Roderick Strong Makes Shocking AEW Debut On Dynamite

Roderick Strong has come to All Elite Wrestling.

On Wednesday night's edition of "AEW Dynamite," the former "WWE NXT" Cruiserweight Champion raced to the ring to save his friend Adam Cole, as well as Bandido and AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy, from an assault by the Jericho Appreciation Society. AEW President Tony Khan then took to Twitter to announce that Strong is officially signed to the promotion, giving him the official "Roderick Strong Is All Elite" graphic.

Strong was reportedly still under contract with WWE as recently as March of this year, though the former "NXT" Tag Team Champion had requested his release on numerous occasions and had been denied. Strong joins fellow former Undisputed Era member Cole in AEW, as well as another former UE member, Kyle O'Reilly, who was not present for Strong's debut, as he is still recovering from surgery.

Strong hasn't wrestled since August of last year, in a loss to Apollo Crews. Almost exclusively relegated to the "NXT" developmental brand for the entirety of his tenure with WWE, Strong had been with the company since October 2016. Nearly a year and a half later, Strong aligned himself with The Undisputed Era at "NXT" TakeOver: New Orleans. After a long run, the group disbanded, and Strong ended up a focal point of a new faction in Diamond Mine, alongside current "NXT" talents Ivy Nile and The Creed Brothers.

Strong is a former Ring of Honor World Television Champion. He has a long history not only with talents like Cole and O'Reilly and others in AEW, but the ROH brand as a whole, which is now owned by AEW's Tony Khan.