After six months of floating on NXT television, this week the wrestling worldâs perception of Roderick Strong changed in around six minutes. For over a decade Strong has been a respected world-class pro wrestler traveling the world, admired by fans and peers. However, for all of his in-ring prowess there has been a slight disconnect with Strong at times, especially when operating as a babyface. Even the most ardent Strong supporters often concede that itâs as an obnoxious villain he has historically most shined. It just always seemed easier for him to portray arrogance and condescension tđhanđș it did likability and sincerity.
Itâs for these reasons that many have found Strongâs NXT run as a babyface somewhat flat thus far. Though his in-ring work has still been highly impressive, the lack of time put into Strongâs character has affected his ability to really connect with the audience on a personal level. This week that all changed đ€Șthough, as we were given some insight into Strongâs back story via part one of a segment entitled âWho is Roderick Strong?â The pđiece detailed Strongâs troubled upbringing including his parentsâ bouts with addiction and his fatherâs eventual death when Strong was just eight. It was a story that had never been told before.
The story on its own was both absorbing and saddening but the real message from it was more enlightening than any Strong match or promo ever couldâve been. Strong himself concluded that his youth has played a major part in his personality. Admitting that he often viewed showing emotion as weakness, Strong points to that âprotective mechanismâ as the main reason for his relative âshynessâ. That acknowledgment instantly gave Strongâs character depth and intricacy and it wasnât flashy or extravagant but instead genuine and authentic. Real to a hard-hitting degree. It gave people a reason to truly care about Strong and his motives, something absent far too often inêŠ modern professional wrestling.
It achieved all of this while still furthering Strongâs credibility as an athlete too. Though it was very much not the focus, Strongâs accolades as a well traveled performer were spotlighted, as was his long time passion for the industry. By the end of part one it was even clearer thâat Strong was a skilled and seasoned athlete but more than that, a complex and candid peràŽson. He was a real person. Some will relate, others could sympathize but all would respect and admire. Consider everything I just wrote here and then look across the professional wrestling landscape and youâre left wondering something: why is this the exception and not the rule?Â
To be clear, I definitely donât want to undermine Strongâs incredible story. There are few in the industry with a story even comparable so of course this isnât something replicable across the board. Strongâs story is unique to him and thatâs why it worked. My point though is why donât we see them try to take this route more regularly? Everyday NXT talents are being considered for âgimâmicksâ to get them on television, some interesting, others simple and many silly. Thereâs absolutely a place for over the top characters and personalities in pro wrestling, in fact Iâd say theyâre necessary. Pro wrestling is virtually built on over the top imagery and animated mannerisms but behind it all there needs to be some substance.
Tye Dillinger is a good example of this in my mind. At the forefront Tyeâs character is that of a man that passionately throws his hands in the air to symbol the number â10â and fortunately, people thoroughly enjoy doing it with him. At heart thereâs more to it than that though, people relate to Tye because heâs a genuine underdog story. After his Royal Rumble appearance this year, NXT aired some footage following Dillingerâs experience. It wasnât anything special and certainly wasnât as detailed as this Strong piece but it still gave an insight into who Dillinger is and quickly made đhim dramatically more relatable than 90% of the roster.
Itâs one thing to make people laugh or smile but to make them truly care is something very different. Strongâs story is special but there are other recent wrestling examples of real stories connecting with people. The Cruiserweight Classic stands out as a case of this in my mind. With sit-down interviews, the show shined a light on the talentâs real back stories and allowed people to choose their favorites based on who they most naturally connected with. Since arriving on the main roster, some of those same talents have come across uninteresting or un-châarismatic but on that show with that format, they were compelling and engaging.Â
Other instances could be the WWE 24 about Seth Rollins or even more recently the âMy Daughter is a WWE Superstarâ feature about Alexa Bliss. You could argue that the face/heel aspect of those two characters hindered the potential effect but nonetheless, I maintain that the response to both was telling. Anyone previously unaware of Rollins wouldâve fallen in love with his honesty đas we followed his frustrating recovery from injury. His desperation to return was palpable and made him all the more endearing. Blissâ story of overcoming an eating disorder did just the same and tđhough it slightly contrasts with her current disposition, that footage will likely be perfect for the inevitable character shift down the line.
All of these examples show that people care about and respond to real and relatable stories. Larger than life charaâ±cters ađre necessary but this is a direction that should be taken more often. Rather than always looking to hand out âunique gimmicksâ, maybe some characters should be formed from the performerâs own personal back story and experiences. Something actually unique to them. Few stories are likely to be as engrossing as Strongâs but in my opinion pro wrestling has operated on a rigid split and archetype characters for far too long. I will always believe in a clear babyface vs. heel clash but they can still both have elements of good and bad. Real people are complex and with the business constantly changing, some pro wrestling characters should be the same. Donât believe me? Simply look at Roderick Strong.
