Wikipedia

Matt Bloom

This article is about the American professional wrestler. For the British director, seeMatt Bloom (director).
"Sweet T" redirects here. For similar-sounding names, seeSweet Tea (disambiguation).

Matthew Jason Bloom(born November 14, 1972) is an American retiredprofessional wrestler.He is signed toWWE,where he is the head trainer at theWWE Performance CenterinOrlando, Florida.

Matt Bloom
Born
Matthew Jason Bloom

(1972-11-14)November 14, 1972(age 52)[1]
Peabody, Massachusetts,U.S.[2]
Alma materUniversity of Pittsburgh
Spouse
Farah Louise
​
(m.2005)​
Children2
Ring name(s)Albert[3]
A-Train[3]
Baldo
Big Buford
Giant Bernard
Jason Albert[3]
Lord Tensai
Matt Bloom
Prince Albert
Rusher Road
Sweet T
Tensai
Billed height6 ft 7 in (201 cm)[3]
Billed weight331 lb (150 kg)[3]
Billed fromBoston,Massachusetts[3]
Japan
Trained byKiller Kowalski[1]
Dory Funk Jr.[1]
Debut1997[1]
RetiredAugust 7, 2014
American football career
No. 73[4]
Position:Offensive tackle,offensive guard
Career information
College:Pittsburgh
Undrafted:1995
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Bloom is best known for his in-ring appearances with WWE asPrince Albert,AlbertandA-Trainfrom 1999 to 2004, and asLord TensaiandTensaifrom 2012 to 2014, as well as for his appearances in Japan from 2005 to 2012 withAll Japan Pro Wrestling(AJPW),New Japan Pro-Wrestling(NJPW) andPro Wrestling Noah(Noah) asGiant Bernard(ジャイアント・バーナード,Jaianto Bānādo).Championshipsheld by Bloom over the course of his career include theGHC Tag Team Championship,IWGP Tag Team ChampionshipandWWF Intercontinental Championship.

Early life

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Bloom was born in Peabody, Massachusetts. He attendedPeabody Veterans Memorial High School,where he earned threelettersinfootballandbasketball,two intrack and field,and one inbaseball.Bloom also attended Camp Tevya inBrookline, New Hampshirein the early 1980s, and went on to attend theUniversity of Pittsburgh,where he played football as anoffensive tackleand anoffensive guard.[5]Bloom graduated in 1996 with adegreeinsign language.Following the1995 NFL draft,he was signed by theSan Diego Chargersas an undrafted free agent, but was eventually waived by the team.[6][dubious–discuss]He then became a schoolteacher,[6]teachingmathematicsandEnglishto children withbehavioral problemsanddeafchildren atRevere High School.After rewarding his three most apt students with a trip to a professional wrestling event, Bloom, who as a child had aspired to wrestle professionally, met wrestler and wrestling trainerKiller Kowalskiand expressed an interest in learning how to wrestle.[6]Kowalski invited Bloom to attend hisschool,and Bloom opted to leave teaching and train as a wrestler.[2][5][6][7]

Professional wrestling career

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Early career (1997–1999)

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Bloom wrestled his first match in theWWAon May 15, 1998, facingTiger Ali Singhin a loss, during his brief time in WWA he wrestled notable names such asSgt. SlaughterandBart Gunn.In November 1998, Bloom made hisNWAdebut losing toShawn Stasiak.During his stay in NWA, Bloom andBull PainchallengedNick DinsmoreandRob Conwayfor theNWA OVW Southern tag team titlesending in a no contest. He briefly wrestled as Baldo, agimmickgiven to him by referee Freddy Sparta that saw him wear a fur rug to the ring.[2][5]

After being introduced to talent scoutTom PrichardbyGeorge Steele,Bloom was hired by theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF). After receiving supplementary training fromDory Funk Jr.,Bloom was assigned to the Power Pro Wrestling developmental territory inMemphis, Tennessee,where he wrestled as Baldo. While wrestling inPPW,Bloom won both the Young Guns Championship and theHeavyweight Championship,and engaged in afeudwith Memphis mainstayJerry Lawler,where he defeated him to become the inaugural PPW Heavyweight champion.[2][5][8]

