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#1 Matt Bloom (Giant Bernard)
Finally, we have the reason for the title of this article. My list was originally going to be "5 current WWE Superstars who competed in the New Japan Cup". Unfortunately, the only man in the company who has won the entire tournament is no longer a WWE Superstar. However, the current head trainer of WWE's Performance Center was quite the force to be reckoned with in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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After an up and down run in the WWF/WWE, Matt Bloom would make his way over to Japan to hone his craft and become a better performer than he was during his time in the US. Following a brief stint in All Japan Pro Wrestling, the newly christened Giant Bernard would leave AJPW for its rival promotion- the NJPW- in January 2006.
Did you know a top WWE Superstar just wrestled outside the company? More details HERE
This transformation is similar to the one we have seen over the past year with Jon Moxley shedding his past as Dean Ambrose. Similar to Moxley entering the G1 Climax years later, Giant Bernard would make an immediate impact as he entered the 2006 New Japan Cup.
Bernard would meet Toru Yano in the first round, gaining victory after a tough contest. Next, Giant Bernard would face one of the legendary performers in New Japan history, Riki Choshu. Bernard dominated Choshu to move on to the semifinals against a man who could match his size, Manabu Nakanishi. After a bruising fight, it was Bernard who gained the victory, which was considered as an upset by many.
In the finals of the 2006 New Japan Cup, it would be NJPW legend Yuji Nagata awaiting Giant Bernard, After a near 20 minute hard-hitting war, Bernard laid Nagata out for good with a Sitout Tombstone to win the tournament. This would be a form of redemption for a man who went to Japan to learn, but instead excelled.
