Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Roderick Strong, is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
. He is signed to
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH).
He is also known for his tenure with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
. Prior to signing with WWE and later AEW, Strong had a 13-year tenure with
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
. He worked for IPW Hardcore and NWA Florida, before debuting for ROH in September 2003. In mid-2004, Strong joined forces with
Alex Shelley
Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
, Austin Aries, and Jack Evans, collectively known as Generation Next. As part of Generation Next, Strong won the ROH World Tag Team Championship with Austin Aries. Strong later turned on Aries, forming a new faction, the No Remorse Corps, with Davey Richards and
Rocky Romero
John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
. During this time, he was also competing for ROH's sister promotion,
Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
(FIP), and debuted for
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
Rich Swann
Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
and Jack Evans in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
).
After signing with WWE in 2016, Strong debuted in NXT as a fan-favorite before turning into a
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
once
Once may refer to:
Film, television and theatre
* ''Once'' (film), a 2007 Irish musical film by John Carney
** ''Once'' (musical), a 2011 stage adaptation of the film
* ''Once'' (TV series), a 2017–2019 Argentine telenovela
* Canal Once (Mex ...
.
Early life
Lindsey was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but relocated to Florida at a young age. Following a troubled childhood, Lindsey graduated from Riverview High School, where he played
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
. He attended the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...
In the autumn of 1994, Lindsey's father, a collegiate wrestler, began training as a wrestler under Jim Neidhart. After Lindsey attended several training sessions and met Harry Smith, a third generation wrestler, he decided to become a wrestler. Lindsey was also trained by his father, Neidhart and a number of other wrestlers in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, and debuted in 2000 as The Jester on the Floridian
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
for the RWA.
Strong wrestled his first match for the Independent
Professional Wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within ...
Battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
. He was initially one-third of a
stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
known as "Risk Factor" with The Kamikaze Kid and Kid Lethal before he formed a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
with his trainee and
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
brother, Sedrick Strong. The Strong Brothers defeated Wrongful Death (Naphtali and Dagon Briggs) for the IPW Tag Team Championship on June 28, 2002, in
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
. They held the title until September 20, when they lost to Naturally Marvelous ( Scoot Andrews and Mike Sullivan) in a
steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
in which Roderick suffered a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
.
After Sedrick cost the Strong Brothers a number of matches, Roderick turned into a
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
on February 8, 2003, betraying Sedrick and aligning himself with the Alliance of Defiance, a dominant villainous stable.
After IPW closed down in late 2003, Strong began working for NWA Florida, a promotion which had had a working relationship with IPW for two years. Strong defeated David Babylon for the Florida Unified Cruiserweight Championship on July 19, 2003, in St. Petersburg. While Strong was champion, the title was renamed the Florida Unified Junior Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Jerrelle Clark in a four-way match on December 13, 2003, in St. Petersburg. Clark vacated the title on January 10, 2004, after winning the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Strong defeated Mikey Batts for the vacant title on February 21 in the New Alhambra Sports and Entertainment Center in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. He lost the title to Sedrick Strong on April 29, 2004, in
New Port Richey, Florida
New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was counted at 16,728 in the 2020 census.
History
By ...
.
In addition to wrestling for NWA Florida, Strong served as the head trainer of the territory's wrestling school.
On January 13, 2005, Strong made a one-off appearance in
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
's SmackDown episode, representing Tampa. On the episode, Strong was defeated by
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
in Angle's "3-Minute Hometown Hero Challenge".
Ring of Honor (2003–2016)
Generation Next and No Remorse Corps (2003–2008)
Strong joined the
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
-based
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) promotion in September 2003. On May 22, 2004, at ''Generation Next'' he formed a
stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
Alex Shelley
Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
,
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
and Jack Evans. Generation Next quickly dominated the ROH roster, declaring themselves the future of wrestling. After defeating several others, they defeated
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
R. J. Brewer
John Stagikas (born July 31, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, R. J. Brewer. Brewer is known for his appearances with Lucha Libre USA, where he portrayed a Conservatism in the Unite ...
Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promo ...
) on October 2 at ''The Midnight Express Reunion''.
Strong began punctuating his ring style with stiff offense while acting as the enforcer of Generation Next. In November 2004 he formed a regular tag team with Evans, and on December 26 he, Evans, and Aries threw Shelley out of the group when he refused to resign as leader. Strong and Evans continued to team throughout early-2005, but were unable to win the ROH Tag Team Championship. On September 24 at 2005 Survival of the Fittest, Strong defeated
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
,
Jay Lethal
Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrest ...
, Generation Next teammate
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
, and Colt Cabana to win the titular event, thus earning himself another shot at the ROH World Championship in the future.
On October 1 at ''Joe vs. Kobashi'', valet Jade Chung aligned herself with Strong (and the remainder of Generation Next) after he defeated her former client, Jimmy Rave. The following night, Strong defeated James Gibson in the latter's farewell match for Ring of Honor before returning to
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
. Following the match, Gibson gave a farewell speech in which he called Strong the "
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
" of Ring of Honor.
