Travis Tomko

**Travis David Tomko** (born March 23, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and personal trainer. He is best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name **Tyson Tomko**. From October 14, 2007 until February 17, 2008, Tomko simultaneously hold the IWGP Tag Team Championship and TNA World Tag Team Championship.

## Professional wrestling career

### New Japan Pro Wrestling (2006–2008)

Tomko debuted in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) on July 1, 2006, participating in an eight-man tag match which he won. A few days later, Tomko and Giant Bernard took part in a tournament to determine the interim IWGP Tag Team Champions and reached the finals before losing to Shiro Koshinaka and Togi Makabe. Tomko participated in a tournament for the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which had been vacated by Brock Lesnar, and lost in the first round to Yuji Nagata. He also participated in G1 Tag League 2006 in block B with Giant Bernard and reached the semi final before losing to the eventual winners, Masahiro Chono and Shinsuke Nakamura.

At Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome, Tomko teamed up with D'Lo Brown and Buchanan to take on Tomohiro Ishii, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, Makabe pinned Buchanan. Tomko lost to Togi Makabe in the first round of the New Japan Cup 2007. On March 11, 2007 Tomko and Giant Bernard defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Takao Omori to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Tomko and Bernard joined Masahiro Chono's BLACK faction and would eventually defect to RISE. The pair won G1 Tag League 2007 by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi and Koji Kanemoto.

At Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome II, Tomko and Bernard defeated The Steiner Brothers. They lost the titles on February 2, 2008 to Great Bash Heel members Togi Makabe and Toru Yano. Tomko was released early in March 2008 after NJPW decided not to renew his contract. NJPW were struggling financially and could not afford to keep him going. They did however, re-sign his tag team partner Giant Bernard.

### Hustle (2008–2009)

He then would took time off after leaving WWE, before resurfacing in June 2009 under a mask and the ring name Arma in the Japanese wrestling promotion Hustle, where he formed a villainous tag team called "Armageddon" with fellow former WWE star René Duprée, who served as his partner Geddon. This team would disband shortly thereafter when Geddon turned face and changed his ring name back to René Bonaparte. On July 30, 2009, Bonaparte defeated Arma in Tomko's final Hustle appearance.

## Personal life

Prior to his wrestling debut, Tomko served as a bodyguard to nu metal band Limp Bizkit. He appeared in their 2000 music video for "My Generation." Tomko owns a gym in Delray Beach, Florida called Purlife Fitness Center.

### Robbery charge

On October 11, 2011, Tomko was arrested on robbery charges, after allegedly robbing 210 tablets of Oxycodone from a CVS Pharmacy. Tomko reportedly went into the pharmacy several days in a row to ask for oxycodone. According to the police report, on Monday, October 10, 2011, he allegedly walked up to the pharmacy consultation desk and demanded that a pharmacist give him all of the oxycodone in the safe. Tomko is alleged to have said, “Do not make me hurt you, you will be in severe pain.” with his hand beneath his shirt, pointing to something while looking at the pharmacist, according to the pharmacist’s statement.

The pharmacist then gave three bottles of oxycodone to Tomko, who took them and walked out the door, the report said. Tomko then went to a nearby Chili's restaurant, where he allegedly injected 178 "crushed up and melted down" oxycodone pills into his system while spending 30–40 minutes in the restroom. Deputies arrested Tomko later the next day. Tomko posted bail on October 20 and entered a WWE-sponsored rehab.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Backbreaker rack dropped into a neckbreaker
	+ *Chainsaw Kick* (Running arched big boot)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Chokeslam, sometimes while using both hands
	+ Fallaway slam, sometimes preceded by a military press
	+ Full nelson slam
	+ Military press slam
	+ Rolling cutter
	+ Vertical suplex powerslam
* **With Giant Bernard**
	+ **Double team finishing moves**
		- *Magic Killer* (Aided snap swinging neckbreaker)

* **Nicknames**
	+ The Problem Solver

## Championships and accomplishments

* **New Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Giant Bernard
	+ G1 Tag League (2007) – with Giant Bernard
* **Pro Wrestling Illustrated**
	+ PWI ranked him #**25** of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008
* **Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards**
	+ Worst Worked Match of the Year (2004) vs. Stevie Richards at Unforgiven

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tomko Bio . SLAM! sports. Retrieved on 2008-07-12.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cagematch profile . Cagematch. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Duncan, Royal. I.W.G.P. - New Japan International Grand Prix I.W.P.G. Tag Team Title History . Solie. Retrieved on 2008-06-21.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `OWOW`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hustle match list . Retrieved on 2010-02-03.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Caldwell, James 2011-10-11. Other News: Scary details on Tomko's arrest - allegedly stole drugs, police say he admitted to drug problem . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-10-11.
7. ↑ Caldwell, James 2011-10-21. Other News: Tomko released from jail following arrest, attorney says he will be entering WWE-sponsored rehab . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-10-21.
8. ↑ TNA profile . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2010-03-29. Retrieved on 2010-02-03.
9. ↑ Gerweck profile . *Gerweck*. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
10. ↑ Purolove profile . *Purolove*. Retrieved on 2010-02-03.
11. ↑ Wilkenfeld, Daniel 2008-06-05. 6/5 TNA Impact Review by Wilkenfeld: So-so show highlighted by the new (and improved?) AJ Styles . *PWTorch*. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Puroresu Central profile . *Puroresu Central*. Retrieved on 2010-02-03.
13. ↑ Patton, Jason 2004-07-13. Full WWE RAW Results - 7/12/04 - Manchester, NH (Eugene vs. Chris Benoit...) . *WrestleView*. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
14. ↑ Bodyslamming profile . *Bodyslamming*. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
15. ↑ Magic Killer  (2007-10-14). “Giant Bernard, tag-team signature moves”
16. ↑ NJPW, 11/2/07 (SXW) . *Strong Style Spirit*. Retrieved on 2009-12-18.
17. ↑ Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2008 . Retrieved on 2015-02-04.