AEW has faced a fair number of backstage incidents in recent years. Most infamously, Executive Vice Presidents Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks as well as then-AEW World Champion CM Punk were suspended following a backstage altercation between the two groups following AEW All Out. Punk was allegedly suspended for a second time after an altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In: London last month, which subsequently led to his termination from the company.
Now, Josh Barnett has offered his help to AEW President Tony Khan to ensure incidents like those are not repeated and to ensure that the so-called “chaos”, as he puts it, dies down. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion and namesake for GCW’s Bloodsport shoot-wrestling events took to social media to make the offer to Khan.
“Just a thought: Seems like the AEW locker room is in need of someone to establish some order and reign in the chaos,” Barnett wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “If Tony needs someone to keep discipline and sort out conflict, I’d be willing to take the job. I can promise you there won’t be random fights and anyone asking me if I’d like to, ‘Take it outside.'”
Barnett has had his fair share of crossovers with the world of professional wrestling. Aside from his bi-annual appearances at Bloodsport, Barnett occasionally competes in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and most recently made his Pro Wrestling NOAH debut last week, defeating Masakatsu Funaki in a GHC Martial Arts bout during the N-1 Victory 2023 Finals event on September 3rd.
The 45-year-old hasn’t been afraid of giving his thoughts on AEW and its talent in the past. Back in 2021, Barnett got into a Twitter spat with Jake Hager over the then-Inner Circle member’s MMA career in Bellator. Barnett blasted Hager as “a green boy who fights rookies” whilst Hager hit back with references to Barnett’s past with banned substance violations, which led to him being stripped of the UFC Heavyweight Championship in 2002.