Josh Barnett Says Jay White Is Getting Steadily Better, Addresses Their G1 Special Incident

– WrestlingInc.com recently spoke to UFC heavyweight champion and NJPW announcer Josh Barnett for its WINCLY podcast. During the interview, he discussed IWGP heavyweight champion Jay White, and the incident where White accidentally hit and injured Jim Ross at the G1 Special in San Francisco last year. Below are some highlights from WrestlingInc.

Barnett’s thoughts on Jay White: “I haven’t been able to watch any New Japan since the last episodes we did, but Jay White was getting steadily and steadily better. Beyond the fact that they need people to be heels and to be bad guys and to take up that mantle, the Bullet Club became a glorified nWo, like a ‘cool guy’ gimmick. I don’t think anybody actually wants to be a heel anymore, nobody wants to take on the mantle of a real heel wrestler. Everybody wants to be the cool bad guy that can still send [merchandise] and do meet-and-greets and get to pal around with the fan instead of being the guy that doesn’t sign [merchandise], doesn’t sign autographs, keeps that perspective up and gives that heel character some weight to it so that people get invested in wanting to dislike that character… So to have someone willing to go out there and embody more of a heel persona, that’s important, because you’re only as good as your adversaries.”

Barnett on the G1 Special incident with himself, Jay White, and Jim Ross: “To be perfectly honest, I never wanted to talk about the incident with Jay White, myself and J.R. in a shoot way. After it was all said and done, we the principles had sorted it all out, everybody was on board and OK, drinks were had and people became of better use to each other. I figured, it is what it is, but now it’s more useful to be used in a kayfabe manner than it is otherwise. This is heat, use it. He got nuclear heat after what happened. Contrary to what some sources or some critics out there might say, I actually got a huge, gigantic pop when I went after Jay White and went in the ring.”

Josh Barnett on how he wasn’t trying to go into business for himself and how the moment gave Jay White nuclear heat: “No, there was no interest to go in business for myself, I didn’t want any business. I had spoken to New Japan plenty of times about wanting to work matches, but I also knew that as a commentator that creates an issue. OK, fine. But that was a matter of something entirely unrelated to anything that I was interested in terms of doing pro wrestling. That was a moment of reality, not of going in business for one’s self. But the result of it was, Jay White got super nuclear heat, Juice Robinson became such a face out of it, got so much of a response, let’s use it. Mistakes are made, you can’t fix that, but we can go forward with something more positive and more beneficial to everyone… If this is how it’s turned out, and people are getting a good, solid heel that’s creating interest and creating conflict, then fantastic. That’s what’s needed.”

Barnett on how it could’ve been avoided: “I was f***ing mad as hell. It was just irresponsible. I think that the drifting away from the older traditional foundations of what professional wrestling is and how it operates has actually been quite a detriment. If those were more in place, I don’t think things like that would’ve happened. I also think that some of the things we see in professional wrestling would move a lot smoother and with less snags and I think it would allow itself to even become that much greater. But I really do feel like there’s something missing from that traditional foundation of the training, the culture of professional wrestling and being a part of the program. One conversation with me and J.R. would’ve solved all of that.”