Overview

Phillip Paul Lloyd (born March 3, 1981) is a South African professional wrestler who gained international recognition under the ring names Justin Gabriel and PJ Black. He is widely known for his athletic, high‑flying offense and for being among the first performers from South Africa to reach a major American promotion. His career includes a significant run in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), followed by appearances for Global Force Wrestling (GFW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

Career and development

Lloyd trained and competed in developmental wrestling before debuting on larger stages. While in WWE's developmental system he worked in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he captured the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship and held the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship alongside Kris Logan. On the main roster he became known as Justin Gabriel and joined prominent faction storylines such as The Nexus and later The Corre, which elevated his profile through televised group angles and multi‑person matches.

Gabriel's televised WWE appearances continued into the mid‑2010s. His final televised match for WWE was a loss to Rusev on the January 14, 2015 episode of Main Event. Reports indicated he left WWE in January 2015 and his departure was later confirmed by the company.

Post‑WWE: GFW and TNA

After leaving WWE, Lloyd adopted the ring name PJ Black on the independent circuit and signed with Global Force Wrestling; the signing was announced in May 2015. In August of that year, GFW staged an invasion angle involving Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. During that period Black participated in multi‑competitor matches, including defeating notable opponents such as Lashley, Chris Mordetzky, Eric Young and Robbie E in a King of the Mountain match to win the vacant TNA King of the Mountain Championship. Shortly afterward he challenged EC3 for the TNA World Heavyweight title.

Style, persona and finishing moves

As both Justin Gabriel and PJ Black he cultivated a fast, aerial style built around agility, springboard maneuvers and a signature 450° splash as a finishing maneuver. His in‑ring persona emphasized athleticism and risk‑taking, which made him a popular performer in cruiserweight and open‑style matches. He has worked as a singles competitor and as part of tag teams and factions, adapting his presentation to different promotions and storylines.

Championships, notable matches and legacy

  • FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion (one time) and FCW Florida Tag Team Champion (with Kris Logan).
  • Member of televised WWE factions including The Nexus and The Corre, contributing to major angles on weekly programming.
  • Winner of a King of the Mountain match and holder of the TNA King of the Mountain Championship during an inter‑promotion storyline involving GFW and TNA.
  • Recognized as one of the first South African natives to perform regularly on WWE programming, helping broaden the geographic diversity of mainstream professional wrestling rosters.

Though his career has spanned different companies and continents, Lloyd remains best known for his explosive, high‑risk style and for bridging the gap between development territories and main roster television. His matches often highlight aerial offense and quick pacing, and he continues to appear on independent and international shows, sometimes under either Justin Gabriel or PJ Black.

Further information

For more on his in‑ring history and match records look for profiles and promotion archives linked through official or archival pages. The anchors embedded here point toward general topic pages and primary promotion references: professional wrestler, FCW, WWE, GFW, Rusev, Lashley, Chris Mordetzky, Eric Young, King of the Mountain title, EC3.