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

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Prince Albert (1999–2000)

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Bloom debuted on WWF television on the April 11, 1999, episode ofSunday Night Heat,savingDrozfrom a beating at the hands ofBig Boss Man.[9]Introduced as the personalbody artistof Droz, Bloom was dubbed Prince Albert (a pun on thePrince Albertgenital piercing). On the April 25 episode ofHeat,Albert made his in-ring debut by teaming with Droz to defeatBrian ChristopherandScott Taylor.[10]Albert's first singles match occurred on the May 8 episode ofShotgun Saturday Night,in which he lost toMeat.Shortly after, Albert and Droz formed a short-lived trio withKey.[3]Albert picked up his first win in WWF on the June 27editionofHeat,by defeatingVal Venisin astreet fightafter assistance by Droz. Droz and Albert attacked Venis until his tag team partnerThe Godfathermade the save.[11]This led to Albert and Droz facing Godfather and Venis in a match on the July 4 episode ofHeat.[12]

Droz and Albert continued to team together and received several shots for theWWF Tag Team ChampionshipagainstHardy Boyz(MattandJeff) but failed to win the titles.[13][14]Droz and Albert then resolved their rivalry with Venis and Godfather by losing to them in a street fight on the July 26 episode ofRaw is War.[15]They also competed in aTag Team Turmoil matchatSummerSlam,to earn a future title shot, but were eliminated byEdge and Christian.[16]Albert received his first singles title shot againstD-Lo Brownfor hisEuropeanandIntercontinental Championshipon the August 21 episode ofShotgun.The team of Droz and Albert prematurely disbanded when Droz waslegitimatelyparalyzedin October 1999,[17]and Albert would then unsuccessfully challenge Brown for the European Championship on the October 17 episode ofHeat.[18]Shortly after, Albert became the protege of the Big Boss Man, and became a part of Boss Man's team, consisting ofMideonandViscera,who lost toThe Big Showin ahandicapSurvivor Series matchat thenamesake event.[19]Boss Man and Albert would challenge Big Show for theWWF Championshipin a losing effort in a handicap match on the December 14 episode ofRaw is War.[20]

On January 23, 2000, Albert competed in his firstRoyal Rumble matchat thenamesake eventas the #21 entrant. He was eliminated byKane.[21]Shortly after, the team of Albert and Boss Man separated following the debut ofBull Buchanan,who formed a tag team with the Big Boss Man.[5][7][8]

T & A (2000–2001)

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Main article:T & A (professional wrestling)

In March 2000, Prince Albert was recruited byTrish Stratusto form atag teamwithTest,with his name being shortened to Albert atWrestleMania 2000in a tag team match with Test against Head Cheese (Al SnowandSteve Blackman), which Test and Albert won.[22]The tag team, known asT & A,competed in the tag team division throughout 2000, and feuded with various rival tag teams. Their first rivalry was againstDudley Boyz(Bubba RayandD-Von), which saw the two teams trade wins in a series of matches including a match atBacklash,which T & A won.[23][24][25][26][27]AtKing of the Ring,T & A competed againstToo Cool(Grand Master SexayandScotty 2 Hotty), TheHardy Boyz(MattandJeff), and Edge and Christian in afour corners elimination matchfor the Tag Team Championship, which they failed to win.[28]Following the event, T & A began feuding with Hardy Boyz, which led to T & A and Trish Stratus taking on Hardy Boyz andLitain a losing effort atFully Loaded.[29]

