Matt Bloom (Matthew Jason Bloom) — wrestler, coach, and former athlete
American former professional wrestler and football player Matthew 'Matt' Bloom, known for multiple ring names and an international career, now serves as a senior trainer at WWE's Performance Center.
Overview
Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American former professional wrestler and athlete who established a long career in North America and Japan before transitioning into a training and coaching role. He performed under several ring names across promotions, and is widely recognized for his size, power-based in-ring style and his later work developing new talent. For an outline of his public profile see biography and career summaries.
Image gallery
5 ImagesEarly athletic background
Bloom came to professional wrestling after involvement with competitive sports earlier in life, including experience in football and strength training. His athletic background helped him adapt quickly to professional wrestling's physical demands and informed the large-man, strength-oriented persona he adopted in the ring. Sources summarizing his pre-wrestling athletic history can be found via sports and career records.
Prominent ring names and promotions
His first significant exposure in the United States was with the then-WWF/WWE, where he worked under the names Prince Albert, Albert and A-Train between roughly 1999 and 2004. After a period wrestling overseas, he returned to WWE later as Lord Tensai and Tensai from 2012 to 2014. Bloom also enjoyed a lengthy and successful run in Japan from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s. In Japan he adopted the ring name Giant Bernard and worked for major organizations including All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling; additional material about his Japanese tenure is indexed at international wrestling pages and the promotion pages AJPW and Noah.
Style, notable achievements and championships
Bloom is typically described as a "big man" wrestler whose offense emphasized power moves, strikes and heavyweight maneuvers. He achieved championship success in tag team division and as a singles competitor during his career. Highlights include holding the IWGP Tag Team Championship in New Japan, the GHC Tag Team Championship in Pro Wrestling Noah, and the Intercontinental Championship during his earlier WWE run.
Transition to coaching and training
After stepping back from full-time in-ring competition, Bloom moved into coaching and talent development. He has worked for WWE in a developmental capacity and has served as a head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where he helps prepare incoming talent in in-ring technique, physical conditioning and character work. WWE's organizational information and related resources are available at WWE and the Performance Center overview at WWE Performance Center.
Legacy and distinctions
Bloom's career is notable for its geographic breadth and for the variety of personas he presented to audiences over two decades. Few North American wrestlers have combined careers in major American companies with significant championship runs in Japan and gone on to a prominent training role in a major promotion. His work developing younger performers is often cited as an important part of his contribution to the business.
Selected titles
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
- GHC Tag Team Championship (Pro Wrestling Noah)
- WWF/WWE Intercontinental Championship
For further reading on match histories, title reigns and a more detailed timeline of his in-ring career, consult promotion archives and reputable wrestling history resources linked above.
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Matt Bloom (Matthew Jason Bloom) — wrestler, coach, and former athlete Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/126421