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Justin Gabriel. Photo by: Eilwkflek- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Facts about Justin Gabriel

Phillip Paul Lloyd (born March 3, 1981) is a professional wrestler from South Africa. He is best known for his time in the WWE as Justin Gabriel. He was known as PJ Black while  under contract with Ring of Honor (ROH.)

Lloyd, a second-generation wrestler, was first trained by his father. Premiering as PJ Black in World Wrestling Professionals in 1997 at the age of 16, he competed in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and was the inaugural winner of the WWP World Cruiserweight Championship.

1. Gabriel is the Cruiserweight Division’s Reincarnation

According to rumors, Triple H may bring back the Cruiserweight division.

Absolutely fantastic. I adore the Cruiserweight division, and I believe it has the potential to significantly improve the overall quality of the WWE.

So, let Triple H lead the division’s reincarnation from behind the scenes, and then have an underutilised wrestler be the face of it on-screen. Someone like Justin Gabriel, for instance.

He’s the perfect fit for what the Cruiserweight division used to be, and he’s one of many wrestlers who could help revitalise the WWE’s mid and lower cards.

Instead of wrestling Yoshi Tatsu, Trent Baretta, and Tyson Kidd, have them compete in the newly established Cruiserweight division against Justin Gabriel.

Perhaps Gabriel will appear on an episode of Smackdown one day and claim that he was walking backstage when he discovered “something” that the WWE used to care about, which will turn out to be the Cruiserweight title.

As a result, Gabriel will declare that he is resurrecting the belt and offering it to all WWE Cruiserweights in a single-elimination tournament.

2. Gabriel removes Michael Cole from the Announce Team 

I’ve grown so sick of Michael Cole on commentary that I’ve given him a name: The Common Cole.

It’s a very simple illness, similar to the common cold, but it has no cure. In this case, however, I have a solution.

You’ve probably noticed Jerry Lawler ripping Michael McGillicutty and David Otunga for being outrageously boring (which is so true), and there appears to be a mini-feud between the two. So, I suggest that the WWE do the same with Cole and Justin Gabriel.

Cole starts slamming Gabriel on commentary (calling him boring, overrated, and so on), and Gabriel eventually goes berserk on him, beating the holy hell out of him and injuring him.

This would result in Cole being removed from the announce table and returning as a manager, while Gabriel would get over as a face for finally putting an end to announcer Michael Cole’s anguish.

What? A man can fantasise.

3. Cody Rhodes’ Intercontinental Championship rivalry 

Justin Gabriel. Photo by: Eilwkflek- Wikimedia.

Cody Rhodes appears to be in the midst of a feud with his former protege Ted DiBiase for the Intercontinental Championship, but presuming Rhodes retains the title, he’ll need someone to feud with next.

 Why not, Justin Gabriel?

The foundation for a rivalry is there: Rhodes delivers those paper bags week after week, and Gabriel can interrupt a Rhodes’ promo to tell him that he should be the one wearing a paper bag on his head. Blah, blah, blah, Gabriel believes he is both more attractive and a better wrestler than Rhodes.

This would not only give Gabriel a chance to work the mic and gain popularity as a huge baby face against a despised heel like Rhodes, but it would also result in some very good matches between two of Smackdown’s best mid-card wrestlers.

4. Wade Barrett vs. Justin Gabriel

In the first year or so of their WWE TV careers, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett were like Siamese twins: wherever Barrett went, Gabriel followed.

They spent the majority of 2010 in the Nexus and the majority of 2011 in The Corre before splitting up earlier this summer. Despite their long history, however, we never really got closure between the two.

Barrett and Gabriel haven’t competed in a singles match since the first season of NXT, and that was before the WWE Universe became truly focused in their characters.

5. Gabriel attempts to prove he is WWE’s Best Foreign-Born Wrestler 

Alberto Del Rio, Drew McIntyre, Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal, The Great Khali, Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan, Primo, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Wade Barrett, William Regal, Yoshi Tatsu, and, of course, Justin Gabriel are all foreign-born wrestlers on the WWE main roster (excluding Canada).

