.png) Strong in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Lindsey (1983-07-26)July 26, 1983 (age 42)[1] Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S.[6] |
| Alma mater | University of South Florida |
Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Roderick Strong The Jester |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg)[2] or 205 lb[1] |
| Billed from | New Orleans,Louisiana[1] Tampa, Florida[2][3] |
| Trained by | Jim Neidhart[4] The Warlord[4] Prince Iaukea[4] Tim Mahoney[5] |
| Debut | March 24, 2000[1] |
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by hisring nameRoderick Strong, is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member ofThe Paragon stable. He also performs in AEW's sister promotionRing of Honor (ROH).
He is also known for his tenure withWWE, where he performed on theNXTbrand. Prior to signing with WWE and later AEW, Strong had a 13-year tenure withRing of Honor (ROH), where he is a formerone-timeROH World Champion, atwo-timeROH World Television Champion, and aone-timeROH World Tag Team Champion withAustin Aries, which made him the second-ever ROHTriple Crown Champion (afterEddie Edwards).
In 2000, he debuted on the Floridianindependent circuit. He worked for IPW Hardcore and NWA Florida, before debuting for ROH in September 2003. In mid-2004, Strong joined forces withAlex Shelley, Austin Aries, andJack Evans, collectively known asGeneration 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, theNo Remorse Corps, withDavey Richards andRocky Romero. During this time, he was also competing for ROH's sister promotion,Full Impact Pro (FIP), and debuted forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG). Strong toured Japan withDragon Gate andPro Wrestling Noah and had a brief stint inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2005.
In FIP, he won theWorld Heavyweight Championship three times, and theTag Team Championship twice, once withErick Stevens and once withRich Swann. In PWG, he is a one-timeWorld Champion and a three-timeWorld Tag Team Champion, having held the title with Davey Richards,Pac, and Jack Evans, respectively. In addition, he is the only wrestler to win PWG's annualDynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament with two different partners (Pac in2007 and Jack Evans in2008).
After signing with WWE in 2016, Strong debuted in NXT as afan-favorite before turning into avillain and joiningThe Undisputed Era, where he became atwo-timeNXT Tag Team Champion (both withKyle O'Reilly) and aone-timeNXT North American Champion. As the leader ofDiamond Mine, he becameNXT Cruiserweight Championonce.
Lindsey was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but relocated to Florida at a young age. Following a troubled childhood, Lindsey graduated fromRiverview High School, where he playedAmerican football. He attended theUniversity of South Florida on anacademic scholarship. Lindseymajored in business for two years before dropping out.[6][7]
In the autumn of 1994, Lindsey's father, acollegiate wrestler, began training as a wrestler underJim Neidhart. After Lindsey attended several training sessions and metHarry Smith, a third generation wrestler, he decided to become a wrestler. Lindsey was also trained by his father,[4] Neidhart and a number of other wrestlers inTampa, Florida, and debuted in 2000 as The Jester on theFloridianindependent circuit for the RWA.[4][7]
Strong wrestled his first match for the IndependentProfessional Wrestling promotion, competing in a twenty-mancruiserweightBattle royal. He was initially one-third of astable known as "Risk Factor" with The Kamikaze Kid and Kid Lethal before he formed atag team with his trainee andkayfabe brother, Sedrick Strong. The Strong Brothers defeated Wrongful Death (Naphtali and Dagon Briggs) for the IPW Tag Team Championship on June 28, 2002, inSt. Petersburg, Florida. They held the title until September 20, when they lost to Naturally Marvelous (Scoot Andrews and Mike Sullivan) in asteel cage match in which Roderick suffered aconcussion.[4][7][8]
After Sedrick cost the Strong Brothers a number of matches, Roderickturned into avillain on February 8, 2003, betraying Sedrick and aligning himself with the Alliance of Defiance, a dominant villainous stable.[9]
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 theNWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Strong defeatedMikey Batts for the vacant title on February 21 in theNew Alhambra Sports and Entertainment Center inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania. He lost the title to Sedrick Strong on April 29, 2004, inNew Port Richey, Florida.[7][10][11]
In addition to wrestling for NWA Florida, Strong served as the head trainer of the territory's wrestling school.[9]
