NJPW legend to make Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport debut
An NJPW legend is set to make his Bloodsport debut during WrestleMania week in Las Vegas.
Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata will be competing at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV on Friday, April 17. His addition to the lineup was announced by Josh Barnett today, though an opponent was not named.
A man who has fought in the biggest arenas in Japan for over 30years.
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) March 11, 2026
-A Greco-Roman standout
-Triple Crown Champion
-GHC Heavyweight Champion
-NEVER Openweight Champion
-G1 Climax winner
-One of the longest reigns of all time as IWGP Champion
One of the most decorated and… pic.twitter.com/2aDOKw8NoO
The 57-year-old Nagata was one of NJPW’s top stars of the 2000s and still competes to this day, including challenging for the IWGP title in 2025 during Hirooki Goto’s reign with the belt. Nagata and Barnett have a history that includes main eventing the Tokyo Dome against each other in 2003.
Bloodsport XV is being held at Horshoe Las Vegas as part of Game Changer Wrestling’s slate of events during Mania week. While no matchups are officially on the books yet, there are now more than a dozen names confirmed. The show will air live on Triller TV+ with a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific.
Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XV participants —
- Yuji Nagata
- Ulka Sasaki
- Timothy Thatcher
- Pete Dunne
- Shayna Baszler
- Erick Stevens
- Fuminori Abe
- Ray Jaz
- Angel Verduzco
- Joe Dashou
- Masashi Takeda
- Matt Mako
- Royce Isaacs
- Miyu Yamashita
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.