Matt Bloom's best gimmick?

[karl100589]

The question is in the thread title. What's your favourite gimmick for everyone's favourite hairy-backed hoss? Also, what was your opinion of Bloom as a performer, I personally consider him one of the most underrated big men of all time.

[Deleted]

Bernard, easily. His A-Train run was good, with a decent push and some good matches but limited by his stupid name. I liked the T&A tag team, but again his look was dumb and never had a consistent push, which bleeds into his X-Factor run. Hip Hop Hippo was fun, definitely. The less said about Tensai and Sweet T the better...

As Bernard, All and New Japan played to his strengths. He was a big monster heel, who could be overcome by the babyface. Had some great matches with Tanahashi and a great tag team with Karl Anderson. A really great run.

[Zutroy]

Tensai, just because I enjoyed the “will x kill the Lord Tensai gimmick” anytime something was posted about him.

[tirtefaa]

I'm going to say A-Train.

I'm not familiar with enough of his work in Japan or elsewhere, so I'm sticking to what he did in WWE.

A-Train helped redefine Bloom after hitting a brick wall in his career. He was never much more than just a big guy before that. As A-Train he had a vastly superior ring name, as Albert is just stupid. He also had a unique look with the hairy body, and got the 'Shave Your Back" chant over. He was also decent at cutting promos around this time, gaining momentum from minimal spot on Velocity, to having big matches with Lesnar and Undertaker.

It's kind of a shame that Bloom won the IC title at the absolute most abysmal time in his career in X-Factor, as I think he could have easily had a steady US title run or tag title run as A-Train.

[Mozenrath]

Giant Bernard. He had a really solid NJPW run, and is one of the most successful tag guys they've had while also being solid in singles.

That said, it sucks T&A never won the tag belts. Like, no, they obviously weren't presented as on the level as the Dudleyz, E&C, or the Hardyz, but they also were a pretty consistently solid heel team. A month of two with the title would have kept things that much fresher during arguably the strongest period of the tag division.

[Hypnosis]

Bernard.  Much like Vader, he fit like a glove in the Japanese pro wrestling scene as a gaijin hoss.

[Aceorton]

Original Prince Albert for me. I liked his pairing with Droz as the pierced alt-'90s weirdos, before he got turned into a bland hoss wearing black. And "Prince Albert" actually made sense as a ring name, unlike Albert alone. ALBERT. Forebearer to MURPHY, NEVILLE, KAITLYN, BUTCH, etc. I feel like Vince's obsession with uninteresting one-name names may have started here.

[Hypnosis]

Aug 14, 2022 10:38:02 GMT -5 Aceorton said:

Original Prince Albert for me. I liked his pairing with Droz as the pierced alt-'90s weirdos, before he got turned into a bland hoss wearing black. And "Prince Albert" actually made sense as a ring name, unlike Albert alone. ALBERT. Forebearer to MURPHY, NEVILLE, KAITLYN, BUTCH, etc. I feel like Vince's obsession with uninteresting one-name names may have started here.

"Celeste" would have been a better ring name than "Kaitlyn" was.

Just give her a pro wrestling-style last name that doesn't sound similar to "boner".

[Instant Classic]

Never saw his Japan stuff but I loved A Train.

[Push R Truth]

goofball dancing Albert


I wasn't ever entertained by him being "serious", but was normally entertained by him being goofy.

[chronocross]

Not familiar with his work in Japan, so I went with A-Train when he was on Smackdown 2002-03.

[Stu]

Does he still go by Jason Albert on TV?

[XIII]

Lingerie Tensai

[cassonova]

Not being familiar with Giant Bernard, I chose T&A. I thought they looked badass and that they would been a great midcard wresking team.

[Squirrel Master]

The Lord Tensai gimmick should have been a lot better than it was. To me as a fan of all things Japanese, it was a big letdown.
For one thing, why such slow plodding movements?
I would have booked Lord Tensai as a speeding freight train busting out raw power moves… not the whack shit they gave us.

[simplydurhamcalling]

Aug 14, 2022 18:32:06 GMT -5 Squirrel Master said:

The Lord Tensai gimmick should have been a lot better than it was. To me as a fan of all things Japanese, it was a big letdown.
For one thing, why such slow plodding movements?
I would have booked Lord Tensai as a speeding freight train busting out raw power moves… not the whack shit they gave us.

The gimmick may still have flopped but that slow, plodding 80s giant style they had him work killed the whole thing dead within a month.

[Hypnosis]

Aug 14, 2022 18:32:06 GMT -5 Squirrel Master said:

The Lord Tensai gimmick should have been a lot better than it was. To me as a fan of all things Japanese, it was a big letdown.
For one thing, why such slow plodding movements?
I would have booked Lord Tensai as a speeding freight train busting out raw power moves… not the whack shit they gave us.

The match Tensai had with Sheamus on Smackdown back in 2012 was more what the character should have been all along.

[Andee9001]

I liked his partnership with Big Show. I wish they had won the tag titles at some point.

[thegame415]

I think he was kind of ahead of his time, in some ways. I think had he debuted/returned now, he'd have been more over.

But on topic, I'll go with A-Train.

[Dragonfly]

Aug 14, 2022 4:09:38 GMT -5 Zutroy said:

Tensai, just because I enjoyed the “will x kill the Lord Tensai gimmick” anytime something was posted about him.

Will this retrospective poll and subsequent comments ruin the Lord Tensai gimmick?