On January 13, 2005, Strong made a one-off appearance inWorld Wrestling Entertainment'sSmackDown episode, representing Tampa. On the episode, Strong was defeated byKurt Angle in Angle's "3-Minute Hometown Hero Challenge".[12]
Strong joined thePennsylvania-basedRing of Honor (ROH) promotion in September 2003. On May 22, 2004, atGeneration Next he formed astable known asGeneration Next withAlex Shelley,Austin Aries andJack Evans. Generation Next quickly dominated the ROH roster, declaring themselves the future of wrestling. After defeating several others, they defeatedCM Punk,Ace Steel,R. J. Brewer andJimmy Jacobs (mentored byRicky Steamboat) on October 2 atThe Midnight Express Reunion.[1]
Strong began punctuating his ring style withstiff offense while acting as theenforcer 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 theROH Tag Team Championship. On September 24 at2005 Survival of the Fittest, Strong defeatedSamoa Joe,Jay Lethal, Generation Next teammateAustin Aries, andColt Cabana to win the titular event, thus earning himself another shot at the ROH World Championship in the future.[1][7]
On October 1 atJoe vs. Kobashi, valetJade Chung aligned herself with Strong (and the remainder of Generation Next) after he defeated her former client,Jimmy Rave. The following night, Strong defeatedJames Gibson in the latter's farewell match for Ring of Honor before returning toWorld Wrestling Entertainment. Following the match, Gibson gave afarewell speech in which he called Strong the "MVP" of Ring of Honor.[1][7]
Strong lost to ROH World ChampionBryan Danielson on October 29 inWoodbridge, Connecticut, and on November 5 inChicago, 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.[1]
AtFinal Battle 2005 on December 17, 2005, Strong and Aries defeatedSal Rinauro andTony Mamaluke to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship.[13] They held the titles until September 16, 2006, when they were defeated by TheKings of Wrestling (Chris Hero andClaudio Castagnoli).[13] In February 2007, Strong turned on Aries to form a new faction withDavey Richards called theNo Remorse Corps.[1]
The No Remorse Corps went on to feud with Aries' new faction The Resilience.Rocky Romero joined the NRC, whileMatt Cross andErick 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 aFight 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.
On an episode of ROH on HDNet, Strong was chosen as a judge for theTyler 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 debutedTruth Martini as his new manager.[14] At the following pay-per-view,Death Before Dishonor VIII, on June 19, Strong defeatedColt Cabana,Steve Corino,Shawn Daivari,Tyson Dux andEddie Edwards in a gauntlet match, with an assist from Martini, to earn the right to challenge for the ROH World Championship.[15] On September 11, 2010, atGlory By Honor IX, Strong defeated Tyler Black in a No Disqualification match to win the ROH World Championship for the first time.[16] He then took a brief leave of absence from ROH to travel toPro Wrestling Noah withROH World Television Champion Eddie Edwards to participate in theNippon Television Junior Heavyweight Tag League.[17][18] On March 2, 2011, ROH announced that Strong had signed a new contract with the promotion.[19] Just over two weeks later, on March 19, Strong lost the ROH World Championship to Eddie Edwards atManhattan Mayhem IV.[20][21]
On April 1 atHonor 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 toEl Generico. After the match, Strong's teammate from theHouse of Truth,Michael Elgin, attacked Generico untilColt Cabana made the save.Christopher Daniels 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 underSinclair Broadcasting Group, Strong received another shot at the ROH world title against Davey Richards but was unsuccessful. On March 31, 2012, atShowdown 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 ROHTriple Crown.[22] On June 29, Strong lost the title toAdam Cole.[23] After defeating former stablemate Michael Elgin on December 16 atFinal Battle 2012: Doomsday, Strong quit the House of Truth.[24] On March 2, 2013, at the11th Anniversary Show, Strong would end his feud with Elgin, being defeated in aTwo out of three falls match.
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 wasvacated, Strong entered a tournament to determine the new champion as aface, defeatingMatt Taven in his first round match on August 3. On August 17, Strong was eliminated from the tournament in the second round byKevin 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, atFinal Battle 2013, Roderick Strong would turn into a villain withB. 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 asThe Decade.
