Josh Mathews Biography
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Josh Mathews

Mathews (left) with Michael Cole in November 2010.
Ring name(s) Josh Mathews[1]
Billed height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1]
Billed weight 143 lb (65 kg)[2]
Born November 25, 1980 (age 30)[2]
Sea Isle City, New Jersey[2]
Billed from Sea Isle City, New Jersey[1]
Debut 2001[2]
Josh Matthew Lomberger[2] (born November 25, 1980)[2] is an American presenter, announcer, and former wrestler, better known by the ring name Josh Mathews. He is best known for his time on World Wrestling Entertainment as a commentator on all major programming (Raw, SmackDown, WWE Superstars, and PPV).[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Professional wrestling career
1.1 Tough Enough and independent promotions (2001–2002)
1.2 World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
1.2.1 Backstage interviewer and Velocity announcer (2002–2005)
1.2.2 Commentator ; Smackdown,Raw and ECW (2006–present)
1.2.3 Alliance with Jerry Lawler, Booker T and Jim Ross and feud with Michael Cole (2011-present )
2 In wrestling
3 References
4 External links
[edit]Professional wrestling career

[edit]Tough Enough and independent promotions (2001–2002)
Lomberger was a runner-up to Maven and Nidia in the first WWE Tough Enough in 2001.[2] After Tough Enough, Lomberger gained some in-ring experience on the independent circuit and in the X Wrestling Federation, which was run by WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart.[2]
[edit]World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
[edit]Backstage interviewer and Velocity announcer (2002–2005)
Lomberger was eventually hired by World Wrestling Entertainment, and began using the name "Josh Mathews". In December 2002, he began appearing as the backstage interviewer for the SmackDown! brand and as an announcer on WWE Velocity.[1][2] He also hosted the WWE webcast Byte This! after Kevin Kelly was released. He later hosted several shows on WWE's official website including Weekly Top 5, The WWE Experience, and WWE After Burn, the latter two of which are televised internationally.[1]
In 2004 Mathews was given some limited ring-time on SmackDown! when John "Bradshaw" Layfield slapped Mathews for not showing some respect to his chief of staff Orlando Jordan when he was interviewing him. He later offered and was accepted to be Booker T's temporary partner for a tag team match on an episode of SmackDown!. He and Booker ultimately won that match.[3] He was later assaulted by Jordan and requested from General Manager Theodore Long that he be given a one-on-one match against him. Booker T wanted to be at ringside during the Mathews-Jordan match, as JBL would no doubt be present, and would give Booker T an excuse to beat down JBL before their match at Survivor Series. Mathews would once again emerge victorious against Jordan, with some considerable help from Booker T.[4] He also tried to help Booker in his WWE Championship match at the Survivor Series, but was given a Clothesline From Hell by JBL for his efforts.[5] On March 31, 2005 episode of Friday Night SmackDown! Mathews was attacked by Kurt Angle.[6] Mathews was then (kayfabe) possessed by The Undertaker on the December 9, 2005 episode of Friday Night SmackDown! while interviewing Randy Orton.[7]
[edit]Commentator ; Smackdown,Raw and ECW (2006–present)
Mathews filled in for an absent Todd Grisham on a summer 2006 episode of Raw. He also hosts pre-shows for WWE pay-per-view events, and he provided color commentary on Heat from time to time before the show was cancelled in May 2008.[8] He was the host of WWE.com's Weekly Top Five when it started and hosted it until April 2009 when he was replaced by Jack Korpela. During Todd Grisham's stint as ECW commentator, Mathews replaced him as Raw's backstage interviewer. Mathews, along with WWE Diva Candice Michelle were WWE's correspondents at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in an effort to encourage WWE fans to register to vote for the 2008 Presidential election.[2]
On the April 7, 2009, episode of ECW, Mathews was announced as the new play-by-play commentator, as the previous commentator, Todd Grisham was moved to SmackDown after Tazz departed WWE.[9][10] In addition to commentating on ECW and ECW pay-per-view matches, Mathews along with Matt Striker would represent the ECW brand on WWE Superstars every week starting with the inaugural episode on April 16, 2009.[11] After ECW's closure, Mathews became the Color commentator of WWE NXT. On the April 9, 2010 episode of SmackDown, Mathews was attacked with a sleeper hold by Dolph Ziggler when he was interviewing him. On December 10, Josh Mathews officially replaced Todd Grisham as the play-by-play commentator for SmackDown, commentating alongside Michael Cole.[12] On the February 4, 2011, episode of SmackDown, Mathews and Cole were joined by Booker T, forming a three-man announce team. Mathews was replaced by William Regal as a commentator on season five of NXT in 2011. Mathews also very often works as the color commentator on Raw due to Jerry Lawler's increased in-ring competition. On April 3, Mathews commentated the majority of WrestleMania XXVII, though he received a 'Stone Cold Stunner' from an angered Stone Cold Steve Austin, cutting his night short.[13]
[edit]Alliance with Jerry Lawler, Booker T and Jim Ross and feud with Michael Cole (2011-present )
The following night on Raw, Mathews found himself aligned with Jerry "The King" Lawler, and against Michael Cole. He would then become the alternate spokesman for the anonymous Raw General Manager, when Michael Cole is not commentating. On the April 25th edition of Raw, Mathews announced that Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole and Jack Swagger match at Extreme Rules will be a Country Whipping Match, in which Cole and Swagger would win. On the following pay-per-view, at Over the Limit, Mathews supported Lawler, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and Eve Torres in having Michael Cole kiss Lawler's foot. The following night, again as the spokesman for the anonymous Raw General Manager, Mathews read the e-mail that the General Manager denies The Miz's request for another title shot, seemingly done with John Cena. He would solely become a play-by-play commentator for SmackDown the following week, after Raw has Cole and Lawler back together as a duo since 2008.
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Josh Mathews