Why Roderick Strong Joined The Undisputed Era At NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans is all said and done and we have the same NXT Tag Team Champions, only they have a new member in their team because Roderick Strong turned on his partner Pete Dunne during their match to help Kyle O’Reilly pick up the win.

It was noted that the crowd was more into the NXT Tag Team Title match than they were the Women’s Title match. But Bryan Alvarez was there and mentioned how Roderick Strong’s turn on Pete Dunne made the live crowd come unglued on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“When Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne this place just went absolutely nuts. This angle has been built up for what? I don’t know 8, 9 months? When he first showed up and they offered him the armband and he didn’t take the armband everyone was chanting ‘yes, yes, yes’ I mean they wanted it that long ago and they held it off and there were like no teases he was gonna do it. This is one of those angles I’m talking about that this was a swerve but it makes sense.”

Dave Meltzer pointed out that the whole reason for the match was to have a nice match but in the end, it was to build up the angle. But in the end, Bobby Fish’s injury played into this situation an awful lot.

“I’m not sure if Bobby Fish hadn’t been injured that they would have gone in this direction. I think the direction came because Bobby Fish was injured and they wanted a 3 man team. And it makes sense because that way Adam Cole can be North American Champion which I’m sure was the idea all along. But they didn’t want Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly losing the Tag Team Title so I’m sure the tag championship team will be Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong.”

“Because the way that they did it, Kyle O’Reilly came out with both belts so it’s kind of like Kyle O’Reilly is the Tag Team Champion and Adam Cole filled in for Bobby Fish and I think that Roderick Strong will now be filling in for Bobby Fish and they’ve got a lot of teams to come in.”

Meltzer noted that AOP looked very strong in the NXT Tag Team title match even though they lost and Pete Dunne could always find a new partner too. So Undisputed Era will have plenty of people to feud with.

But it might not have gone down like that if Bobby Fish hadn’t been put out of commission with an untimely knee injury.

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