On January 4, 2014, Strong was defeated by the returningA.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 atFinal Battle 2014, and then B. J. Whitmer in a grudge match atROH'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 atSupercard of Honor IX. Along with the rest of the ROH roster, Roderick Strong was involved with the Ring of Honor andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling collaborated eventsWar of the Worlds, held on May 12 and 13; andGlobal Wars held on May 15 and 16. At the first War of the Worlds event, Strong won his match with NJPW wrestlerKushida, but lost his match at the second event to NJPW mainstayHiroshi Tanahashi, 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 andWar Machine (Hanson andRay Rowe) to defeatBullet Club (A. J. Styles (thenIWGP Heavyweight Champion),Doc Gallows,Karl Anderson, and theYoung Bucks). On the second night, he lost toShinsuke Nakamura, 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 defeatedMichael Elgin andMoose in a three-way match to become the number one contender to the ROH World Championship. Strong received his title match atDeath Before Dishonor XIII, challengingJay Lethal (also theROH 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 ChampionKazuchika Okada, 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 atField of Honor, where Okada was victorious. Strong finally received a rematch with Lethal for the ROH World Championship on the August 21 episode ofROH Wrestling, but was defeated. Strong continued to be unsuccessful in his endeavours, as he lost a number one contenders match atAll 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 atGlory By Honor XIV against Lethal and ROH World Tag Team ChampionsThe Kingdom (Matt Taven andMichael 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.[25] 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 upcomingFinal Battle pay-per-view event, which was accepted byBobby 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 atROH's 14th Anniversary event on February 26. However Strong lost the ROH World Television Championship to New Japan Pro-Wrestling'sTomohiro Ishii at the ROH/NJPW co-producedHonor Rising: Japan 2016 event inTokyo'sKorakuen Hall.[26][27] 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 byDalton 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.[28] June 24 atBest 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".
Roderick Strong made hisFull Impact Pro (FIP) debut in 2004 againstAustin Aries.[29] On November 10, 2006, inInverness, Florida, Strong defeatedBryan Danielson in a title-versus-career match to win theFIP Heavyweight Championship, the heavyweight championship of theFloridian Full Impact Pro promotion. When he defended the title againstPac in Liverpool on March 3, the FIP Heavyweight championship became known as the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. On December 6, 2013, Strong andRich Swann defeatedThe Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot) to win theFIP Tag Team Championship.[30] Next day, at Violence is the Answer, they retained the title againstAndrew Everett and Caleb Konley.[31] On May 2, 2014, Strong and Swann lost the FIP Tag Team Championship to The Juicy Product.[32] On February 20, 2015, Strong won the FIP World Heavyweight Championship for the third time.[33] He lost the title to Rich Swann on April 18.[34]
In his first major appearance withTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling, Strong lost a special "Showcase Match" toAustin Aries at theUnbreakablepay-per-view on September 11, 2005. On September 22, it was announced that he had signed a contract with TNA, and would wrestleA.J. Styles in the opening match on the premiere episode ofTNA Impact! onSpike TV on October 1. Strong went on to lose the subsequent bout.[1][7] AtBound for Glory, Strong competed in a Fatal 4-way match on the preshow which was won bySonjay Dutt. on the October 29 episode of Impact, Strong and Alex Shelley lost to A.J. Styles and Sonjay Dutt. AtGenesis, Strong competed in an Eight-man tag team elimination match which his team won. AtTurning Point, Strong andAlex Shelley lost toAustin Aries andMatt Bentley. On December 3 Strong lost to Matt Bentley in a match taped for Xplosion. on the December 31 episode of Impact, Strong lost toSamoa Joe.
In 2006, he formed a stable in TNA with Austin Aries and Alex Shelley and atFinal Resolution they defeatedChris Sabin, 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. AtAgainst All Odds, Strong and Austin Aries lost toThe Naturals (Andy Douglas andChase Stevens). 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-viewTNA Against All Odds 2006.[35] 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.
Strong has made several tours of Japan, starting in December 2005 with Dragon Gate. Since 2009 he has worked forPro Wrestling Noah, where, in July 2013, he and Slex entered in theNTV G+ Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League for the vacantGHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. However, the team won only two points and failed to advance in the tournament.
Strong made hisPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) debut on February 12, 2005, losing toRicky Reyes. On December 16, Strong and Jack Evans defeated 2 Skinny Black Guys (El Generico andHuman Tornado) to become number one contenders to thePWG World Tag Team Championship. They challenged championsSuper Dragon and Davey Richards on March 4, 2006, in a losing effort. Throughout 2006, Strong won numerous singles matches and made hisBattle of Los Angeles tournament debut. He defeated Rocky Romero in the opening andDragon Kid 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 andB-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 inauguralDynamite 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 andMasato Yoshino) and theBriscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe), respectively, to win the tournament and titles. On July 26, they lost the titles toKevin Steen and El Generico. A month later, Strong entered the2007 Battle of Los Angeles, this time defeating Austin Aries,Joey Ryan, and Alex Shelley on his way to the finals, where he was eliminated byCIMA in a match also involving El Generico.
