Every Original WWE NXT Black & Gold Roster Member - Where Are They Now?

37. Justin Gabriel

Justin Gabriel
WWE.com

What was he doing at the time?

Justin Gabriel was doing Nexus hangover stuff with Heath Slater during the earliest days of new NXT, but both were floating somewhat aimlessly through the WWE system. It was all they did for the longest time, having been chewed up and spat out by their doomed 2010 main roster run. The SummerSlam 2010 main event burial opposite John Cena left a significant scar; one that wasn't healed by a subsequent rejigging for half of them as The Corre. Slater got out in one piece, but Gabriel worked hundreds more times before exiting the company in 2015. 

What is he doing now?

Reclaiming his pre-WWE PJ Black moniker almost immediately following his departure, TAFKA Gabriel got back to wrestling for himself rather than the market leader. He's never really stopped. Black has over 200 matches to his name, all post-WWE, presumably making a healthy living as a valuable and experienced independent wrestler. His most sustained work came in Ring Of Honor, where he held down a spot between 2018 and 2021. As of writing, he hasn't appeared on screen for the company during Tony Khan's ownership of it, but did get a losing dark match spot in 2024. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live.