In October, T & A began feuding with theAcolytes Protection Agency(BradshawandFaarooq), leading to T & A and Stratus facing Lita and APA in a match atNo Mercy,which ended in a no contest.[30]T & A and Stratus would then begin feuding withHolly Cousins(Crash,HardcoreandMolly), which lead to T & A and Stratus facing Crash, Molly andSteve Blackmanin a match atSurvivor Series,which Stratus and T & A lost.[31]The feud ended on the November 27 episode ofRaw is War,where Holly Cousins defeated T & A and Stratus.[32]AtRebellion,T & A competed against Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in atriple threat eliminationtables match,which Dudley Boyz won.[33]On the December 28 episode ofSmackDown!,T & A dissolved when Bloom attacked Test under the orders ofStephanie McMahon-Helmsleyafter T & A won a match against Too Cool.[34]As a result, Albert and Stratus briefly feuded with Test, defeating him in a handicap match on the January 8, 2001, episode ofRaw is War.[35]

X-Factor and The Zoo Crew (2001–2002)

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Main article:X-Factor (professional wrestling)

After moving to singles competition, Albert participated in the2001 Royal Rumbleas the #17 entrant, being eliminated byKane.Over the following months, he wrestled primarily athouse showsand onJakkedandHeat.In March, Albert formed afactionwithJustin CredibleandX-PaccalledX-Factor.The group feuded with the Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray, D-Von andSpike), defeating them in a six-man tag team match atBacklash.On the June 28 episode ofSmackDown!,Albert defeatedKanein ano disqualification match,following assistance byDiamond Dallas Pageto win theIntercontinental Championship,his first and only title in the WWF. During this time, Credible left X-Factor and joinedThe Alliance.Albert held the Intercontinental Championship for a month, retaining the title againstThe Undertaker,Edge,Rhyno,former X-Factor teammate Justin Credible, andTommy Dreamer.AtInvasion,Albert represented WWF by teaming withBilly Gunnand Big Show against Alliance'sChris Kanyon,Hugh MorrusandShawn Stasiakin a losing effort. The following night, Albert lost the Intercontinental Championship to Alliance memberLance Stormon the July 23 episode ofRaw is War,after several wrestlers interfered.[8]Following the title loss, Albert and X-Pac continued X-Factor as a tag team until November, when X-Pac was sidelined with an injury.[5][7][8]

Albert would then begin teaming with Scotty 2 Hotty after defeating him in a match on the November 4 episode ofHeat.On the November 10 episode ofJakked,Albert and Scotty teamed for the first time and defeated Alliance membersRavenand Hugh Morrus,turningAlbert into afan favorite.Albert was nicknamed "The Hip Hop Hippo" as he danced with Scotty after matches and became a comical character. AtSurvivor Series,Albert participated in abattle royal,with the winner getting immunity from being fired regardless of the result of the match between WWF and Alliance. Albert was eliminated byBilly Kidmanand Test. AtVengeance,Zoo Crew defeatedChristianand Test. On the December 13 episode ofSmackDown!,Albert and Scotty's team was named Zoo Crew as they teamed withTazzto defeat Christian and Dudley Boyz in a six-man tag team match. On the December 17 episode ofRaw is War,Zoo Crew unsuccessfully challenged Dudley Boyz for the WWF Tag Team Championship.

On January 20, 2002, Albert participated in the2002 Royal Rumble matchas the #17 entrant. He was eliminated by Christian andChuck.On the January 24 episode ofSmackDown!,Zoo Crew unsuccessfully challenged Spike Dudley and Tazz for the WWF Tag Team Championship. AtNo Way Out,Zoo Crew participated in a tag team turmoil match to determine the #1 contenders for the Tag Team Championship. The APA won the match. In March, the WWF roster was divided into twobrands,and both Albert and Scotty were assigned to theSmackDown!brand.[8]They disbanded on the April 4 episode ofSmackDown!when Albert attacked Scotty after the duo failed to defeatBilly and Chuckfor the WWF Tag Team Championship, turning Albert into avillain.Albert defeated Scotty on the following episode ofSmackDown!.[8]Albert then moved to singles competition, mainly competing onVelocityfor the next several months. During that time, Albert made a pay-per-view appearance atRebellion,where he lost toRikishiin aKiss My Ass match.

A-Train (2002–2004)

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Bloom as A-Train.

