GCW Boss Reveals WWE Blocked Chad Gable’s Bloodsport Match

GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale revealed on November 5, 2026, that Chad Gable was originally booked to face Jonathan Gresham at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X in April 2024.

Lauderdale posted the news on Twitter, stating that a graphic for the match was already prepared for the official announcement.

"It was supposed to be Chad Gable vs Jonathan Gresham and it would have been one of the greatest matches of all time lol," Lauderdale wrote.

The match was dropped at the last minute because WWE changed course.

According to Lauderdale, Gable wanted to focus on WrestleMania 40 instead.

"But alas wwe changed course at the last minute because chad wanted to focus on wrestlemania (which i understand)," Lauderdale added.

"It ended up being a landmark event regardless."

The announcement was pulled roughly one hour before it was scheduled to go live, according to Ringside News.

Bloodsport X took place during WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Gable did not end up competing at WrestleMania 40 or the previous night's WWE SmackDown in Philadelphia.

Instead, Gable was involved in the storyline between Sami Zayn and Gunther leading up to WrestleMania 40.

Gable helped Zayn prepare for his Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther.

Zayn defeated Gunther at WrestleMania 40, ending Gunther's historic title reign.

Despite Gable's canceled appearance, Bloodsport X still featured WWE talent.

Shayna Baszler and Charlie Dempsey competed at the event.

Multiple WWE names attended the show, including CM Punk and WWE president Nick Khan.

Bloodsport is a unique wrestling event promoted by Josh Barnett, a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and professional wrestler.

Matches take place without traditional ring ropes, on a canvas floor with no turnbuckles.

The style focuses heavily on submissions, strikes, and MMA-inspired competition, blending pro wrestling with shoot-style elements.

GCW, or Game Changer Wrestling, is an American independent promotion known for its hardcore and deathmatch style, though Bloodsport operates as a separate brand under its banner.

Jonathan Gresham is a highly regarded technical wrestler, known for his ROH World Championship reign and his Pure wrestling style.

Chad Gable is a WWE performer with an Olympic amateur wrestling background, having competed in the 2012 London Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling.

The potential matchup between Gable and Gresham was seen by fans as a dream clash of two elite technical wrestlers in a shoot-style environment.

Lauderdale's tweet did not specify which WWE official made the decision to block the booking.

He also did not indicate whether Gable was aware of the planned Bloodsport appearance before it was canceled.

This revelation comes years after the event took place, offering new insight into how close the match came to happening.

Bloodsport X was the tenth installment of the event series, which began in 2018.

Josh Barnett announced in April 2026 that Bloodsport was shutting down for the foreseeable future.

That announcement made Lauderdale's revelation particularly significant, as the window for Gable vs. Gresham to ever happen under the Bloodsport banner has now closed.

The match was never rescheduled for any other Bloodsport event before the series went on hiatus.

Gable and Gresham have also never faced each other in any other promotion since the planned match fell through.

Lauderdale made clear he held no grudge against Gable or WWE for the cancellation.

"Which i understand," he wrote, referring to Gable's decision to prioritize WrestleMania 40.