Strong lost to ROH World Champion
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
on October 29 in
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The ...
, and on November 5 in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, with the match going over 45 minutes. On March 31 in Chicago, Strong faced Bryan Danielson a third time for the ROH World Championship, with a 60-minute time limit, but Roderick came up short with Danielson rolling up Strong at the 56 minute mark for the victory.
At ''Final Battle 2005'' on December 17, 2005, Strong and Aries defeated Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship. They held the titles until September 16, 2006, when they were defeated by The Kings of Wrestling ( Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). In February 2007, Strong turned on Aries to form a new faction with Davey Richards called the No Remorse Corps.
The No Remorse Corps went on to feud with Aries' new faction The Resilience.
Rocky Romero
John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
joined the NRC, while Matt Cross and Erick Stevens joined The Resilience. Though the NRC dominated the feud for the most part, the feud's end came with Strong losing matches to Aries at both Undeniable and Reckless Abandon in a 30-minute Iron Man match.
Strong then began to feud with Stevens over the FIP title. Strong lost the title to Stevens at Final Battle 2007, but won it back at FIP Redefined. He continued to hold onto the belt in several matches with Stevens, and won a Fight Without Honor against Stevens at ROH Respect is Earned II by superplexing Stevens off a ladder through two tables. However, he lost the FIP title to Stevens at FIP Hot Summer Nights 2008 in a Dog Collar match to end their feud. At Respect is Earned II, Davey Richards turned on Strong to join Sweet and Sour Inc.
Championship reigns (2008–2013)
On an episode of ROH on HDNet, Strong was chosen as a judge for the Tyler Black/Austin Aries match for the ROH World Title on February 13. Strong accepted the position as Black promised that, should he win the title, Strong will be given a championship match.
On May 22, 2010, Strong turned into a villain and debuted Truth Martini as his new manager. At the following pay-per-view, Death Before Dishonor VIII, on June 19, Strong defeated Colt Cabana, Steve Corino, Shawn Daivari, Tyson Dux and Eddie Edwards in a gauntlet match, with an assist from Martini, to earn the right to challenge for the ROH World Championship. On September 11, 2010, at Glory By Honor IX, Strong defeated Tyler Black in a No Disqualification match to win the ROH World Championship for the first time. He then took a brief leave of absence from ROH to travel to Pro Wrestling Noah with ROH World Television Champion Eddie Edwards to participate in the Nippon Television Junior Heavyweight Tag League. On March 2, 2011, ROH announced that Strong had signed a new contract with the promotion. Just over two weeks later, on March 19, Strong lost the ROH World Championship to Eddie Edwards at ''Manhattan Mayhem IV''.
On April 1 at Honor Takes Center Stage, Strong faced Richards once again in a rematch from their encounter at Final Battle. This time, Richards defeated Strong after making him submit to an Ankle Lock. The following night, on the second night of the iPPV, Strong lost again, this time to El Generico. After the match, Strong's teammate from the House of Truth,
Michael Elgin
Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
, attacked Generico until Colt Cabana made the save.
Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniel Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the Head of Ta ...
also came out, presumably to assist fellow babyfaces Cabana and Generico, but turned heel after hitting Generico with the Book of Truth and hitting Cabana with the Angel's Wings, thus joining the House of Truth. On August 13 at the first ever TV tapings of Ring Of Honor Wrestling under
Sinclair Broadcasting Group
Sinclair, Inc., doing business as Sinclair Broadcast Group, is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb o ...
, Strong received another shot at the ROH world title against Davey Richards but was unsuccessful. On March 31, 2012, at Showdown in the Sun, Strong defeated Jay Lethal to win the ROH World Television Championship for the first time, in the process becoming the second person to win the ROH Triple Crown. On June 29, Strong lost the title to
Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
. After defeating former stablemate Michael Elgin on December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday, Strong quit the House of Truth. On March 2, 2013, at the 11th Anniversary Show, Strong would end his feud with Elgin, being defeated in a
Two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
.
Various feuds and departure (2013–2016)
Throughout 2013, Strong won numerous singles matches and in mid-2013, began a friendly rivalry with Adam Cole with both men trading victories. After the ROH World Championship was vacated, Strong entered a tournament to determine the new champion as a
face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
, defeating Matt Taven in his first round match on August 3. On August 17, Strong was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by Kevin Steen. On October 5, Strong challenged tournament winner and ROH World Champion, Adam Cole, in a No Disqualification, No Count Out match, but would come up short. In late 2013, Strong would dub the name "Mr. Ring of Honor" for his consistent stint in ROH. On December 14, 2013, at Final Battle 2013, Roderick Strong would turn into a villain with B. J. Whitmer and Jimmy Jacobs, by attacking Eddie Edwards, citing that they were sick of people being celebrated when they walk out of ROH, while the constants in ROH would go unappreciated. This villainous group is known as The Decade.
On January 4, 2014, Strong was defeated by the returning A.J. Styles. Throughout 2014, Strong was ousted from The Decade after falling out with Adam Page, Strong then fended off an attack from Page and Whitmer to set up a match for Final Battle, and as a result. Strong defeated Adam Page at Final Battle 2014, and then B. J. Whitmer in a grudge match at ROH's 13th Anniversary Show to end his feud with The Decade.
