'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What’s the story?
In a recent interview with WWE.com, NXT superstar Roderick Strong commented on currently being one step closer to making to the Wrestlemania 34 card, following his latest win in the on-going WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament.
Further, Strong also opened up about balancing between 205 Live and NXT and splitting time between the two shows.
In case you didn’t know…
Strong made his WWE NXT debut in 2016 as Austin Aries’ partner in the second ever Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
During his run on the NXT roster so far, Strong has competed in some high profile matches and has also defeated some of the top stars in NXT today, such as the likes of Andrade “Cien” Almas, Eric Young and Tyler Bate.
Meanwhile, Strong also made his debut in WWE’s Cruiserweight Division, taking part in the on-going 16-man Cruiserweight Championship tournament.
In his debut match, Strong would go on to defeat Hideo Itami in the first round and followed it up with a recent win over Kalisto in the second round.
The heart of the matter
While speaking with WWE.com, Strong spoke about a host of wrestling related topics and here are the highlights from his interview:
On being one step closer to Wrestlemania, following his second-round win in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament:
Strong stated that, throughout his entire wrestling career, he has strived at the very highest level in order to become a champion in the WWE, which would eventually put a stamp on his legacy in this industry.
He said, there have been times in his career when he had to do a lot of soul-searching and reflect a lot on which path he had to follow in order to earn the adequate amount of success.
“When you consider what I’ve had to overcome in life to even get here, it puts things into perspective.”- Strong stated.
Additionally, he said that his past setbacks have also been a huge part of his career and he considers that it would eventually help him to become a champion in this business.
On balancing between 205 Live and NXT:
Following his recent success in WWE, Strong seems to be in a very confident mood as he said that he is willing to keep his focus by waking up in the morning and hitting the WWE Performance Center, outworking everyone in the gym, studying film, and elevating himself to a level where no one can handle “The Messiah of Backbreakers”.
“The world has not yet seen the best version of Roderick Strong. Whether it’s 205 Live, NXT or WWE, I am the very best wrestler today and strive to prove that every time I walk down that ramp.”- Strong added.
What’s next?
Strong’s next challenge in the 205 Live Cruiserweight Championship tournament will be against Cedric Alexander, as the two men set to square off in the semifinals of the tournament.
Author’s Take
Strong, in my opinion, is one of the best stars in WWE today and is World Championship material. Being a former Ring of Honor World Champion, I’d like to see him hold the NXT and Cruiserweight Title in the near future.
