Before becoming one of the ring’s most imposing big men, Matt Bloom first terrorized opposing squads on the football field as a 6-foot-7 offensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh. Turning his focus to the squared circle, Bloom learned the ropes under WWE Hall of Famer Killer Kowalski. He joined WWE shortly after, making his debut in 1999 during the height of WWE’s celebrated Attitude Era.
Bloom competed under various aliases throughout his career — Albert, A-Train, Giant Bernard — and found success wherever he went, by any name. He defeated Kane to win the Intercontinental Championship at Madison Square Garden and teamed with Big Show to battle The Undertaker on The Grandest Stage of Them All, at WrestleMania XIX. Bloom also spent years as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s gaijin ace, which is a title bestowed upon the top non-native wrestler in the locker room. Along with Karl Anderson, Bloom still holds the record for the longest IWGP Tag Team Title reign in history.
Ever the student, Bloom fine-tuned his mechanics and acquired new strong-style skills in Japan while also mentoring younger wrestlers, including current WWE Superstar Finn Bálor. Named the Performance Center Head Coach in May 2015, Bloom now passes on his knowledge of the sport and unique skills as an agile big man to WWE’s future Superstars.