Strong would go on to appear on the lower card for the first few months of 2015, defeating Christopher Daniels at Supercard of Honor IX. Along with the rest of the ROH roster, Roderick Strong was involved with the Ring of Honor and
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
collaborated events War of the Worlds, held on May 12 and 13; and Global Wars held on May 15 and 16. At the first War of the Worlds event, Strong won his match with NJPW wrestler Kushida, but lost his match at the second event to NJPW mainstay
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and Podcast, podcaster. He is signed to
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler.
Widel ...
, considered one of the top three stars of New Japan. He appeared at both Global Wars events; on the first night, he teamed with the Briscoes and
War Machine
War Machine (Col. James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie, John Byrne, and Bob Layton as a supporting character for Iron Man, he first appeared i ...
Bullet Club
, stylized as BULLET CLUB and sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#stable, stable primarily appearing in the Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling ...
(A. J. Styles (then
IWGP Heavyweight Champion
The was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IW ...
),
Doc Gallows
Andrew William Hankinson (born December 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Doc Gallows. He is best known for his three tenures in WWE, where he performed under ...
,
Karl Anderson
Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980) known by the ring name Karl Anderson , is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is primarily performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for his time in WWE.
Ander ...
, and the Young Bucks). On the second night, he lost to
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...
, another one of the top three stars of NJPW. After the ROH/NJPW events, Strong garnered high praise from wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, reporting that both Tanahashi and Nakamura were giving him "rave reviews".
Following the ROH/NJPW events, Strong set his sights on the ROH World Championship. At Best in the World, Strong defeated
Michael Elgin
Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
and
Moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
in a three-way match to become the number one contender to the ROH World Championship. Strong received his title match at Death Before Dishonor XIII, challenging
Jay Lethal
Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrest ...
(also the ROH World Television Champion), but was unsuccessful as the match went to a 60-minute time-limit draw. After failing to capture the title, Roderick Strong began campaigning for a match against IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Kazuchika Okada
(born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. Known as the , he is b ...
, the only one of the top three NJPW talents (alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura) he had yet to wrestle. Okada accepted the challenge, setting the two up for a match at Field of Honor, where Okada was victorious. Strong finally received a rematch with Lethal for the ROH World Championship on the August 21 episode of ROH Wrestling, but was defeated. Strong continued to be unsuccessful in his endeavours, as he lost a number one contenders match at All Star Extravaganza VII, losing to A. J. Styles in a four-way match (along with Adam Cole and Michael Elgin).
Despite his recent misfortunes, Strong continued to feud with Jay Lethal, where he was announced as being the partner of A. J. Styles and ACH in a "Champions vs. All-Stars" elimination match at Glory By Honor XIV against Lethal and ROH World Tag Team Champions The Kingdom ( Matt Taven and Michael Bennett). In the lead-up to the match, Strong earned a match for Jay Lethal's ROH World Television Championship on the first night of Glory By Honor XIV on October 23. Strong was successful in the match, capturing the TV title for the second time. Being a champion, Strong was placed on the Champions team with Lethal and the Kingdom against the new All-Stars team (after Styles and ACH had both been injured the previous night), turning the six-man tag team match into an eight-man tag team match. Strong's team was victorious, with Strong and Lethal being the only two remaining in the match. After the match, Strong had a stare-down with both Styles and Lethal.
After being injured during the Survival of the Fittest tournament, Strong issued an open challenge for the upcoming Final Battle pay-per-view event, which was accepted by Bobby Fish, who had defeated him in a match on September 12. On December 18, the first night of the event, Strong retained the title against Fish. During the match Strong submitted to Fish, but the referee did not see, and the match continued. Strong once more turned into a villain after hitting Fish with a Sick Kick to win. The following night, Strong solidified his villainous turn by defeating ECW alumni Stevie Richards.
Heading into 2016, Roderick Strong continued to feud with Bobby Fish, where the two were scheduled for a rematch for Strong's TV Championship at ROH's 14th Anniversary event on February 26. However Strong lost the ROH World Television Championship to New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Tomohiro Ishii at the ROH/NJPW co-produced Honor Rising: Japan 2016 event in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
's Korakuen Hall. He then went on to be pinned by Ishii in a three-way match at ROH 14th Anniversary, which also involved Fish. Strong was then defeated May 8 by Dalton Castle, who became the new number-one contender to the TV title.
On June 22, 2016, ROH announced that Strong would be leaving the promotion following the June 25 television tapings. June 24 at Best in the World '16 Roderick Strong lost to Mark Briscoe after a pair of fisherman suplex drivers/brainbusters. The following day, June 25, his last day at ROH, Strong was defeated again by Dalton Castle, who had just lost his TV title challenge against Bobby Fish at Best in the World. Although taped in June it did not air until July 15. On that day, he said that he will always be known as "Mr. ROH".
