TNA Spoilers: Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Makes Debut
TNA Champion Bobby Lashley gets some fresh competition.
TNA fans were dealt a major surprise when former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett made his Impact Wrestling debut at last night's tapings in Orlando.
World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley was in the ring, claiming that nobody in MMA or pro-wrestling could beat him, when out came Barnett to challenge him to a match.
The duo later fought in a contest that will air on television sometime in February, and it ended in controversy. Barnett was briefly announced as TNA Champion after "beating" Lashley, but referee Brian Hebner missed Lashley's shoulder going up. A second official arrived to explain what had happened, the match was restarted, and Lashley walked away with the victory.
TNA's previous experiments with MMA fighters like Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson have flopped, but Barnett brings significant wrestling pedigree. Aside from being a huge fan of the sport, he has wrestled more than 50 matches in Japan since 2003, and currently does commentary for NJPW on AXS TV. He's currently serving an MMA suspension from the US Anti-Doping Agency after failing and out-of-competition drug test, and it's unclear when (or if) he'll fight for the UFC again.
Barnett and Lashley have some shared history in wrestling, with Barnett defeating Lashley in Japan back in 2011. Here are handful of photos from Barnett's TNA debut:-