What is the most commonly asked question posed to Josh Barnett within the last 6 months? 

Survey says ? ?When are you fighting next?? 

And truly the best answer I have been able to give is simply, ?I don?t know.?, shortly followed by ?You tell me!? and ?I?d like that made with non-fat milk.?. As answers goes it states the truth, but just because something is true doesn?t mean it that doesn?t suck. If it isn?t apparent already this was not a part of my grand scheme for fighting or world domination this year.

Life does go on and while PRIDE seems dead and buried regardless of rumors that someone is planning to raise it from the grave like a worm ridden gut muncher from a Fulci film, I am still very much alive and since I am not fighting ? I am wrestling. The reason I am not fighting however has nothing to do with any personal reasons with UFC, UFO?s or KFC but actually stems from a vein popping contractual issue with DSE. This in my eyes is the most difficult part about the fight game. I have never been stressed about fighting or training in the ways that all things contractual bring out of me. When it comes to throwing down it?s a simple matter of just steeping in the ring, looking that man in the eyes and saying ?Lets see what you got?, contracts require a sort of trickery that is usually based on deception. Blood is easily spilt but people would die before giving you money. I can assure everyone that I am doing the best I can to work it out but until then, it?s time to take some bumps.  

So?.fast forward to right now on this airplane ?I was contacted a few months back by Mr. Inoki to make my presence known in the IGF (Inoki Genome Federation) ring and to put some tough guys? head?s through the mat. Talks went well and although the initial ideas from match ups didn?t pan out (Like me vs. Hulk Hogan. That?s right brother!), they still, managed to find someone to step up in Tadao Yasuda. In addition to my match I will be joined by some serious company in the pro wrestling and MMA industry: Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Kiyoshi Tamura, Alexander Otsuka and Naoya Ogawa. For sure, Mr. Inoki has put together a great event and now it?s up to us to make it shine. 

Even though I am not fighting some of the people I work with have been finding great success this year. Earlier this year at the ADCC world submission wrestling championships, I brought a tough team of girls -Sayaka Shioda, Megumi Fujii, Hitomi Akano and Shannon Hooper- to compete in the most stacked fields to date. Megumi Fujii wrestled well but unfortunately did not win as planned and brought home the bronze for a second year. Shannon Hooper and Hitomi Akano both got hit with tough draws, Shannon wrestling the eventual champion in the first round, Hitomi wrestling the North American Qualifier Champion, and the returning champion on her way to 4^th place. The MVP of the women?s tournament though, in my eyes, was our own Sayaka Shioda, Megumi?s longtime student.  

Sayaka had a war in every single match of the tournament! Her first match against a very tough Grappler?s Quest and Pan Am games champion Cindy Hales was a rematch from the 2005 Pan Am games finals. Sayaka and Cindy constantly attacked one another for the full 10 minutes with Sayaka getting caught once in a toe hold that tore the ligaments in her ankle! Sayaka managed to fight through it and win the match but now had to face the Brazilian champion Bianca Andrade on one foot. Another hard, tiring match with Sayaka scoring a reversal late in the match to pull ahead and then catch the BJJ black belt in a tight kneebar for the tap out with seconds to go. In the finals Sayaka paired off with North American champion and the wrestler who stunned everyone with a shocking come-from-behind choke of Megumi Fujii ? Felicia Oh. With her ankle swollen and purple and facing one of the best female submission wrestlers in the world, Sayaka took to the mat like someone possessed. She fought with a determination not of disparity but of some who refused to allow any outcome other than the one she wanted. Maybe it was to avenge her coach and friend?s loss to Felicia or maybe to simply prove that she could be the best, Sayaka was relentless in scoring and going for the submission even while ahead on points. In the end two tired wrestlers stood in the center mat but Sayaka was the one with gold around her neck. Way to go Sayaka! You truly have come into your own and showed the potential to the world that we always knew was there. 

Changing gears.  I don?t have any merchandise for sale at this time besides my kick-ass Affliction signature shirt, but I am currently in the process of trying to remedy that problem. I hope to not only create a way for everyone to purchase apparel but also collectible memorabilia, goods like my figures, and some of my merchandise that up until was only available in Japan. This would also include autographed pictures which I have over the past few years received many requests for, has been something I have not been able to do. Cost is one thing but logistics is everything! Hopefully this will come together before the end of the year and I will let everyone know as soon as we get it done. 

Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who has written to me recently. I try to read and respond to all the messages I get sent and I thank everyone for taking their time to write. It?s very tough to respond back to everyone and I can get backlogged very quickly but I will do my best to return the favor and know that I always appreciate the support.

Abayo

Reading: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

Listening to: Cellador ? Enter Deception

Josh