Full Impact Pro (2004–2015)
Roderick Strong made his
Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
(FIP) debut in 2004 against
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
in a title-versus-career match to win the FIP Heavyweight Championship, the heavyweight championship of the Floridian Full Impact Pro promotion. When he defended the title against
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
in Liverpool on March 3, the FIP Heavyweight championship became known as the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. On December 6, 2013, Strong and
Rich Swann
Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
defeated The Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot) to win the FIP Tag Team Championship. Next day, at Violence is the Answer, they retained the title against Andrew Everett and Caleb Konley. On May 2, 2014, Strong and Swann lost the FIP Tag Team Championship to The Juicy Product. On February 20, 2015, Strong won the FIP World Heavyweight Championship for the third time. He lost the title to Rich Swann on April 18.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–2006)
In his first major appearance with
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
, Strong lost a special "Showcase Match" to
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
on September 11, 2005. On September 22, it was announced that he had signed a contract with TNA, and would wrestle A.J. Styles in the opening match on the premiere episode of ''
TNA Impact!
''TNA Impact!'' (stylized as ''TNA iMPACT!'') is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) that debuted on June 4, 2004. It also features wrestlers from WWE's ...
'' on
Spike TV
Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel and the flagship property of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, who operates it through the MTV Entertainment Group. The network's headquarters are locate ...
on October 1. Strong went on to lose the subsequent bout. At Bound for Glory, Strong competed in a Fatal 4-way match on the preshow which was won by
Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla (born April 7, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer and Glossary of professional wrestling terms#manage ...
. on the October 29 episode of Impact, Strong and Alex Shelley lost to A.J. Styles and Sonjay Dutt. At
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
, Strong competed in an Eight-man tag team elimination match which his team won. At Turning Point, Strong and
Alex Shelley
Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
lost to
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
and Matt Bentley. On December 3 Strong lost to Matt Bentley in a match taped for Xplosion. on the December 31 episode of Impact, Strong lost to
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
.
In 2006, he formed a stable in TNA with Austin Aries and Alex Shelley and at Final Resolution they defeated
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
, Matt Bentley and Sonjay Dutt in a Six-man tag team match. on the January 7 episode of Impact, Strong, Austin Aries and Alex Shelley defeated A.J. Styles, Christopher Daniels and Chris Sabin in a six man tag team match. on the February 4 episode of Impact, Strong and Aries defeated The Naturals in a #1 Contenders Tournament match. on the February 11 episode of Impact, Strong and Aries lost to Sonjay Dutt and Chris Sabin in the Tournament final. At Against All Odds, Strong and Austin Aries lost to The Naturals (Andy Douglas and
Chase Stevens
Chase Bradley Stevens (born January 17, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name of "The Natural" Chase Stevens. He is known primarily for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he was a member ...
). on the February 18 episode of Impact, Strong competed in a 3-WAY to Qualify for Team USA for TNA's world cup but lost the match. on the February 25 episode of Impact, Strong lost to A.J. Styles.
In February 2006, he and Aries were both suspended for two months for arriving four hours late for the pay-per-view TNA Against All Odds 2006. He returned to TNA in April 2006, but was released shortly thereafter with his final TNA match being on the April 8 episode of Impact where he lost a World X Cup Three Way Qualifying Match which was won by Alex Shelley.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
(PWG) debut on February 12, 2005, losing to Ricky Reyes. On December 16, Strong and Jack Evans defeated 2 Skinny Black Guys ( El Generico and Human Tornado) to become number one contenders to the
PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & C ...
. They challenged champions Super Dragon and Davey Richards on March 4, 2006, in a losing effort. Throughout 2006, Strong won numerous singles matches and made his Battle of Los Angeles tournament debut. He defeated Rocky Romero in the opening and
Dragon Kid
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate as .
Nakamura initially broke into the wrestling business with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but was not allowed to be a wrestler by owner Atsushi Onita and instead ...
in the quarterfinal rounds before losing to Davey Richards, the eventual winner, in the semifinals. On November 17, Strong teamed with Richards to defeat Super Dragon and B-Boy for the PWG World Tag Team Championship; however, Super Dragon and B-Boy regained the titles the following day.
Strong would win his second World Tag Team Championship at the inaugural Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, held over two nights in May 2007. Originally, Strong was scheduled to team with Evans, but Evans was unable to appear. Strong instead teamed with British wrestler PAC, defeating Richards and Super Dragon, the Muscle Outlaw'z ( Naruki Doi and
Masato Yoshino
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known for working in Dragon Gate, where he was known as ''Speed Star''. Dragon Gate's second Grand Slam champion, having been a record six-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, four-time Open ...
) and the Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe), respectively, to win the tournament and titles. On July 26, they lost the titles to Kevin Steen and El Generico. A month later, Strong entered the 2007 Battle of Los Angeles, this time defeating Austin Aries, Joey Ryan, and Alex Shelley on his way to the finals, where he was eliminated by CIMA in a match also involving El Generico.
On February 24, 2008, Strong took part in a one-night tournament to determine a new PWG World Champion. The previous champion,
Low Ki
Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major ...