On February 24, 2008, Strong took part in a one-night tournament to determine a newPWG World Champion. The previous champion,Low Ki, 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 andKarl Anderson in a three-way match, which Strong lost. On May 17 and 18, he entered the second annualDDT4 with Evans. They went on to defeat the teams ofScorpio Sky 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 atLife 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 thirdBattle of Los Angeles and was eliminated in the first round by eventual winner Low Ki.
At the2009 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 theMotor City Machine Guns (Shelley andChris Sabin) before losing to World Tag Team ChampionsThe Young Bucks (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 ofBattle of Los Angeles, losing the potential victory and vacant World Championship toKenny Omega.
On January 30, 2010, Strong wrestled Hero andRob Van Dam in a three-way match at PWG'sWrestleReunion 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 theDDT4 finals, losing in the opening round. AtSeven on July 30, Strong was beaten by Danielson in a singles match. He entered the2010 Battle of Los Angeles and beatPaul London in the opening round before losing to Claudio Castagnoli the next day. AtAll 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 the2011 Battle of Los Angeles and was eliminated by Eddie Edwards in the opening round. On December 10, Strong defeated the debutingAmazing Red.
On April 21, 2012, Strong teamed with PWG debutantSami Callihan atDDT4, but again lost before making it to the semifinals. He entered his seventh consecutiveBattle of Los Angeles in September, beatingDrake Younger in the opening round and losing toRicochet in the quarterfinals. AtFailure to Communicate on October 27, Strong defeated the debutingRich Swann. At theinaugural 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 andStupefied) in a non-title bout.
At PWG'seleventh anniversary show, Strong defeatedAdam Cole to become the #1 contender for the PWG World Championship which was held byKyle O'Reilly. 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 the2014 Battle of Los Angeles, defeatingBiff 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 includedJohnny Gargano, was won by Ricochet.[36] 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 againstTrevor Lee atFrom Out of Nowhere,Zack Sabre Jr. atDon't Sweat the Technique andBrian Cage andChris Hero in a three-way match at2015 DDT.[37] AtMystery 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 theMount Rushmore stable with them and the returning Super Dragon.[38] On December 11, Adam Cole joined the stable.[39]
On March 5, 2016, Strong lost the PWG World Championship to Zack Sabre Jr.[40] He would later cash in his rematch clause against Sabre atThirteen 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.[41]
Strong made his first PWG appearance since July 2016 atTwenty: Mystery Vortex on August 13, 2023, where he defeatedMichael Oku.[42]
Strong made hisNXT debut on the October 19, 2016, episode ofNXT asAustin Aries' partner in the secondDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, defeatingOtis Dozovic andTucker Knight.[43] On October 25, 2016, WWE officially announced Strong as part of the latest group of recruits joining theWWE Performance Center.[44] On the December 14 episode ofNXT, Strong defeatedElias Samson, in doing so getting himself entered into a fatal four-way match to determine a new number one contender for theNXT Championship as well as establishing himself as a fan favorite.[45] Strong competed in the fatal-four way on the December 21 episode ofNXT, but was unsuccessful.[46] Strong defeatedAndrade "Cien" Almas atNXT TakeOver: San Antonio in his first TakeOver appearance.[47]Strong then began a rivalry with the factionSAnitY after coming to the aid ofTye Dillinger andNo Way Jose, who were also battling the group.[48] AtNXT TakeOver: Orlando, Strong teamed with Dillinger,Ruby Riot andKassius Ohno (replacing No Way Jose who had been attacked earlier in the night) to take on SAnitY in an 8-personmixed tag team match in a losing effort.[49] On May 20, atNXT TakeOver: Chicago, Strong defeatedEric Young, giving Young his first pinfall loss in NXT.[50] On the July 5 episode ofNXT, Strong challengedBobby Roode for the NXT Championship, but lost the match.[51] AfterDrew McIntyre won the NXT Championship from Roode atNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, Strong defeated Roode on the August 30 episode ofNXT.[52] Strong unsuccessfully challenged McIntyre for the NXT Championship on the October 5 episode ofNXT. Strong was defeated by Almas on the October 25 episode ofNXT following interference fromZelina Vega.[53]
Strong entered a storyline withThe Undisputed Era (Adam Cole,Bobby Fish, andKyle O'Reilly). For weeks, the trio tried to recruit Strong to join the group in an attempt to overtake NXT.[54][55] During a match between SAnitY andThe Authors of Pain on the November 1 episode ofNXT, 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 managerWilliam Regal emerged on the ramp, and announced aWarGames match forNXT TakeOver: WarGames (originally known as TakeOver: Houston). Strong would team with The Authors of Pain against The Undisputed Era and SAnitY.[56] At the event, Strong (who dressed in a similar attire to his teammates) and The Authors of Pain were unsuccessful in winning.[57] On the December 20 episode ofNXT, Strong was defeated byLars Sullivan in a qualifying match for a number one contender's fatal four-way match for the NXT Championship.[58]
On the January 30, 2018, episode of205 Live, 205 Live General ManagerDrake Maverick announced the2018 WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament. Strong was later announced as a participant in the tournament, in which he would defeatHideo Itami in the first round andKalisto in the quarter-finals on the February 6 and February 27 episodes of205 Live before being defeated byCedric Alexander in the semi-finals on the March 13 episode of205 Live.
