Ring of Honor officially announced today the signing of PJ Black, formally known as WWE star Justin Gabriel.
Black signed with WWE in 2008 in a developmental deal with Florida Championship Wrestling under his real name of Phillip Lloyd.
In 2010, in was announced Lloyd would be competing in season one of NXT as was introduced under the ring name of Justin Gabriel. He also was a member of the NXT heel faction The Nexus and then later he became a member of heel stable The Corre on Smackdown. During his run in WWE he held the WWE Tag Team Championship three different times with Health Slater.
He departed WWE in 2015 and since then has appeared under the ring name of PJ Black in Global Force Wrestling where he held the NEX*GEN Championship one time. Black also has appeared in Lucha Underground, and was a co-holder of the Trios Championship with Jack Evans and Johnny Mundo.
Black debuted in Ring of Honor last November at Survival of the Fittest, defeating Luchasaurus in a qualifying match to advance to the six-way elimination match.
You can read the full announcement below:
ROH SIGNS INTERNATIONAL STAR PJ BLACK
Continuing its commitment to acquire the top free agents in pro wrestling, Ring of Honor has signed international star PJ Black.
Since making his in-ring debut at 16 in 1997, Black has earned a reputation for being one of the top high-flyers and risk-takers in the sport. After starting his career in his native South Africa and Europe, Black came to the United States in 2008 and signed with WWE, where he went on to become a three-time tag team champion and defeat some of the biggest stars in the industry.
Black, a second-generation wrestler who has competed in 61 countries and 48 states, had offers from other promotions before ultimately signing with ROH.
“I chose ROH over the other companies because the hybrid style that fans seem to enjoy most these days, I started,” Black said. “In Africa, we didn’t have a specific style. At a young age, I traveled to the UK to learn the British style and combined that with lucha and some strong style, creating my own hybrid style, which is what everyone these days seem to follow.”
The “Darewolf” joins an impressive list of wrestlers who have signed with ROH recently, including RUSH, PCO, Brody King, Bandido and Mark Haskins, among others.
“I’m here to bring back honor, grace, style, athleticism, sportsmanship and entertainment to Ring of Honor,” he said. “Sometimes I’m a bit fast for mass appeal, but I’m a team player as long as everyone follows my lead. I’m the change this company and this business needs and wants.”
Black made his ROH debut last November at Survival of the Fittest, defeating Luchasaurus in a qualifying match to advance to the six-way elimination match. He went on to have matches against Juice Robinson and Bandido in ROH, and he also faced NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis for the title at the ROH show in Atlanta last month.