Albert competed in his first match onSmackDown!since July, on the December 5 episode ofSmackDown!by defeatingRey Mysterioin a short match. Albert continued to attack Mysterio after the match, until Mysterio's tag team partner Edge made the save. The following week, onSmackDown!,Albert joined forces withPaul HeymanandBig Show,which saw Heyman persuade him to rename himself to A-Train and debut new attire, the latter of which saw fans often chant "Shave Your Back!" at him during his matches due to hishairytorso.[36]Following the name change, A-Train continued his rivalry with Edge, losing to him via disqualification after a chair shot atArmageddon.On the December 19 episode ofSmackDown!,A-Train and Edge had a rematch, which A-Train decisively lost via pinfall.

On January 19, 2003, A-Train participated in the2003 Royal Rumbleas the #25 entrant. He was eliminated by Kane andRob Van Dam.A-Train would then continue his alliance with Big Show as they lost to The Undertaker in a handicap match atWrestleMania XIX,after assistance by The Undertaker's originally supposed partnerNathan Jones,who was attacked earlier in the show. A-Train continued the feud with The Undertaker by costing him a match againstJohn Cenaon the August 7 episode ofSmackDown!.This culminated in a match between A-Train and The Undertaker atSummerSlam,which A-Train lost. A-Train then lost toChris BenoitatNo Mercyand, atSurvivor Series,was onBrock Lesnar's team in a ten-manSurvivor Series matchin a losing effort toKurt Angle's team, in which he was pinned byBradshaw.[8]On the January 22, 2004, episode ofSmackDown!,A-Train defeatedShannon Mooreto qualify for the2004 Royal Rumble match,which he failed to win after being eliminated by the eventual winner, Chris Benoit. After Benoit decided to wrestleTriple Hfor theWorld Heavyweight Championshipon theRawbrand,General ManagerPaul Heyman held a SmackDown! brand-exclusive Royal Rumble on the January 29 episode ofSmackDown!,to determine who would meet Lesnar for theWWE ChampionshipatNo Way Out.A-Train was eliminated by the eventual winnerEddie Guerrero.

A-Train wastradedto the Raw brand on March 22 before making his official Raw debut on June 7, losing toChris Jericho.His last match was a loss toVal VenisonHeat.[8]Two weeks later, he was sidelined with atorn rotator cuffand was released from his WWE contract on November 1, before he could return.[37]

All Japan Pro Wrestling (2005–2006)

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See also:Voodoo Murders

In March 2005, Bloom began wrestling for the JapaneseAll Japan Pro Wrestlingpromotion, adopting the ring name "Giant Bernard" (a reference to wrestlerBrute Bernard). He went on to join theVoodoo Murdersstable alongside fellow WWE alumniChuck PalumboandJohnny Stamboli.On October 18, 2005, Bloom unsuccessfully challengedSatoshi Kojimafor theTriple Crown Heavyweight Championship.[7][8]

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

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Various feuds (2006–2009)

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In January 2006, Bloom left AJPW and joined the rivalNew Japan Pro-Wrestling(NJPW) promotion. In April 2006, he defeatedYuji Nagatain the finals of the 2006New Japan Cup.As a result of his victory, Bloom received a shot at theIWGP Heavyweight Championship.He unsuccessfully challenged IWGP Heavyweight ChampionBrock Lesnaron May 3, 2006, inTenjin,Chūō-ku, Fukuoka.[7]

In July 2006, following the abdication of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship by Lesnar, Bloom entered a tournament for the title, losing toHiroshi Tanahashiin the tournament final. In August 2006, Bloom took part in the 2006G1 ClimaxTournament, losing toHiroyoshi Tenzanin the semifinals.

On March 11, 2007, inNagoya,Bloom andTravis TomkodefeatedManabu NakanishiandTakao Omorito win theIWGP Tag Team Championship.[7]At the February 17, 2008, New Japan show, they lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship toTogi MakabeandToru Yano.Following Tomko's departure forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestlingon a full-time basis, Bernard began teaming with formerWorld Championship WrestlingwrestlerRick Fullerin another powerhouse tag team. On September 5, 2008, Bernard and Fuller betrayedShinsuke NakamuraandHirooki Gototo align themselves withTogi Makabe'sGreat Bash Heelstable.

