Josh Barnett spent two days working with Yuji Nagata before challenging him for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. His first professional wrestling match would headline the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2003.
The former UFC champion could already throw people and apply submissions. Learning to perform with an opponent required something different. Then, days before the biggest wrestling opportunity of his life, he came down with chickenpox.
How Did Barnett Get a Title Match in His Debut?
Barnett had defeated Randy Couture for the UFC heavyweight championship in March 2002, but the promotion stripped him of the belt after a positive steroid test. By the following January, he was challenging for another organization’s top championship under very different rules.
His route into NJPW began with an email to his friend and training partner Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Speaking to Fighters Only, Barnett recalled asking Kohsaka to connect him with the promotion. New Japan arranged a meeting in Santa Monica, where the plan for his debut against Nagata took shape.
Nagata had already defended the championship against former UFC titleholder Bas Rutten. Barnett became another test during a reign that eventually reached 392 days and ten successful defenses.
Their preparation focused on what Barnett could do safely and convincingly. He told Wrestling Inc. that his judo background had taught him how to take falls, and his grappling experience supplied throws and holds. Nagata used their sessions to learn what his new opponent could handle.
What Happened Against Yuji Nagata?
Barnett later told MMAWeekly that he felt overheated beneath the arena lights. By his flight home, the chickenpox had become visible on his face.
The match ended with Nagata landing an enzuigiri, a kick to the head, and covering him. Barnett kicked out just after the referee counted three, then applied a crossface. But the submission came too late. Nagata had already retained his championship.
Barnett had followed Nagata’s work in WCW. Given the chance to share his ring, he wanted to deliver for the wrestler he admired.
“The biggest thing to me was to make Yuji Nagata look like a badass.”
Even in a debut that big, Josh Barnett wanted the spotlight to do something for the man sharing it.