, had gotten injured, forcing him to vacate. Strong was supposed to face Low Ki for the title, and thus was given a bye into the final round. The tournament (dubbed ¡Dia de los Dangerous!) final saw Strong wrestle Human Tornado and
Karl Anderson
Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980) known by the ring name Karl Anderson , is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is primarily performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for his time in WWE.
Ander ...
in a three-way match, which Strong lost. On May 17 and 18, he entered the second annual DDT4 with Evans. They went on to defeat the teams of
Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion and ...
and Ronin and Los Luchas (Phoenix Star and Zokre) on their way to the finals, where they beat the World Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen and El Generico to become champions and tournament winners. On July 6 at ''Life During Wartime'', The Age of the Fall ( Tyler Black and Jimmy Jacobs) defeated the team of Generico (substituting for Evans) and Strong to win the titles. The next month, Strong beat Tyler Black in singles action. He entered his third Battle of Los Angeles and was eliminated in the first round by eventual winner Low Ki.
Championship pursuits (2009–2011)
At the 2009 DDT4 on May 22, Strong teamed with Bryan Danielson to make it to the final round for a third year in a row. They beat The Dynasty ( Scott Lost and Joey Ryan) and the Motor City Machine Guns (Shelley and
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
) before losing to World Tag Team Champions
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson). Strong received his second PWG World Championship title shot on August 28, 2009, challenging Chris Hero, but was unable to win. That year, he also again made it to the final round of Battle of Los Angeles, losing the potential victory and vacant World Championship to
Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He also works as an ...
.
On January 30, 2010, Strong wrestled Hero and
Rob Van Dam
Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
in a three-way match at PWG's WrestleReunion 4 showcase. On April 10, he faced Richards for the World Championship, but went on to lose. On May 9, Strong was unable to make it to the DDT4 finals, losing in the opening round. At Seven on July 30, Strong was beaten by Danielson in a singles match. He entered the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles and beat
Paul London
Paul Michael London (born April 16, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he performs as a wrestler and a producer. He is best known for his tenure in WW ...
in the opening round before losing to Claudio Castagnoli the next day. At ''All Star Weekend 8 – Night Two'' on May 28, 2011, Strong and former partner Aries lost a World Tag Team Championship title match against The Young Bucks. Strong entered the 2011 Battle of Los Angeles and was eliminated by Eddie Edwards in the opening round. On December 10, Strong defeated the debuting Amazing Red.
The Dojo Bros (2012–2013)
On April 21, 2012, Strong teamed with PWG debutant
Sami Callihan
Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987), better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter. He is signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
at DDT4, but again lost before making it to the semifinals. He entered his seventh consecutive Battle of Los Angeles in September, beating Drake Younger in the opening round and losing to
Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
in the quarterfinals. At ''Failure to Communicate'' on October 27, Strong defeated the debuting
Rich Swann
Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
. At the inaugural Mystery Vortex, which took place on December 1, Strong teamed with Eddie Edwards and earned back-to-back tag team victories; the duo first defeated The Young Bucks in the opening match, then beat World Tag Team Champions Super Smash Brothers ( Player Uno and
Stupefied
Marc Dionne (born January 25, 1989), better known by the ring name Stu Grayson, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler.
Formerly known as Stupefied or Player Dos, he regularly tag team, teamed with Evil Uno, Player Uno as th ...
Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
to become the #1 contender for the PWG World Championship which was held by
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
. After congratulating O'Reilly for his successful title defense over Chris Hero, he then attacked O'Reilly turning heel once again. He later justified his turn by claiming he was "tired of being the guy who has the great matches" and he was tired of being "the gatekeeper of PWG." In August, Strong would enter the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Biff Busick in the first round, and would make it to the finals albeit through cheating; getting a disqualification win over A.J. Styles and getting a bye over Kyle O'Reilly in the semifinals after attacking him before the match. The three-way final match, which also included Johnny Gargano, was won by Ricochet. At Untitled II, Strong unsuccessfully challenged O'Reilly for the title.
At Black Cole Sun, Strong defeated O'Reilly in a Guerrilla Warfare match to win the PWG World Championship for the first time after goading O'Reilly into a match after O'Reilly defeated BOLA winner Ricochet in a near thirty-minute match. Strong successfully defended the title against Trevor Lee at ''From Out of Nowhere'', Zack Sabre Jr. in a critically acclaimed match at ''Don't Sweat the Technique'' and
Brian Cage
Brian Christopher Joseph ButtonChris Hero in a three-way match at 2015 DDT. At Mystery Vortex III, Strong successfully defended the title against "Speedball" Mike Bailey in an open challenge and later helped The Young Bucks capture the PWG World Tag Team Championship and afterwards formed a new version of the
Mount Rushmore
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a National Memorial (United States), national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (, or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dak ...
stable with them and the returning Super Dragon. On December 11, Adam Cole joined the stable.
On March 5, 2016, Strong lost the PWG World Championship to Zack Sabre Jr. He would later cash in his rematch clause against Sabre at Thirteen on July 29, 2016, and lose. He followed the match with a farewell speech to signal his departure from PWG after eleven years with the promotion.