In addition to wrestling for NJPW, Bloom also wrestled for their affiliate Wrestle Land as Rusher Road, where he was a member of the Roads stable until the brand's closure.

Bad Intentions (2009–2012)

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Main article:Bad Intentions
Bloom as Giant Bernard in 2012.

In 2009, after betraying Togi Makabe, Bernard and the rest of GBH left the stable to join Shinsuke Nakamura and form the new stable known asCHAOS.Bernard formed the tag teamBad Intentionswith CHAOS partnerKarl Andersonand together the two of them went on to win that year'sG1 Tag Leagueafter defeatingApollo 55(Prince DevittandRyusuke Taguchi) in the finals of the tournament on November 1. They went on to challenge for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, but their match with the defending championsTeam 3D(Brother RayandBrother Devon) atDestruction '09ended in a double countout.[38]In April 2010, both Bernard and Anderson left CHAOS when the stable turned on them.[39]

Through NJPW's working agreement withConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre,Bloom did his first tour ofMexicoin May 2010, where he and Anderson managed to win six successive Two-out-of-Three Falls tag team matches in two straight falls, before he lost his final match of the tour on June 11 via disqualification.[40]Upon his return to Japan, Bernard and Anderson defeated the teams ofSeigigun(Yuji NagataandWataru Inoue) andNo Limit(Tetsuya NaitoandYujiro Takahashi) in aThree-Way Elimination matchon June 19 atDominion 6.19to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[41]Bad Intentions made their first successful defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championship on July 19, defeating Seigigun and No Limit in a three-way "Dogfight".[42]In late October, Bad Intentions entered the2010 G1 Tag League,where, after three wins and two losses, they finished second in their block. This put them in the semifinals where, on November 7, they were defeated by eventual winners Yuji Nagata and Wataru Inoue.[43][44]On January 4, 2011, atWrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome,Bad Intentions successfully defended the IWGP Tag Team Championship in a three-way match againstBeer Money, Inc.(James StormandRobert Roode) and Muscle Orchestra (Manabu NakanishiandStrong Man).[45][46]On May 3, Bad Intentions defeated No Limit to make their seventh successful IWGP Tag Team Championship defense, tying the record for most defenses, set by Hiroyoshi Tenzan andMasahiro Chono.[47]

Bad Intentions made their record-breaking eighth successful IWGP Tag Team Championship defense on June 18 atDominion 6.18againstPro Wrestling Noah'sTakuma SanoandYoshihiro Takayama,and in the process also became the newGHC Tag Team Championsupon defeating Sano and Takayama for the title.[48]After the main event of the show, Bernard challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which Tanahashi said he would accept, if Bad Intentions beat him in a match for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, alongside the man he just defeated - Hirooki Goto.[49]On July 3, Bernard and Anderson successfully defended the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Tanahashi and Goto.[50]By winning, Bernard earned an IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Tanahashi on July 18, but failed.[51]

On July 23, Bad Intentions made an appearance for Pro Wrestling Noah, making their first successful defense of the GHC Tag Team Championship against the team ofTakeshi MorishimaandYutaka Yoshie.[52]On September 9, Bad Intentions became the longest reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions, breaking the previous record of 446 days set byHiroyoshi TenzanandMasahiro Chonoin 2003. Bad Intentions made their second GHC Tag Team Championship defense on October 31, defeatingGo ShiozakiandShuhei Taniguchiat a Pro Wrestling Noah event.[53]During New Japan's2011 G1 Tag League,Bad Intentions suffered their first tag team loss in a year, when they were defeated by the Complete Players (Masato Tanakaand Yujiro Takahashi),[54]but still managed to win their four other matches and advance to the semifinals of the tournament.[55]On November 6, after defeating the Billion Powers (Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in the semifinals, Bad Intentions were defeated in the final of the 2011 G1 Climax bySuzuki-gun(Minoru SuzukiandLance Archer).[56]On November 12 atPower Struggle,Bad Intentions made their tenth successful IWGP Tag Team Championship defense against Archer and Suzuki.[57]

