Bobby Roode did an wide-ranging interview with Sam Roberts' Wrestling Podcast and explained how Samoa Joe and Finn Balor influenced his decision to go to NXT: “Yes, Samoa Joe, obviously. I know him on a personal level and worked with Joe for many years, so when Joe came over, I spoke to Joe days before he came to NXT. He didn’t really know what was going to happen either. Like me, he just wanted an opportunity and kind of like a fresh start to be rejuvenated and he got that. And, obviously, Joe’s super talented and a unique competitor, so he gave NXT something different, the NXT fans something different, and he had fan following already, which is a huge plus to start with. So I’ve seen Joe. I’ve seen him go in there and the success that he had immediately. A guy like Finn Bálor too, who I had a chance to get to know in Japan when I went over there for some short tours with New Japan, so I knew how talented he was. When he got to NXT, when he got to WWE, they used his talents. He became a superstar, so I knew that if I wanted to be the superstar that I knew that I think I could be that I had to go there. And I think, obviously, I would have to get an opportunity to prove myself, and they’ve given me that opportunity. I hope to continue to impress.”