Strong made his NXT debut on the October 19, 2016, episode of ''NXT'' as
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
' partner in the second
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament held by the American promotion WWE, and is featured on its NXT brand, having first been established in 2015. In subsequent years, wrestlers from the NXT U ...
tournament, defeating Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight. On October 25, 2016, WWE officially announced Strong as part of the latest group of recruits joining the
WWE Performance Center
WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and ...
. On the December 14 episode of '' NXT'', Strong defeated Elias Samson, in doing so getting himself entered into a fatal four-way match to determine a new number one contender for the
NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
as well as establishing himself as a fan favorite. Strong competed in the fatal-four way on the December 21 episode of ''NXT'', but was unsuccessful. Strong defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio in his first TakeOver appearance.
Strong then began a rivalry with the faction
SAnitY
Sanity (from ) refers to the soundness, rationality, and health of the human mind, as opposed to insanity. A person is sane if they are rational. In modern society, the term has become exclusively synonymous with ''compos mentis'' ( and ). The ...
after coming to the aid of Tye Dillinger and No Way Jose, who were also battling the group. At NXT TakeOver: Orlando, Strong teamed with Dillinger, Ruby Riot and Kassius Ohno (replacing No Way Jose who had been attacked earlier in the night) to take on SAnitY in an 8-person mixed tag team match in a losing effort. On May 20, at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, Strong defeated Eric Young, giving Young his first pinfall loss in NXT. On the July 5 episode of ''NXT'', Strong challenged
Bobby Roode
Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer.
Roode is known ...
for the NXT Championship, but lost the match. After
Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
won the NXT Championship from Roode at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, Strong defeated Roode on the August 30 episode of ''NXT''. Strong unsuccessfully challenged McIntyre for the NXT Championship on the October 5 episode of ''NXT''. Strong was defeated by Almas on the October 25 episode of ''NXT'' following interference from
Zelina Vega
Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega and is the current Women's United States Champion in he ...
Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
). For weeks, the trio tried to recruit Strong to join the group in an attempt to overtake NXT. During a match between SAnitY and
The Authors of Pain
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
on the November 1 episode of ''NXT'', The Undisputed Era interfered and caused the match to end in a no-contest. Strong entered the fray and pulled out an Undisputed Era armband, seemingly joining the group. However, Strong attacked the three, and cleared the ring alongside The Authors of Pain. General manager
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the vice-president of Global Talent Development. He is also known for ...
emerged on the ramp, and announced a
WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
for NXT TakeOver: WarGames (originally known as TakeOver: Houston). Strong would team with The Authors of Pain against The Undisputed Era and SAnitY. At the event, Strong (who dressed in a similar attire to his teammates) and The Authors of Pain were unsuccessful in winning. On the December 20 episode of ''NXT'', Strong was defeated by Lars Sullivan in a qualifying match for a number one contender's fatal four-way match for the NXT Championship.
On the January 30, 2018, episode of '' 205 Live'', 205 Live General Manager
Drake Maverick
James Michael Curtin (born 30 January 1983) is an English former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a writer on WWE Raw, Raw. During his time as an on screen performer in the company, he worked under the ring ...
announced the 2018 WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. Strong was later announced as a participant in the tournament, in which he would defeat Hideo Itami in the first round and Kalisto in the quarter-finals on the February 6 and February 27 episodes of ''205 Live'' before being defeated by
Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Alexander worked for ROH ...
in the semi-finals on the March 13 episode of ''205 Live''.
NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
and the
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament held by the American promotion WWE, and is featured on its NXT brand, having first been established in 2015. In subsequent years, wrestlers from the NXT U ...
trophy, Strong turned on his partner Pete Dunne and joined The Undisputed Era, turning heel. The next morning at
WrestleMania Axxess
WWE World at WrestleMania, formerly known as WrestleMania Axxess, is a professional wrestling fan convention held by WWE during the week of WrestleMania. The event typically runs for four to five days—from Thursday to Sunday or Monday—and fea ...
, Strong teamed with O'Reilly to defend the
NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
Tyler Bate
Tyler Bate (born 7 March 1997) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand and is one of the two members of New Catch Republic, performing alongside Pete Dunne.
In 2017, he became the inaugur ...
and
Trent Seven
Benjamin Maurice Webb (born 21 August 1981), known by the ring name Trent Seven, is an English Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Promoter (entertainment), wrestling promoter. He has worked for WWE, where he performed on their NXT ...
). However, they would regain the championships on the July 11, 2018, episode of ''NXT'', after Bate threw in the towel over an injured Seven. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on August 18, O'Reilly and Strong defeated Moustache Mountain again to retain the titles. All four members of the Undisputed Era competed in a
WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
War Machine
War Machine (Col. James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie, John Byrne, and Bob Layton as a supporting character for Iron Man, he first appeared i ...
(
Rowe
Rowe may refer to:
Places
*Rowe, Massachusetts, U.S.
*Rowe, New Mexico, U.S.