On January 4, 2012, atWrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome,Bad Intentions lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship toTencozy(Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima), ending their record-setting reign at 564 days.[58]They followed suit with their other title on January 22, losing the GHC Tag Team Championship toAkitoshi SaitoandJun Akiyama.[59]

Return to WWE (2012–present)

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Lord Tensai (2012–2013)

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Bloom, as Lord Tensai (which was later shortened to Tensai) making hisWWEreturn onRaw.

On March 17, 2012, it was reported that Bloom had re-signed with WWE.[60]Bloom publicly denied the signing;[61]however, on the March 19 episode ofRaw,he appeared in a vignette under the new ring name "Lord Tensai" ( thiên tai ).[62][63]On the April 2 episode ofRaw,Bloom made his WWE re-debut as Lord Tensai, where he was accompanied by his followerSakamotobefore defeatingAlex Riley.[64]In the following weeks, Tensai went on a winning streak, scoring pinfall victories over lower card wrestlers and even main stars includingJohn CenaandWWE ChampionCM Punk.[65][66]

Bloom, as Lord Tensai, making his way to the ring

On the May 21 episode ofRaw,Tensai dropped the "Lord" portion of his ring name and his Japanese outfit worn during his entrance.[67]Following this, Tensai began losing much more frequently throughout the rest of 2012,[68]beginning with John Cena ending his winning streak before he also suffered a loss toWorld Heavyweight ChampionSheamus.[69][70]His losing streak caused Tensai to often vent his frustrations by abusing and attacking Sakamoto, who eventually ceased appearing with Tensai.[71][72]On the June 29 episode ofSmackDown,Tensai defeatedJustin Gabrielto break his losing streak and also qualify for a spot in theWorld Heavyweight ChampionshipMoney in the Bank ladder matchatMoney in the Bank,[73]though the match was ultimately won byDolph Ziggler.[74]Over the next three months, Tensai's losing streak resumed, as he lost to the likes ofTyson Kidd,Sin Cara,Randy Orton,andRyback.[68]Tensai finally ended his losing streak on the October 5 episode ofSmackDown,defeating Big Show by disqualification after Sheamus interfered. However, he would be back on the losing end the following week, after being defeated by Sheamus.[75]On November 18 at theSurvivor Seriespay-per-view, Tensai took part in a traditionalFive-on-Five Elimination tag team match,but he was the second man eliminated from his team, but not before eliminatingBrodus Clay.[76]In December, Tensai was demoted to a comedy act, withSantino Marellacalling him "Fat Albert" before proceeding to defeat Tensai.[77][78][79]

Tons of Funk (2013–2014)

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On the January 28, 2013, episode ofRaw,Tensai was tricked into wearinglingeriewhile participating in adance-off with Brodus Clay.[80]Two days later onMain Event,after being mocked for his lingerie dance, Tensai defeatedTitus O'Neilin a singles match. Clay came out to support Tensai during the match and Tensai danced with Clay after the match, signalling afaceturn.[81]Following this, Clay and Tensai formed a tag team and they went on to defeat established teams such asPrimo and Epico,Heath SlaterandJinder Mahalof 3MB, and Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody RhodesandDamien Sandow), with the latter match taking place during the pre-show ofElimination Chamberon February 17.[82][83][84]On the March 22 episode ofSmackDown,Tensai and Clay were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars in a tag team match after an interference from their associatesThe Bella Twins.[85]Tensai (also now referred to by the name Sweet T)[86]and Clay announced their official tag-team name "Tons of Funk" on the March 27 episode ofMain Event,where they accompaniedThe Funkadactyls(CameronandNaomi) to the ring in a losing effort to The Bella Twins with Team Rhodes Scholars in their corner whenNikkipinned Naomi after an interference by Cody Rhodes.[87]

