 On July 26, Strongko made his in-ring debut for OVW in a losing effort to Chet the Jett.The next day, he competed in a battle royal to name the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship, which was won by The Miz.On August 19, Strongko wrestled in another battle royal, this time to name the number one contender for the Television Championship, which was won by Ryan Reeves.