Frank Mir faces Dan Severn in Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport

Bloodyelbow.com

Frank Mir vs. Dan Severn probably is not a headline you were expecting to read in 2019.

The two legendary heavyweights will square off in the upcoming MMA-professional wrestling hybrid event Bloodsport. The inaugural event was hosted and headlined by former UFC fighter and current WWE NXT star Matt Riddle. The upcoming installment of the show is being promoted by Game Changer Wrestling as “Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport.”

Mir, 39, is on the worst skid of his professional mixed martial arts career. He lost four consecutive fights between 2012 and 2014. Mir had a brief run of success in 2015 with back-to-back knockouts of Antonio Silva and Todd Duffee. What followed, however, were four more losses. Most recently, he submitted to punches against Javy Ayala at Bellator 212.

This will be Mir’s professional wrestling debut, but his opponent is far more experienced in that regard. Severn has worked for a number of major wrestling promotions in his day, including the National Wrestling Alliance — where he won two NWA World Heavyweight Championships — and the World Wrestling Federation. The 60-year-old officially wound down his MMA career following a 2012 win over Alex Rozman at Blue Blood MMA. That improved his professional record to a ridiculous 101-19-7.

The event will be headlined by Barnett himself, who meets former IWGP Intercontinental champion and New Japan Pro Wrestling mainstay Minoru Suzuki. Barnett has had many brushes with professional wrestling, working for NJPW and IGF, as well as a brief stint on Impact Wrestling.

Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport takes place on Thursday, April 4 in New Jersey.