10 Failed WWE Stars Who Re-Invented Themselves In Japan

3. Giant Bernard

Matt Bloom left WWE after a series of failed gimmicks made it nearly impossible for him to get over. Despite being a massive powerhouse of a wrestler and a favourite of Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis, nothing stuck with him. When you're first gimmick is being named after a penile piercing, it doesn't look good for the rest of your career, does it? Released in late 2004 while recovering from a torn rotator cuff, Bloom tried his luck in Japan, where he became a big name in very short order. After a short stint in AJPW that didn€™t lead to anything substantial, he signed with NJPW in 2006, which is when his career really started to take off. Rechristened Giant Bernard, Bloom grew as a performer and became a more accomplished wrestler. He had to, considering he was wrestling in New Japan, where athleticism and work-rate were valued much more than gimmick. Reinventing himself as the top 'gaijin' monster, Bernard became one of the biggest stars in NJPW. He found considerable success as one half of €˜Bad Intentions€™ alongside Karl Anderson, and earned some high-profile victories in several G1 Climax tournaments. Even if he was slower and less mobile than NJPW€™s top stars, he was taken seriously as a wrestler, which is far more than can be said for his earlier (and subsequent) stints in WWE.