When Roderick Strong made his surprise debut on the April 26th edition of AEW Dynamite, it turned a lot of heads in professional wrestling because, well, basically everyone assumed he was still under contract with WWE.

After being sidelined with a Kayfabe neck injury that sent him to the hospital by former Diamond Mine member Damon Kemp, Strong was a nonfactor on NXT TV from that October through April of 2023, leaving some to wonder if he was actually injured or if WWE had something else in mind for his future. Well, as it turns out, he was waiting out his contract and plotting his next move, as he explained to Aubrey Edwards and company on the latest edition of AEW Unrestricted.

“In August of last year, I got injured and was out for some time. When it was getting closer to the end of the year, my contract actually expired from WWE. It was one of those situations where I was rehabbing, in a pretty decent place, but not exactly sure what was going to go on with me at the time,” Roderick Strong said via Fightful.

“I had someone representing me and just reached out and was talking to both companies. It was one of those weird things that it felt like it was inevitable and walking through a certain part of the process, just to do it when I really wanted to be with my buddies and with my wife. AEW reminded me so much what I loved about Ring of Honor, the collective ‘Everybody wants it to be better.' You hear whatever, but since I've been there, it's been ‘How can we make this better?' It's coming from everybody, for the most part, and it's very motivating.

“In those kind of environments, personally based off my experience, I thrive better there. I consider it a lot more like college. It's not as strict, but if you're doing the things you need to do, you'll become successful and help the company. That's the whole point, right? We're there to make the company better and do what is asked of it.

“Finally, making that decision, and just having the opportunity and knowing when I get there I would be doing something with Adam, which excited me very much. It was two days after my son's birthday. The timing of everything was perfect. It was super emotional. I wasn't able to digest it all until a few days after. Sometimes, it still doesn't even feel real. A long drawn-out journey, but we got to it and being able to debut in that position with Adam, it was the best.”

Is there a world where Strong might have stayed in WWE if the offer was right? Maybe, but frankly, between Adam Cole and the rest of the Undisputed Era moving on to greener pastures and his wife, Marina Shafir, already working for AEW, the choice felt incredibly obvious for pretty much every outside observer and likely for Shawn Michaels and company too, who likely didn't fight too hard to try to keep him in Orlando. How Strong was able to keep his move a secret, however, was much more challenging.

Roderick Strong reveals how he kept his exit from WWE a secret

Asked by Will Washington how he was able to keep his entire WWE contract situation out of the public eye in order to deliver an unforgettable moment to the AEW Galaxy, Roderick Strong admitted that it was hard, but the results were ultimately worth it.

“It was very difficult. I feel bad because I misled some people. I didn't outright lie, but it's one of those things where you realize, especially nowadays, there are no real secrets anymore in wrestling,” Strong noted. “To actually be able to be one is huge. It's something people remember forever. Having Killswitch Engage, that song means so much to me. It was too perfect. Definitely difficult (to keep the secret). Even some of my family I wasn't being honest with because I know they're so eager, ‘I can't wait until this.' You never know who is going to say anything. It was something I'll never forget. I was so nervous. That's when I felt, ‘This is right.' I haven't been this nervous in so long. It was too perfect.”

Would it have been less special if Strong showed up on Dynamite with a few hours or even days' notice? Eh, not really, especially considering how the story has developed since, but to be able to overcome the urge to talk to his friends and family about the move in order to maintain Kayfabe should make the old-timers and the “It's still real to me d*mn it” crowd proud.