The two teams were originally booked to face each other in an eight-person mixed tag team match on April 7 atWrestleMania 29,[88]but their match was cut due to time constraints.[89]The match instead took place the following night onRaw,where Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls emerged victorious.[90]After nearly a month of in-ring absence, Tons of Funk returned on the June 6 episode ofSuperstars,defeating Primo and Epico.[91]On June 24, Tensai and Clay competed in a Triple Threat tag team match to determine the number one contenders for theTag Team ChampionshipagainstThe Usosand 3MB (represented byDrew McIntyreand Jinder Mahal), although The Usos would ultimately win the match.[92]In November 2013, Tons of Funk began to show signs of instability once Clay started a storyline where he became angry and jealous of the debutingXavier Woods.[93][94]As Clay began to exhibit moreheel-oriented tendencies, such as repeatedly attacking Woods after he had defeated Woods in a match, Tensai and the Funkadactyls slowly became alienated from him.[95]AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs,Clay faced Woods' partner,R-Truth,and continually assaulted Truth instead of going for a win, resulting in Tensai and the Funkadactyls leaving in protest and Clay subsequently losing the match.[96]On the December 20 episode ofSmackDown,Tensai defeated Clay in a singles match after a distraction from Woods and the Funkadactyls.[97]

Retirement and trainer (2014–present)

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After Tons of Funk disbanded, Bloom was taken off television and, in January 2014, began working in WWE's developmental territoryNXTas a commentator under the new ring name "Jason Albert".[6]On August 7, Bloom stated he decided to retire from in-ring competition and announced that he would begin working as a trainer in theWWE Performance Center,resuming his teaching profession.[98]On March 6, 2015, Bloom was reportedly promoted to interim NXT head trainer following the departure ofBill DeMott.[99]On May 19, Bloom was promoted to NXT head coach from his previous interim role.[100]

Personal life

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Bloom married Farah Louise on September 3, 2005.[1]

At one point, Bloom had 28body piercings,the first of which he received at the age of 14.[2]His numeroustattoosrepresent his 8-year tenure in Japan.[101][failed verification]

Other media

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Bloom has appeared in twenty video games under his various gimmicks, such as Prince Albert inWWF WrestleMania 2000,as Albert inWWF SmackDown!,WWF No Mercy,WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role,WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It,WWF Raw,WWE WrestleMania X8,WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth,as A-Train inWWE Raw 2,WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain,WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw,as Giant Bernard inFire Pro Wrestling 2,[102]Fire Pro Wrestling Returns,[103]Wrestle KingdomandWrestle Kingdom 2,[104]as Willy Pearce inWrestling Empire,and as Tensai inWWE '13(as DLC) and inWWE 2K14[105].Bloom also appears as a trainer in MyCareer Mode inWWE 2K16,credited as Jason Albert, andWWE 2K17,[106]WWE 2K18,[107]andWWE 2K19[108]under his real name.

Championships and accomplishments

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^After winning the championship, Bernard held the title by himself.

References

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  3. ^abcdefgShields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009).WWE Encyclopedia.DK.p.10.ISBN978-0-7566-4190-0.
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  5. ^abcdefMartin, A. (May 18, 2005)."Matt 'A-Train' Carter Interview: Talks about career in WWE, Droz, more".WrestleView.RetrievedMay 18,2007.
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  7. ^abcdef"Giant Bernard".PuroresuFan. Archived fromthe originalon January 24, 2008.RetrievedMay 17,2007.
  8. ^abcdefghijk"Giant Bernard".Accelerator3359. May 3, 2006.RetrievedMay 18,2007.
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  16. ^John Powell (August 23, 1999)."Foley new champ at SummerSlam".SLAM! Wrestling.RetrievedSeptember 6,2023.
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  18. ^"Sunday Night Heat--October 17, 1999".PWWEW.net.RetrievedSeptember 6,2023.
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  24. ^John Powell (May 1, 2000)."Rock victorious at Backlash".SLAM! Wrestling.RetrievedSeptember 6,2023.
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