Josh Barnetthas done just about everything an athlete can do in the world of combat sports, from mixed martial arts and submission wrestling to professional wrestling. Among his many achievements is holding the distinction of being the youngest-ever UFC Heavyweight Champion, which he won in 2002 at age 24.
Yet one competitive fighting league you won’t see Barnett in is Power Slap. During a Monday (Nov. 9) appearance on The Ariel Halwani Show, Barnett didn’t mince his words in criticizing the slap
fighting promotion, nor did he hold back in chastising Jake Hager for competing in it.
Regarding Hager working in Power Slap, Barnett said it “is the dumbest thing you could ever do.”
Hager suffered a gruesome injury during Power Slap 23 (Sept. 18) when opponent Johnny Magna landed a blow across the former WWE star’s face. Blood began pouring out of Hager’s eye, and Magna was immediately declared the winer.
Later, it was announced Hager had sustained a globe fracture and would need surgery. More recently, Patricia Blackburn — Hager’s fiancé and fellow Power Slap competitor — revealed he also had a detached retina that required an additional surgery.
When Halwani brought up slap fighting to Barnett, the MMA legend called it “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
While he admitted “there’s some skill to it,” he added “but who cares?”
The Warmaster went on to say a lot of the competitors in slap fighting are made up of “terrible, failed MMA fighters or indie pro wrestlers that want to go out and make a buck.”
He then brought up Hager, better known to WWE fans for his time in the promotion as Jack Swagger.
“We’ve had our differences in the past, but watching Jake Hager go out there, it’s just, what are you doing? What are you thinking? This is the dumbest thing you could ever do,” Barnett said to Halwani.
He continued, “If you needed money or you needed this…Look, man, it kills me to see an Oklahoma wrestler out there…a collegiate D1 wrestler, I think he was an All-American. Pro wrestled in WWE and AEW and all this stuff, fought a few times in Bellator. It’s just like, what are you doing, man? There’s so much more you can do with your life and career. You’d be better off doing MMA than you would be ever doing slap fighting. It’s just not worth it.”
“It appears as though he may have lost his eye,” Halwani interjected.
Barnett replied, “For what? You know, it’s just, I’m sorry. There’s nothing — I can’t say anything good about slap fighting. It’s just, that’s it.”
Do you agree with Barnett’s assessment of Power Slap? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