AtNXT TakeOver: New Orleans, during the triple threat match for theNXT Tag Team Championship and theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy, Strong turned on his partnerPete Dunne and joined The Undisputed Era, turning heel.[59] The next morning atWrestleMania Axxess, Strong teamed with O'Reilly to defend theNXT Tag Team Championship, making him one of the champions via theFreebird Rule.[60][unreliable source?] At theGreatest Royal Rumble, Strong competed in the namesake match, entering at #34 and eliminatingRhyno before being eliminated byBaron Corbin.[61]
AtNXT TakeOver: Chicago II, O'Reilly and Strong defeatedDanny Burch andOney Lorcan to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship.[62] Onday 2 of the 2018 WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament, O'Reilly and Strong lost the NXT Tag Team Championship against Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate andTrent Seven). However, they would regain the championships on the July 11, 2018, episode ofNXT, after Bate threw in the towel over an injured Seven. AtNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on August 18, O'Reilly and Strong defeated Moustache Mountain again to retain the titles.[63] All four members of the Undisputed Era competed in aWarGames match atNXT TakeOver: Wargames II on November 17 againstRicochet,Pete Dunne,War Machine (Rowe, andHanson), in a losing effort.
AtNXT 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. AtNXT TakeOver: New York on April 5, Strong interfered inAdam Cole's NXT Championship match againstJohnny Gargano. Afterwards, Strong would begin a feud withMatt Riddle. AtNXT TakeOver: XXV on June 1, Strong was defeated by Riddle. On August 10 atNXT TakeOver: Toronto, Strong competed in a triple threat match against Pete Dunne andVelveteen Dream for theNXT North American Championship, which Dream won to retain the title.
On September 18 during the debut episode ofNXT on theUSA Network, 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 againstTommaso Ciampa, Riddle, andKeith Lee which would lead to aWarGames match atNXT TakeOver: WarGames, in which the Undisputed Era lost to the team of Ciampa, Lee,Dominik Dijakovic, andKevin Owens. The next night atSurvivor Series, he then defeatedSmackDown'sIntercontinental ChampionShinsuke Nakamura andRaw'sUnited States ChampionA.J. Styles in an inter-brand triple threat match. On the December 25 episode of NXT, Strong would defeatAustin Theory to retain his NXT North American Title. AtNXT Worlds Collide, Strong and the rest of The Undisputed Era would faceImperium but would lose the match. On the January 22, 2020, episode ofNXT, Strong lost the North American Championship toKeith Lee in the main event, ending his reign at 126 days.[64]
Strong then began feuding withDexter 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 theIn Your House event to keep him from interfering in Cole's match with Dream.[65] 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. AtThe Great American Bash, Strong lost to Lumis in a strap match.[66] In September, The Undisputed Era started a feud withPat McAfee,Oney Lorcan,Danny Burch, and Pete Dunne, turning them face in the process. This culminated atNXT TakeOver: WarGames (2020) in a WarGames match with the Undisputed Era winning.[67]
AtNXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Cole superkicked O'Reilly, leaving the future of the faction in uncertainty.[68][69] On the February 24, 2021, episode ofNXT, Coleturned on and double-crossed Strong, thus disbanding The Undisputed Era.[70] After the dissolution of The Undisputed Era, Strong took time off from NXT.[71][72]
Strong made his return on June 22 episode ofNXT, attackingKushida, and formed theDiamond Mine stable along withTyler Rust (who was released weeks after and later replaced byCreed Brothers and Ivy Nile) andHachiman, withMalcolm Bivens as their manager, turning heel once again.[73] On the September 21 episode ofNXT 2.0, Strong defeated Kushida to win theNXT Cruiserweight Championship.[74] AtNXT WarGames, Strong defeatedJoe Gacy, retaining his championship. On theNXT: New Year's Evil, he lost the title toCarmelo Hayes, unifying both North American and Cruiserweight Championships.[75]
Strong and the rest of Diamond Mine would slowly turn face at the start of 2022, when they entered a feud withImperium. 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 ofNXT, where he motivatedJulius Creed ahead of his Ambulance Match with Damon Kemp atHalloween Havoc. In November, Strong's contract with WWE expired and he quietly departed the company.
