Former WWE star Baron Corbin, now known as Bishop Dyre, is making waves in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after his recent success at the IBJJF Pan Championships. The athlete, who competed under his real name Tom Pestock, secured double gold in his division, showcasing his dedication to the martial art.
In a recent interview, Pestock revealed he’s been training jiu-jitsu for over two years, having initially started during his NFL days. He earned his blue belt while with the Arizona Cardinals and recently received his purple belt. The former WWE King of the Ring winner expressed his passion for the sport, citing it as a way to stay motivated and goal-oriented following his departure from WWE.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dyer shared that he was promoted to purple belt after spending over a decade as a blue belt.
Dyer began training jiu-jitsu in 2009 while playing in the NFL, earning his blue belt in Arizona. However, his grappling pursuits took a backseat when he transitioned to professional wrestling with WWE in 2012.
“I stopped doing jiu-jitsu just because I was trying to make a new career starting from the bottom, you know, trying to do something special with WWE,”
Dyer explained.
Pestock trains under the tutelage of Marcio Cruz, a renowned black belt, at his gym in Tampa, Florida. He spoke about the challenges of rolling with high-level practitioners, including Cruz’s son Hanan, which has helped elevate his game.
The wrestler-turned-grappler has his sights set on competing at the IBJJF Masters World Championships later this year, aiming to add a world title to his growing list of jiu-jitsu accolades. Pestock‘s success on the mats demonstrates his athletic versatility and commitment to combat sports beyond the squared circle.
“I got my purple and just been moving up doing competitions through IBJJF and some Jiu-Jitsu World League,”
he said.
“It’s been a lot of fun.”
Dyer‘s recent accomplishments include winning double gold at the IBJJF Pan-American Championships. He credits his jiu-jitsu training for helping fill the void left after departing WWE earlier this year.
“Jiu-jitsu has kind of filled that void of giving me constant goals,”
Dyer noted.
“Obviously we have a really tough list of black belts at our gym, so when you go there, you go there especially on tournament nights or sparring nights where you’re going in there and you better be in shape and ready to go.”
With his recent tournament victories and continued training, Baron Corbin is proving that his skills extend far beyond the world of sports entertainment, establishing himself as a formidable competitor in the realm of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
