PWInsider: More Details on Roderick Strong Signing with AEW
PW Insider noted a few things about Roderick Strong’s AEW debut.
Roderick Strong’s WWE deal actually expired in November of last year. Since WWE does not announce NXT departures and it wasn’t a release but a contract ending, it flew under the radar. Strong’s debut for AEW could have went down in December the moment his 30-day non-complete clause was over, because that’s how contracts work.
The debut was timed for after Adam Cole’s return and locally in Florida (where he lives) to prevent Strong from being spotted traveling.
It was also noted that Roderick Strong’s NXT departure was “so under the radar, he was listed on WWE.com well after he debuted for AEW.” Roddy Strong made his AEW debut at his own pace, after he took several months off to heal after being “banged up” for the last run of his NXT career.
The report went on to say that Roderick Strong and AEW “had been quietly talking for some time about him coming in and came to a deal.” They also kept him hidden backstage prior to his AEW debut on Dynamite.