On April 26, 2023, Strong made his surprise debut inAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), appearing onAEW Dynamite and saving Adam Cole from an attack byJericho Appreciation Society.[76] The following week, Strong wrestled his first AEW match, when he teamed with Cole,Orange Cassidy, andBandido defeated the Jericho Appreciation Society (Angelo Parker,Daniel Garcia,Jake Hager andMatt Menard).[77] On the May 17 edition ofDynamite, Strong defeatedChris Jericho in aFalls Count Anywhere match, with the help from Cole.[78] On the July 1 episode ofAEW Collision, Strong competed in theOwen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament, losing toSamoa Joe in the quarterfinals of the tournament.[79] In August 2023, Strong, who suffered a neck injury (kayfabe), along withThe Kingdom confronted Adam Cole for his alliance withMJF.[80] On September 6 episode ofDynamite, Strong competed in the Grand Slam Tournament, defeatingTrent 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).[81][82][83]
On December 30, 2023 atWorlds End, Strong revealed himself as one of The Devil's Masked Men, along with Taven, Bennett andWardlow attacked MJF, with Adam Cole revealing himself as the Devil.[84] 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 toThe Undisputed Era, Strong and Cole's previous faction from their time inWWE NXT) and laid out their goals, which included Strong capturing theAEW International Championship.[85] 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 atRevolution, which was later made official.[86] 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 byKyle O'Reilly.[87] On the April 13 atBattle of the Belts X, Strong defeatedRocky Romero 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 atDynasty for the International Championship, where Strong retained the title.[88][89] On May 26 atDouble or Nothing, Strong lost the title toWill Ospreay, ending his reign at 84 days.[90]
On the June 5 episode ofDynamite, Strong unsuccessfully challengedSwerve Strickland for theAEW World Championship.[91] On the July 13 episode ofAEW Collision, Strong defeatedDalton Castle to become the number one Contender for theROH World Championship, earning a match against championMark Briscoe atDeath Before Dishonor. This would be Strong's first ROH appearance since 2016, which is now the sister promotion of AEW.[92][93] At the event, Strong failed to win the title from Mark Briscoe.[94] On August 25 atAll In, Strong completed in the Casino Gauntlet match, which was won byChristian Cage.[95] On the October 23 episode ofDynamite, 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 atFull Gear on November 23.[96][97] Strong was able to complete the challenge, defeatingShane Taylor,[98] followed byThe Beast Mortos,[99] and finallyLance Archer in aFalls count anywhere match, earning a match against MJF at Full Gear.[100] At Full Gear, Strong was defeated by MJF.[101] On December 28 atWorlds End, Strong and O'Reilly came to the aid of Cole from an MJF attack.[102]
On the April 9, 2025 episode ofDynamite following Dynasty, Cole addressed winning theAEW TNT Championship in a backstage segment alongside Strong and O'Reilly and formed their own group known as "The Paragon".[103] On May 25 atDouble or Nothing, Paragon were defeated byDon Callis Family (Josh Alexander,Konosuke Takeshita,Kyle Fletcher).[104] On July 12 atAll In, Strong competed in the Casino Gauntlet match, which was won by MJF.[105] On November 12 atBlood & Guts, Strong and O'Reilly teamed withDarby Allin, Mark Briscoe, and Orange Cassidy in aBlood and Guts match, where they defeated theDeath Riders (Jon Moxley,Claudio Castagnoli,Wheeler Yuta,Daniel Garcia, andPac).[106] On November 24, Strong was announced as a participant in the2025 Continental Classic, where he was placed in the Blue League.[107] Strong finished the tournament with the lowerst points in his league with 3 points and failed advanced to the semi-finals.[108]
On the February 11, 2026 episode ofDynamite, Strong would tease a heel turn after walking out on Orange Cassidy during a tag match.[109]
In December 2015, Lindsey got engaged to mixed martial artist and fellow wrestlerMarina Shafir and they had a son.[110][111] Lindsey and Shafir were married on November 7, 2018.[112]
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