Nevertheless, with the exception of a few of these characters (such as Del Rio and Sheamus), the fact that they are from another country has little bearing on their personalities. It ought to.

All of these wrestlers are in the WWE despite clearly being in the minority (not being from America), which is a massive achievement that these guys should capitalise on.

Gabriel should cut promos about being the WWE’s only South African wrestler and the best foreign-born wrestler on the roster.

This would lead to battles between the WWE’s foreign stars, all of whom are vying to prove that they are the best wrestlers the world has to offer.

This would be far more logical if Gabriel also held the Intercontinental Championship.

6. Gabriel benefits from CM Punk’s influence

Justin Gabriel. Photo by: Eilwkflek- Wikimedia.

Since releasing that epic work shoot promo a few months ago, CM Punk has been able to say and do pretty much whatever he wants.

He’s praised underappreciated wrestlers like Colt Cabana (a.k.a. Scotty Goldman) and preached about how he wants to change the WWE.

If Punk truly wants to do that, he’ll work to give underappreciated stars like Justin Gabriel a chance to prove their worth. He can lobby for Gabriel, among others, to get more TV matches or promo time, and he can even put Gabriel on his Survivor Series team to gain experience.

Having Punk’s assistance would be a huge boost for Gabriel, allowing him to gradually work his way up the WWE totem pole.

7. Justin Gabriel is a lady’s man

Anyone who can pull off a relationship with Kelly Kelly either has good looks, some serious game or both.

Now, I’m not sure which one Justin Gabriel has, but a few of my female friends seem to believe he has the first one.

If that is the case, the WWE may choose to go the “Ladies’ Man” route with Gabriel. They’ve done it before (most recently with Daniel Bryan), and I’m not a fan of it because it never seems to accomplish anything.

Though Gabriel doesn’t have much of a personality right now, and I can see the writers giving him a gimmick as the quiet heartbreaker.

Who can say? Perhaps we’ll get to see Justin Gabriel transform into Smackdown’s resident pimp.

8. Justin Gabriel as David vs. Goliath

Justin Gabriel. Photo by: Eilwkflek- Wikimedia.

The story of David and Goliath is a classic, with the smaller David eventually defeating the much larger Goliath.

It’s a common theme in wrestling, perhaps best exemplified by Rey Mysterio, who is only 5’6″ but consistently defeats Kane and The Big Show.

Now, Justin Gabriel isn’t Rey Mysterio small, but he’s also not huge, and he’ll be considered the “David” in roughly 90% of his feuds.

Wrestlers like Mysterio and Evan Bourne are popular with fans because they can defeat WWE behemoths in battles of good vs. evil. The WWE should treat Gabriel the same way.

Placed him in fights against the company’s titans, such as Ezekiel Jackson, The Great Khali, Brodus Clay, and others, and he’ll win. It will establish Gabriel as one of the WWE’s ultimate underdogs, but one who frequently accomplishes the unthinkable.

9. Lloyd’s career as a model

Lloyd has participated in a number of modelling competitions. He finished first in FAME SA’s Male Fitness Model Search, sixth in Mr & Ms Body Beautiful SA’s 2008 Mr Body Classic contest, eighth in Mr & Ms Fitness SA’s 2007 Men’s Model Search, and fifth in the Mr Physique Division in the 2008 Men’s Model Search.

10. Justin’s private life

Lloyd attended Johannesburg’s Marais Viljoen High School, where he excelled in rugby alongside junior rugby stars such as Hendrik van Nieuwenhuizen.

He moved to the United Kingdom after graduation to pursue a doctorate degree in sports science and nutrition. He was born in South Africa but now lives in Pierre.

He was granted US citizenship in April 2016, but he retains South African citizenship.

Lloyd has been in two BASE jumping accidents. The most recent incident occurred in the summer of 2017 and resulted in Lloyd losing a portion of a finger that was later reattached.