Roderick Strong bores me to tears

[SWAGSUKE]

The harder they try to sell him, the less I'm interested. I see the upside on most everyone on the roster, but I just don't get it with this guy. I see a bland dude who does backbreakers. His hard luck, try hard story doesn't endear me to him. When he steps through the ropes, he's still just as uninteresting. I'm glad he has a kid, I have a kid too. Big deal. Great, he has a wife! Who cares? Do I need to see her whine at ringside and call Roode a cheater? I wish I didn't.

They want to get him over as a plucky guy who does it on his own, but he also needs his annoying wife to fight his battles? Whaaatever. Go back to Indies.

And allow me to conclude this nuclear hot take by ripping his music. It's generic. Generic af ike him, and his music.

He's like the most basic create a character in a video game. If you take the basic guy and give him a bunch of backbreakers and a pushy wife, you get Roddy Strong.

 

[Prince Bálor]

To each their own.

I mean, I like Roddy as a face, but man, he's so much better as a heel. He has an edge and intensity as a heel. He's probably going to stick around in NXT for a while, so I hope we get to see heel Roddy.

 

[SWAGSUKE]

To each their own.

I mean, I like Roddy as a face, but man, he's so much better as a heel. He has an edge and intensity as a heel. He's probably going to stick around in NXT for a while, so I hope we get to see heel Roddy.

Dude right on. I knew posting that, that I am in the VAST minority in my opinions. I don't expect anyone else to feel the same way about the dude. In fact, I am hoping for fans of him to help me find what I'm missing.

Clearly I've heard about him for years. I'm a lifelong wrestling fan, but NXT is my only exposure to Roderick as a performer. I didn't actively watch ROH until 2 years ago. Maybe I would enjoy him as a heel? I clearly dislike him, so that might work lol.

 

[Prince Bálor]

Dude right on. I knew posting that, that I am in the VAST minority in my opinions. I don't expect anyone else to feel the same way about the dude. In fact, I am hoping for fans of him to help me find what I'm missing.

Clearly I've heard about him for years. I'm a lifelong wrestling fan, but NXT is my only exposure to Roderick as a performer. I didn't actively watch ROH until 2 years ago. Maybe I would enjoy him as a heel? I clearly dislike him, so that might work lol.

Yeah, check his ROH and PWG work, dude. You might enjoy it.

 

[SWAGSUKE]

Yeah, check his ROH and PWG work, dude. You might enjoy it.

If you were to suggest only one match, what would it be?

 

[Prince Bálor]

If you were to suggest only one match, what would it be?

Well, I'd suggest Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Reilly in a Guerrilla Warfare match from PWG's Black Cole Sun.

It was an absolutely brutal match.

 

[SWAGSUKE]

Well, I'd suggest Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Reilly in a Guerrilla Warfare match from PWG's Black Cole Sun.

It was an absolutely brutal match.

Got it. I'll find some time to YouTube it.

 

[Prince Bálor]

Got it. I'll find some time to YouTube it.

I doubt there's a full match on YouTube, but I'm pretty sure there are highlights of it.

 

[SWAGSUKE]

Well, I'd suggest Roderick Strong vs Kyle O'Reilly in a Guerrilla Warfare match from PWG's Black Cole Sun.

It was an absolutely brutal match.

I will say, matches aside, it still doesn't solve the issue of his complete lack of on screen personality. A lot of guys can do fancy moves in the WWE, it doesn't make someone a star.

I get that Roddy's this great guy in his home life and yadda yadda, but you have to be able to translate that on screen. I do not see it. I find it a real struggle to sit through his stuff.

 

[Snowman]

Truth be told, I always found Roderick Strong as the guy who... Watching his stuff makes me feel like I'm an Indy hater. Everything he does in the ring is technically cool but there's something about his matches that always lacked any type of engagement. (Never got into ROH enough to really watch storylines or judge his promos, so all I saw were big matches. I could get into several on the card but Strong's was one I could count on not getting in to... Guess it's like Andrade Cien Almas in his babyface run.

In NXT though, it changed for me. Thought his Indy Nightmare Match with Eric Young was shockingly a blast to watch, and his video packages and stuff have worked for both me and the live crowd, and Roode was a picture perfect heel foil in the feud.

They've got him over to a point but I still think his ceiling is capped.

 

[SWAGSUKE]

Truth be told, I always found Roderick Strong as the guy who... Watching his stuff makes me feel like I'm an Indy hater. Everything he does in the ring is technically cool but there's something about his matches that always lacked any type of engagement. (Never got into ROH enough to really watch storylines or judge his promos, so all I saw were big matches. I could get into several on the card but Strong's was one I could count on not getting in to... Guess it's like Andrade Cien Almas in his babyface run.

In NXT though, it changed for me. Thought his Indy Nightmare Match with Eric Young was shockingly a blast to watch, and his video packages and stuff have worked for both me and the live crowd, and Roode was a picture perfect heel foil in the feud.

They've got him over to a point but I still think his ceiling is capped.

Well said.

 

[Doxo]

My problem with Roddy is that he doesn't bring anything interesting to the table. Bobby Roode has his glorious thing, Shinsuke has his mannerisms, Bo Dallas has basically everything, and just about everybody has over the top personalities. It's fun to watch over the top people, but Roddy is a normal as you can get. Sure, you could argue that you could connect with him because of that, but he feels more like your neighbor and less like this high stage entertainer. Hell, he's a wrestler with a loving wife and child, that's my dream scenario, but I'd much rather see the unbeatable hillbilly zombie monster fight the Hollywood A-Lister and his skinny bodyguards

On a side note, a family man gimmick could work, but only if he's an over the top Dad, like a cringy bad-joke and stupid phrases Dad

 

[SWAGSUKE]

My problem with Roddy is that he doesn't bring anything interesting to the table. Bobby Roode has his glorious thing, Shinsuke has his mannerisms, Bo Dallas has basically everything, and just about everybody has over the top personalities. It's fun to watch over the top people, but Roddy is a normal as you can get. Sure, you could argue that you could connect with him because of that, but he feels more like your neighbor and less like this high stage entertainer. Hell, he's a wrestler with a loving wife and child, that's my dream scenario, but I'd much rather see the unbeatable hillbilly zombie monster fight the Hollywood A-Lister and his skinny bodyguards

On a side note, a family man gimmick could work, but only if he's an over the top Dad, like a cringy bad-joke and stupid phrases Dad

The Everyman thing worked great for Daniel Bryan, and I understand why they're trying it with Roderick. It didn't hook me though. Bryan has charisma that carries him through, and I don't see that with Strong

 

[Doxo]

The Everyman thing worked great for Daniel Bryan, and I understand why they're trying it with Roderick. It didn't hook me though. Bryan has charisma that carries him through, and I don't see that with Strong

To be fair I didn't like Daniel Bryan either :bitw:

 

[SWAGSUKE]

To be fair I didn't like Daniel Bryan either :bitw:

SACRILEGE!!! lol right on.