Roderick Strong recently spoke with Mike Johnson of PWInsider and discussed several topics, ranging from his Strap Match with Dexter Lumis at NXT: The Great American Bash to is recent character work on NXT. Here are some highlights. Transcription credit of Mike Johnson via PWInsider.
On his strap match with Dexter Lumis:
Strong: ‘”Oh, violence, pain, bruising, all on Dexter, not on me. Not going to let that creep touch me. I think it’s going to be something very special. I’m very honored to be involved in the first ever strap match on NXT. I’ve never actually been in one, ever. So, for me, just that whole experience is something that’s so unique, and I’m going against a character that’s so unique. We’re trying to build his brand. I think we’re going to be able to pull off something very, very special. I’m just excited at the opportunity. But it is going to be a very, very rough, brutal, violent match. I will be your victor though. I hope to never see him again.'”
On being featured in more WWE-style storytellling rather than focusing on his in-ring work:
Strong: “‘Actually, I was very excited. When the idea of some of that stuff was brought to us, it made me very eager to do it. It’s funny. The therapy thing, it was something I had mentioned that I wanted to do, because when we were talking about everything and the fact that they took that ball and they ran with it, and they wanted to make it something. Because for that reason. The fact that I haven’t been able to do anything like that, and I never really had the opportunity anywhere else. No one puts that amount of time and effort into building characters like a Dexter Lumis. So, it’s been fantastic to just do something different than just wrestling. It’s been a fun experience, and it’s allowed the group itself to show different sides and just show the people and remind them just how entertaining the Undisputed Era is. They not only put on the best matches at night, they can have the most entertaining segment, as well.'”
On working with Kyle O’Reilly during recent vignettes on NXT:
Strong: “‘Oh, 100%. 100%. It’s funny because that was one thing I was like, “Oh. Man. Kyle’s got to do the therapist.” We just didn’t necessarily know how to do it, because Kyle’s just so entertaining and has so much skill. He can do anything. Kyle can literally do anything. So, I was very, very happy that they let him do it and that people are giving him the credit that he deserves, just how amazing he is in that role and how much he’s been missed. It’s been nice. We’ve been able to put him in here or there, and just the reaction to him being in it has been fantastic.'”
On the relationships between the members of the Undisputed Era:
Strong: “‘Well, I’ll tell you, I was saying something earlier. It’s the fact that we know the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, the good and the bad of our past to where we’re at now. So, we’ve been in situations with each other that we know when someone’s a little down or someone’s really high. We can push each other to keep reaching the next level, or we know how someone thinks. We can say words for each other. It’s crazy how much we know about each other. I think that’s 100% it. I couldn’t imagine being put in a situation … Well, I guess it’s happened to me before, where I didn’t really know guys, back with Generation Next. This is just completely different because this has so much longevity because we barely have scratched the surface of who we are as performers and who we are as people, and the stuff that we can do together. We’ve constantly seen the change in each other as we’ve gotten older, and we’re different people than we were back then, and we truly have a good relationship. It’d be a lot different if I knew those guys and I hadn’t seen them for 10 years, and I was acting like it was 2010. It’d be very difficult to get on the same page. We’ve stayed in constant contact. It’s made it really easy. We have a lot of the same goals. We’re just trying to do the same stuff and leave a legacy that people will remember forever.'”
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