Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett will be appearing at tonight’s Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Orlando, FL at Universal Studios, according to Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com. This will mark Barnett’s pro wrestling debut for a national US company.
Barnett is currently on a temporary suspension from USADA after failing an out of competition drug test that was taken on December 9th. He is expected to do an angle with TNA champion Bobby Lashley, who is also an MMA fighter and competes for Bellator MMA, at the tapings.
Barnett does have a background in pro wrestling as he has wrestled in Japan and most notably faced Yuji Nagata for the IWGP heavyweight title on January 4th, 2003. He has also worked in IGF in Japan as in 2011 he took part in a tournament to crown an IGF pro wrestling world heavyweight champion. He beat Lashley in the tournament but then lost to Jerome LeBanner in the finals.
