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Catch Wrestler Exposes Josh Barnett: He’s Never Even Competed in Catch Wrestling…Ever!

Catch Wrestler Exposes Josh Barnett: He’s Never Even Competed in Catch Wrestling…Ever!

When it comes to Catch Wrestling, Josh Barnett is today’s figure head. After his big win by submission over Dean Lister at Metamoris, Barnett put Catch Wrestling back on the map.

However, not everybody in the Catch Wrestling community appreciates his presence. Curran Jacobs is a catch wrestler and former Michigan State Spartans’ team captain and has recently called out Barnett stating that he has never even competed in Catch Wrestling and that he is all hype. Curran then issued an open challenge to Barnett.

 

When I commit to and prepare for a competition, I know that if someone else is working harder than me and dedicating themselves to this sport more than I am, they will defeat me. That is exactly why I compete…to preserve the integrity of this sport.
Josh Barnett is heralded by the MMA and submission grappling fan base (who have had little to no exposure to catch wrestling) as the greatest catch wrestler alive. His fans probably don’t even realize that he has never competed in a single catch wrestling match…ever! They simply believe he is the best because someone started the rumor one day (probably Josh Barnett) and everyone started believing it. Its like an old urban legend. But, in terms of actual catch wrestling, Josh is a legend in his own mind. And he would like to maintain his legendary status by avoiding any real threat to the delusion that he has created for himself. He simply has too much to lose. But now, his hype train is running on fumes.

Josh: simply put, it’s time to put up, or shut up…which kinda puts you between a rock and a hard place.

Curran competes in the 180-200 lbs. weight class which way under the 240lbs of Barnett. He had a clear message to the entire catch wrestling community:

“To every catch wrestling organization out there, I think it’s important that we start supporting each other and that we unify under one banner and that we agree to team up. We’re very small in the grappling world right now. If we want to grow and succeed, then we’re going to have to team up.”

 

After finishing his college wrestling career in 2012 and moving to California to pursue an acting career, Curran Jacobs, like many former college wrestlers, thought that he had “hung up my shoes for good.” Then he had dinner with MMA and wrestling legend Randy Couture and wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman.

Discussing his decision to compete in catch wrestling, he said:

“Well, it was a pleasant surprise, and it came by me completely by chance. I had dinner with Randy Couture and Mike Chapman in Malibu about a month ago. And Mike was talking about Frank Gotch, one of the greatest American wrestlers of all time, way back in the day. Not too many people are familiar with him, which is unfortunate because he played a huge role in what wrestling is today.”

I myself wasn’t really aware of him until Mike brought him to my attention. I did a little research and was just completely blown away. And I got excited about this catch wrestling ordeal. And Mike told me about Coach Raul Ramirez putting on this tournament, this event on June 7th. And as he was talking about it, I kind of got a little excited and said, ‘Where can I sign up?'”

If you are interested in learning more about Catch Wrestling, specifically as it pertains to competition grappling, you should check out Neil Melanson.  If you haven’t heard of Neil Melanson you’ve probably heard of the various champions he’s coached (Blackzilians team and Extreme Couture)

Neil learned his skills from the Hayastan Grappling system, developed by Gokor Chivechyan and Gene LeBell.  He is considered one of the foremost experts on Catch Wrestling.  For more information about Neil’s impressive grappling style, pick up his DVD set in which he covers some of his coveted techniques.