The wrestling career of Jeff Cobb saw him become one of the industry's most unlikely success stories. Cobb is a rare athlete to make the move from competing in the Olympics into the world of professional wrestling. Only a short group of names were able to find success like Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, and the recently signed Gable Stevenson.
Cobb has become a relevant player in New Japan after a unique journey into the industry. The talent and improvement of Cobb led to him creating his own name and momentum as a rising star. Fans have high hopes for Cobb to continue piling up the accomplishments. Cobb showed a different path from the Olympics to wrestling without needing WWE.
Jeff Cobb Has An Unique Backstory
The passion for wrestling started off in amateur wrestling for Jeff Cobb. Legendary talents like Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Rick Steiner all proved that making the move from amateur wrestling to pro wrestling can be a smooth transition. Cobb however reached a level of success that only a handful of other stars did before joining the pro wrestling industry.
The training of Cobb with the Guam Amateur Wrestling Federation helped him qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Cobb represented Guam as a member of the men’s national team and even had the honor of being Guam’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony in Athens. The men’s light heavyweight freestyle competition saw Cobb putting in work, despite not finishing with a medal.
Amateur wrestlers typically reach a peak when the athletes are past their younger years. Cobb was 22 years old when competing in the Olympics, but he would not get another shot in the future events. The well drying up in amateur wrestling led to Cobb making the move to start training for professional wrestling in 2009 and taking to it like a fish to water.
Jeff Cobb's Unique Beginnings In Pro Wrestling
Jeff Cobb started wrestling in Hawaii, but there were so few shows there for one to grow a reputation. The West Coast became Cobb’s primary wrestling home with appearances on the smaller independent shows there. WWE caught wind of Cobb’s story and brought him in for a tryout at the Performance Center in 2014, but they didn’t end up signing him.
The first major break of Cobb’s career came in a role where he couldn’t show his face or use his name. Lucha Underground was coming off a strong first season when they reached out to Cobb with the idea of a major role. "The Monster" Matanza Cueto was his new name and gimmick under a mask as the terrifying brother of spectacular heel authority figure Dario Cueto.
Cobb witnessed huge success from the start when winning the Lucha Underground Championship in his first official match at the end of an elimination match. Lucha Underground protected him with a winning streak lasting a full season until Rey Mysterio pinned him in the same stipulation match a season later. Cobb did so well in the role that other promotions started reaching out.
PWG was the first major independent promotion to start booking Cobb without his mask and under his own identity to build up more name value. The ability to show off his strength for power moves and grappling skills for technical moves led to a perfect path for Cobb to become a top independent wrestling name.
Unique NJPW Success Story
Every step of Jeff Cobb’s career features an unlikely path, and the New Japan start was no different. NJPW initially brought Cobb in to team with Michael Elgin as a powerful tag team. Both men seemed to compliment each other well, until Elgin was caught insulting Cobb on social media. The duo eventually split up with Cobb getting more opportunities on his own.
The biggest title win for Cobb in NJPW came at the historic joint show with ROH in Madison Square Garden. Cobb defeated Will Ospreay to win NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Championship and retain ROH’s TV Championship in a show-stealing opening match. NJPW started to believe more in Cobb as an all-around great worker with a demeanor that made him look stronger in Japan.
Cobb has been used in a few roles throughout his NJPW tenure until finding his current spot in Ospreay’s United Empire faction. The run in the group as an unofficial enforcer is building more credibility as a top singles star. Cobb has shown the ability to thrive in difficult situations, from the Olympics to the Lucha Underground gimmick to now becoming a huge asset for one of the biggest promotions in the world.