*Rowes Bay, Queensland, a suburb of Townsville Australia
*Rowe, now Rówek, Poland
Other
*Rowe (surname)
*Rowe (musician), solo project of Becky Louise Filip, former mem ...
, and Hanson), in a losing effort.
At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix on January 26, 2019, Strong and O'Reilly lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to the War Raiders, ending their reign at 219 days. At NXT TakeOver: New York on April 5, Strong interfered in Adam Cole's NXT Championship match against Johnny Gargano. Afterwards, Strong would begin a feud with Matt Riddle. At NXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1, Strong was defeated by Riddle. On August 10 at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, Strong competed in a triple threat match against Pete Dunne and Velveteen Dream for the NXT North American Championship, which Dream won to retain the title.
On September 18 during the debut episode of ''NXT'' on the
USA Network
USA Network (or simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was launched in 1977 as Madison Square Garden Sports Network, one of the first national sports ...
, Strong defeated Velveteen Dream after interference from the Undisputed Era to win the NXT North American Championship, giving him his first single title in WWE, and giving the Undisputed Era all three male championships available in NXT. He would then, alongside the Undisputed Era, begin a feud against
Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa () and ...
WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...
Austin Theory
Austin Tyler White (born August 2, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Bodybuilding, bodybuilder. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring nam ...
to retain his NXT North American Title. At NXT Worlds Collide, Strong and the rest of The Undisputed Era would face
Imperium
In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
but would lose the match. On the January 22, 2020, episode of ''NXT'', Strong lost the North American Championship to Keith Lee in the main event, ending his reign at 126 days.
Strong then began feuding with Dexter Lumis, who came to Velveteen Dream's aid to help him in his war with The Undisputed Era. During that time, Dexter kidnapped Strong during the In Your House event to keep him from interfering in Cole's match with Dream. Though returned to his allies, Strong was heavily traumatized by the kidnapping and developed a deathly fear of Dexter as a result. His teammates attempted to curtail his sudden panic and fear by having him go to therapy but his therapist was O'Reilly in disguise, due to Cole's paranoia that Strong might renounce villainy as a result of his encounter with Dexter. At The Great American Bash, Strong lost to Lumis in a strap match. In September, The Undisputed Era started a feud with Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Pete Dunne, turning them face in the process. This culminated at NXT TakeOver: WarGames (2020) in a WarGames match with the Undisputed Era winning.
At NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Cole superkicked O'Reilly, leaving the future of the faction in uncertainty. On the February 24, 2021, episode of ''NXT'', Cole turned on and double-crossed Strong, thus disbanding The Undisputed Era. After the dissolution of The Undisputed Era, Strong took time off from NXT.
Diamond Mine (2021–2022)
Strong made his return on June 22 episode of ''NXT'', attacking Kushida, and formed the Diamond Mine stable along with Tyler Rust (who was released weeks after and later replaced by Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile) and
Hachiman
In Japanese religion, ''Yahata'' (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements f ...
, with Malcolm Bivens as their manager, turning heel once again. On the September 21 episode of ''NXT 2.0'', Strong defeated Kushida to win the
NXT Cruiserweight Championship
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that was created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. Before its retirement, it was defended across the NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live brand divisions, which wer ...
Joe Gacy
Joseph Ruby (born August 8, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. As of August 2020, he is signed to WWE, on the WWE SmackDown, SmackDown brand, where he performs under the ring name Joe Gacy and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction.
Gac ...
, retaining his championship. On the '' NXT: New Year's Evil'', he lost the title to
Carmelo Hayes
Christian Brigham (born August 1, 1994) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Carmelo Hayes. He ...
, unifying both North American and Cruiserweight Championships.
Strong and the rest of Diamond Mine would slowly turn face at the start of 2022, when they entered a feud with
Imperium
In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
. In September, Strong suffered an ankle injury and was written off television. Strong's final on-screen appearance in WWE was on the October 11 episode of ''NXT'', where he motivated Julius Creed ahead of his Ambulance Match with Damon Kemp at
Halloween Havoc
Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
. In November, Strong's contract with WWE expired and he quietly departed the company.
All Elite Wrestling / Return to ROH (2023–present)
Undisputed Kingdom (2023–2025)
On April 26, 2023, Strong made his surprise debut in
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
(AEW), appearing on ''
AEW Dynamite
''AEW Dynamite'', also known as ''Wednesday Night Dynamite'' or simply ''Dynamite'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American Professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It air ...
Matt Menard
Matt may refer to:
*Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt
*In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance)
*Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
). On the May 17 edition of ''Dynamite'', Strong defeated
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
in a
Falls Count Anywhere match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
in the quarterfinals of the tournament. In August 2023, Strong, who suffered a neck injury (kayfabe), along with The Kingdom confronted Adam Cole for his alliance with MJF. On September 6 episode of ''Dynamite'', Strong competed in the Grand Slam Tournament, defeating Trent Beretta in the quarterfinals, Darby Allin in the semifinals and lost to Samoa Joe in the final round on September 13 and after the match Strong suffered another neck injury (kayfabe).
