Giant Bernard

Giant Bernard

Birthdate: November 14th, 1972
Height: 6'6''
Weight: 331 lbs.
Puroresu Debut: March 20th, 2005
Background: American Professional Wrestling
Promotion History: All Japan (2005) and New Japan (2006 to present)
Alliances: GBH
Ring Attire: Black trunks
Card Position: Mid-Card/Upper Mid-Card
Major Tournaments Won: New Japan Cup (2006)
Current Title Held: None

Championship History:

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Travis Tomko:
- Defeated Nakanishi and Omori on 3/11/07 and lost to Togi Makabe and Yano on 2/17/08

WWE Intercontinental Championship:
- Defeated Kane on 6/26/01 and lost to Lance Storm on 7/23/01

Biggest Matches:
- October 18th, 2005 vs. Satoshi Kojima (title challenge)
- April 30th, 2006 vs. Yuji Nagata (tournament win)
- August 9th, 2006 vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- March 11th, 2007 with Tomko vs. Manabu Nakanishi and Omori (title win)
- September 24th, 2007 with Tomko vs. Yuji Nagata and Nakanishi (title defense)

Pictures:
- Giant Bernard connects with a boot to Liger
- Giant Bernard with a Powerbomb
- The big boot by Giant Bernard
- An Elbow Drop to Tenzan

Signature Moves:
- Baldo Bomb
- Bernard Driver
- Elevated Liger Bomb
- Magic Killer (with Travis Tomko)
- Reverse Splash

Super Signature Moves:
- Powerbomb onto the Apron

2005 Recap:
Debuting in All Japan in 2005, Giant Bernard quickly jumped up the ladder and became the second most successful gaijin, only behind Jamal. He started slow, coming in 4th place at the Champions Carnival (usually losing by DQ, count-out, etc.). Part of the Voodoo Murderers, Giant Bernard teamed with the likes of TARU, Palumbo, and Stamboli to be the strongest force in All Japan. Giant Bernard also challenged for the Triple Crown against Kojima, but he was not successful. Before leaving All Japan, Giant Bernard teamed with TARU at the Real World Tag League, and they came in fourth in their block. In December of 2005, Giant Bernard left All Japan for New Japan.

2006 Recap:
Giant Bernard started his New Japan career with a victory over Nakanishi at the Tokyo Dome and in April he won the second annual New Japan Cup by defeating Nagata. This allowed him to challenge Brock Lesnar for the IWGP Heavyweight Champion on May 3rd, which he lost in a close and hard fought struggle. Officially with Black New Japan, Giant Bernard frequently teamed with Chono from the spring into the summer. At the 2006 G1 Climax, Giant Bernard came in 2nd place in his bracket but lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winner Tenzan. He also came in second in the tournament in July to crown the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, losing to Tanahashi. In the G1 Tag League he teamed with Tomko, and even though the pair won their bracket they would lose in the semi-finals to Masahiro Chono and Shinsuke Nakamura.

2007 Recap:
Giant Bernard had arguably his strongest year to date in 2007 as he dominated that tag team division and was a force to be reckoned with in the singles division as well. Teaming with Travis Tomko, he would win the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on Match 11th and would hold it for the rest of the year. During that time they would defeat Tenzan and Koshinaka, Nagata and Iizuka, Tanahashi and Yamamoto, and Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi. In the G1 Tag League they would defeat Tanahashi and Kanemoto to win the tournament, cementing themselves as the best tag team in Japan. In singles action, in the New Japan Cup Giant Bernard defeated Nakanishi before losing to Nagata in the semi-finals. In the G1 Climax, Giant Bernard defeated Chono and Tenzan but missed the semi-finals by one point. When Tomko was unable to make the trip to Japan, Bernard teamed with other BLACK (then RISE) members and rarely was defeated. On December 9th Giant Bernard got a chance to face IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tanahashi in a non-title match, but Tanahashi would be victorious.

2008 Recap:
Giant Bernard continued being the most difficult gaijin to defeat in New Japan throughout 2008. At the Tokyo Dome, Giant Bernard and Tomko successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, defeating the Steiner Brothers. They would lose the championship the following month to Makabe and Yano, almost a full year after winning the titles. In the New Japan Cup, Giant Bernard defeated Tomoaki Honma, Koji Kanemoto, and Toru Yano, but would lose to Tanahashi in the finals. In the summer Giant Bernard got a new tag team partner, Rick Fuller, who would team with him the rest of the year. On July 21st, Giant Bernard and Fuller challenged for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship but would come up short. In the G1 Climax, Giant Bernard defeated Kojima, Otani, and Hiroshi Tanahashi but failed to make the finals. In the G1 Tag League, Giant Bernard teamed with Fuller but they would lose to Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto in the Semi-finals decision match for their Block. Bernard took on Tanahashi on December 6th in a singles match, but Tanahashi avenged his G1 Climax loss by beating Giant Bernard with the High Fly Flow.

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