Claudio Castagnoli Pins Former UFC Champion Josh Barnett at AEW WrestleDream

– It was a good night for Claudio Castagnoli and The Blackpool Combat Club to start things off in Seattle, Washington tonight at AEW WrestleDream. During the Zero Hour pre-show portion of the card, Castagnoli defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett in a one-on-one match.

Castagnoli’s teammate, Jon Moxley, was ringside for the matchup, and he also did color commentary during the Zero Hour broadcast. Castagnoli and Barnett had a hard fought match, where Castagnoli even managed to pull off a Big Swing on Barnett.

Castagnoli defeated Barnett with a counter attempting to submit the wrestling specialist with an Octopus Hold. He then turned it into a Crucifix pinning combination to score the victory. After the match, Barnett showed his respect for Castagnoli for beating him in his hometown. However, Barnett said he wasn’t done with Castagnoli and would be looking for more time in the ring with him at some point in the future, advising Castagnoli to continue training.

The two shook hands, and Castagnoli responded saying, “Anytime! Any place!” He raised Barnett’s hand in respect, and the two embraced, honoring tonight’s spirit of Inoki-ism for the late Antonio Inoki.

Tonight’s match marked Barnett’s AEW in-ring debut. He’s competed in pro wrestling before earlier in his career, and has also promoted the Bloodsport grappling events for GCW. You can check out 411’s live ongoing coverage for tonight’s AEW WrestleDream RIGHT HERE.