Thomas Pestock, better known by his ring name Baron Corbin, is a former amateur boxer, college football player, and professional wrestler. Currently affiliated with the Raw brand of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Corbin has established himself as one of the most dominant performers in the industry. With a background in amateur boxing, he was a three-time Golden Gloves champion before pursuing a football career at Northwest Missouri State University. Although his NFL dreams were cut short, Corbin found his true calling in the world of wrestling. Joining WWE’s developmental system NXT in 2012, he quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to the main roster in 2016. Throughout his career, Corbin has achieved numerous accolades, including winning the United States Championship, the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and the Money in the Bank men’s ladder match. His talent and passion for the sport have earned him recognition beyond the wrestling ring, as he was named the Most Metal Athlete of the Year by ‘Revolver’ magazine in 2016.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Thomas Pestock
- Age: 39 Years, 39 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Rochelle Roman (m. 2017)
- Father: Steven Pestock
- Mother: Mona Pestock
- Born Country: United States
- Tall Celebrities
- Height: 6’6″ (198 cm), 6’6″ Males
- Notable Alumni: Northwest Missouri State University
- U.S. State: Kansas
- Education: Northwest Missouri State University
Childhood & Early Life
Baron Corbin, whose real name is Thomas Pestock, was born on September 13, 1984, in Lenexa, Kansas, USA. He is the son of Steven and Mona Pestock and has a brother named Danny. As an amateur boxer, Corbin achieved success by winning the Kansas-Missouri Golden Gloves regional championship twice by 2007. He also participated in the 2008 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions in the super heavyweight division, reaching the quarter-finals. Additionally, Corbin has a background in grappling and was a former grappling champion.
Football Career
After graduating from high school, Corbin attended Northwest Missouri State University and played as an offensive guard for the Bearcats in NCAA Division II. In 2007, during his junior year, he became a member of the starting team. Corbin received an honourable mention in all-MIAA in 2007 and was included in the first team all-MIAA in 2008. Despite going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft, Corbin was signed by the Indianapolis Colts in April 2009. However, he did not get the opportunity to play in any matches and was released in September. In January 2010, he joined the Arizona Cardinals on a futures contract but was released in September 2011 without playing a match for them.
Professional Wrestling Career
In August 2012, Corbin began his professional wrestling career in WWE’s developmental system NXT, adopting the ring name Baron Corbin. He made his in-ring debut on October 18, 2012, in a match against Dante Dash, which he lost. Initially, Corbin played the role of an enhancement talent or jobber in some matches. However, after his return at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way in September 2014, he started winning more matches. Corbin had notable feuds with wrestlers like Bull Dempsey and Samoa Joe. His final match with NXT took place on April 13, 2016, where he emerged victorious against Tucker Knight.
Corbin made his debut on WWE’s main roster at WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He initially joined Raw and feuded with Dolph Ziggler before being drafted to the SmackDown brand. He continued his feud with Ziggler on SmackDown and had his first WWE world title opportunity in a triple-threat match against Ziggler and WWE Champion AJ Styles. However, Styles retained his title. Corbin won the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2017, granting him the opportunity to challenge any titleholder in WWE at any time. He cashed in his contract during a title match between John Cena and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal but was ultimately pinned by Mahal.
Corbin went on to win the United States Championship at the 2017 Hell in a Cell event but lost it to Ziggler at the 2017 Clash of Champions. In April 2018, he moved to Raw as part of the Superstar Shake-up and was appointed as the Constable of Raw by Stephanie McMahon. However, after the McMahon family took control of both Raw and SmackDown, Corbin returned to wrestling.
Family & Personal Life
Baron Corbin was previously in a relationship with singer Maria Brink, the frontwoman of the band “In This Moment.” After their breakup, he began dating Rochelle Alexandra Roman, a registered nurse from Florida. The couple got married on April 29, 2017, in Clearwater, Florida.