Following the events of “Battle of the Belts X,” the inaugural AEW Dynasty has added an eighth match to its lineup, including a sixth championship bout.
Roderick Strong is set to face off against longtime friend Kyle O’Reilly for the International title at the upcoming pay-per-view on April 21. This match materialized unexpectedly after Strong emerged victorious in his Eliminator match against Rocky Romero.
After Strong’s triumph, O’Reilly made a surprising appearance to congratulate him. Despite being cautiously friendly since O’Reilly’s return to AEW, he opted not to immediately join the Undisputed Kingdom, a stable that includes both Strong and O’Reilly’s long-standing rival Adam Cole.
The trio shares a history dating back over a decade to their days in Ring of Honor before Tony Khan’s tenure. However, tensions escalated when O’Reilly intervened to aid Romero, prompting a sudden and unexpected attack from Strong and the Undisputed Kingdom.
Strong delivered a devastating jumping knee strike to O’Reilly, leaving him incapacitated. The announcement of their match at Dynasty swiftly followed.
It has been over nine years since Strong and O’Reilly last squared off in singles competition, with their previous encounter occurring during the ROH Winter Warriors tour in 2015.
They also crossed paths in a Four-Way Survival match, which marked Strong’s penultimate performance in ROH before departing for WWE.
Their partnership as members of the “NXT” Tag Team Champions as part of the Undisputed Era, under the Freebird Rule, further solidified their history.
Dynasty will witness their first confrontation in AEW, as Strong’s debut with the promotion coincided with O’Reilly’s injury hiatus lasting 18 months.