On December 30, 2023 at Worlds End, Strong revealed himself as one of The Devil's Masked Men, along with Taven, Bennett and Wardlow attacked MJF, with Adam Cole revealing himself as the Devil. On the January 3, 2024, episode of Dynamite, Cole announced that the stable had changed its name to The Undisputed Kingdom (using a similar name to The Undisputed Era, Strong and Cole's previous faction from their time in
WWE NXT
''WWE NXT'', also known simply as ''NXT'', is an American professional wrestling television program. It is produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, featuring wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The show c ...
) and laid out their goals, which included Strong capturing the
AEW International Championship
The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All E ...
. On the January 17 episode, Strong, Bennett, and Taven confronted International Champion Orange Cassidy after his match. Cassidy offered to defend the title against Strong right then, but Strong rejected and said he wanted to face Cassidy for the title at
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
, which was later made official. At the event, Strong defeated Orange Cassidy for the title, winning his first championship in AEW. After the match, Strong, Taven and Bennett was confronted by
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
Rocky Romero
John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
in an AEW International Championship eliminator match. After the match, Strong continued to attack Romero until O'Reilly made the save, which caused Strong to attack O'Reilly. This led to a match being made between the both of them at
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
for the International Championship, where Strong retained the title. On May 26 at Double or Nothing, Strong lost the title to
Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW International Champion. He is also known for his eight year tenure with New Japa ...
, ending his reign at 84 days.
On the June 5 episode of ''Dynamite'', Strong unsuccessfully challenged Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship. On the July 13 episode of ''AEW Collision'', Strong defeated Dalton Castle to become the number one Contender for the ROH World Championship, earning a match against champion Mark Briscoe at Death Before Dishonor. This would be Strong's first ROH appearance since 2016, which is now the sister promotion of AEW. At the event, Strong failed to win the title from Mark Briscoe. On August 25 at All In, Strong completed in the Casino Gauntlet match, which was won by
Christian Cage
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...
. On the October 23 episode of ''Dynamite'', Strong and the rest of the Undisputed Kingdom turned babyface and reginited their feud with MJF, who was now a heel. On the same night, MJF made a deal with both Strong and Cole, stating that whoever won three matches in a row first would get a match against him at Full Gear on November 23. Strong was able to complete the challenge, defeating Shane Taylor, followed by The Beast Mortos, and finally
Lance Archer
Lance Hoyt (born February 28, 1977), better known by his ring name Lance Archer, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where is a member of The Don Callis Family and one-half of The Murder Machines w ...
in a
Falls count anywhere match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
, earning a match against MJF at Full Gear. At Full Gear, Strong was defeated by MJF. On December 28 at Worlds End, Strong and O'Reilly came to the aid of Cole from an MJF attack.
The Paragon (2025–present)
On the April 9, 2025 episode of ''Dynamite'' following Dynasty, Cole addressed winning the AEW TNT Championship in a backstage segment alongside Strong and O'Reilly and formed their own group known as " The Paragon". On May 25 at Double or Nothing, Paragon were defeated by Don Callis Family (
Josh Alexander
Joshua Lemay (born May 29, 1987), better known by his ring name Josh Alexander, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family. He also makes a ...
In December 2015, Lindsey got engaged to mixed martial artist and fellow wrestler Marina Shafir. In 2017, they welcomed their first child, a boy named Troy Veniamin Lindsey. Lindsey and Shafir were married on November 7, 2018.
Championships and accomplishments
*
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
**
AEW International Championship
The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All E ...
Championship Wrestling from Florida
Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida professional wrestling promotion, wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it close ...
**NWA Florida X Division Championship (3 times)
*
Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
Rich Swann
Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
(1)
** FIP World Heavyweight Championship ( 3 times)
*Florida Entertainment Wrestling
**FEW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Independent Professional Wrestling
**IPW Florida Unified Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
**IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sedrick Strong
*Independent Wrestling Association East Coast
**IWA East Coast Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) was an American Independent circuit, independent professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in J ...
**Revolution Strong Style Tournament (2008)
*Lethal Wrestling Federation
**LWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Premiere Wrestling Xperience
**PWX Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eddie Edwards
*
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
**
PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. The c ...
PWG World Tag Team Championship
The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & C ...
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
) – with
PAC
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
**Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
) – with Jack Evans
*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
**Ranked No. 13 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
in 2011 and 2016
* Pro Wrestling Noah
**Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League Outstanding Performance Award (2010) – with Eddie Edwards
*
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
Survival of the Fittest
"Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success. In Darwinian terms, th ...
(
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
Second
The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
Rich Swann
Richard Anthony Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. he is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2020–2021), ...
and
Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
) and
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
(Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) on August 9
*South Florida Championship Wrestling
**SFCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**SFCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Justin Venom
*''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
**
NXT Cruiserweight Championship
The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that was created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. Before its retirement, it was defended across the NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live brand divisions, which wer ...
NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
, and
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
(1) and
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
) – with
Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Richard Thomas Greenwood (born March 1, 1987), better known by his ring name Kyle O'Reilly, is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon (professio ...