Roderick Strong is All Elite.
The 'Messiah Of The Backbreaker' first appeared for AEW on the April 26 episode of AEW Dynamite, as he ran down to the ring to save Adam Cole from a beat down at the hands of the Jericho Appreciation Society. Strong got a massive reaction from the crowd as he fended off Daniel Garcia, Jake Hager, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker. Strong and Cole hugged after clearing the ring.
Longtime friend of @adamcolepro, @roderickstrong, is here at #AEW!!!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 27, 2023
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/f9RpH4D4vh
Shortly after, Tony Khan confirmed Strong's signing to the company.
.@roderickstrong is #AllElite!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 27, 2023
Welcome to the team. pic.twitter.com/fyZC9hYHhv
Strong and Cole have a long history with one another throughout multiple promotions. Most recently, Cole and Strong were a part of the Undisputed Era faction in WWE NXT from 2018 to 2021. Months after the faction disbanded, Cole proceeded to sign with All Elite Wrestling. Strong, however, continued to wrestle on the NXT brand, where he had his last match on August 9, 2022.
In May 2022, Fightful Select noted that Strong had requested his release from WWE. It is currently unknown if that request was granted, or if Strong's contract just ran out.
Fans can keep up to date with Fightful's coverage of AEW Dynamite by clicking here. After the conclusion of the show, head over to our YouTube channel to catch a full video review of all the action.