted a scripted professional wrestling show. Even if Jay White really did injure Jim Ross during a spot gone wrong — what exactly would interrupting the show to pursue a much smaller Jay White accomplish?
It’s been widely speculated that the whole event is a work, but a Josh Barnett vs. Jay White grudge match doesn’t seem like the type of match that would draw in casual fans at this stage in Barnett’s career — even though Barnett is now free to wrestle for NJPW should the stars align.
Barnett has been going at it with many pro wrestling fans on Twitter since Saturday Night:
Likewise. You're just another dipshit mark who thinks he knows it all but has no operational foundation. You're clueless and you just like the "shiny objects" damn anyone that actually tells you that they're fishing lures and you don't even know why you bite them.
— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) July 9, 2018
Well shit, AXS and NJPW should just hire this wrestling biz genius over here from Twitter. He's got the solution to everything. He's the smartest mark of all.
— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) July 9, 2018
Yeah guys, listen to this guy. He knows everything about wrestling. In fact, just hire him because he has all the answers.
— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) July 9, 2018
It’s now been reported by John Pollock that Jim Ross was in the emergency room on Monday as a result of the injuries he suffered on Saturday Night at the G1 Special.
An update on Jim Ross – he is currently in the ER and awaiting results due to a rib injury sustained at the Cow Palace card on Saturday, said to be in a lot of pain.
— John Pollock (@iamjohnpollock) July 9, 2018
Should Josh Barnett be fired as an announcer if he went off-script and threatened a wrestler during a live broadcast? Let us know what you think on Twitter @Cagesidepress or on our Facebook Page @Cagesidepress! And let us know where you think his MMA career might resume: Bellator, RIZIN, or beyond?
