Josh Alexander has shed light on the long road to his arrival in AEW, revealing that an earlier attempt to join the promotion in its infancy was unsuccessful because he simply wasn’t ready.
In a recent interview on “Hey (EW),” Alexander confirmed he had inquired about a position with AEW back in 2019. He was told at the time that he wasn’t prepared for that stage, an assessment he now agrees with.
“Well, I know why [I wasn’t signed by AEW earlier] ’cause I hadn’t built my name up enough. I was a guy on the indies,” Alexander explained. “I definitely got better, and this place [AEW] got better too, but I caught up.”
Alexander’s journey to AEW was finalized earlier this year after his six-year tenure with TNA Wrestling concluded. He previously noted that TNA did not extend a new contract offer when his deal expired at the beginning of 2025, solidifying his move. He made his debut on an April episode of “AEW Dynamite,” immediately turning heel by aligning himself with the Don Callis Family.
Since arriving, Alexander has wasted no time in his effort to make a bigger name for himself. On the June 26 episode of AEW Collision, he answered an open challenge from Adam Cole for the AEW TNT Championship. In a backstage segment before the bout, Alexander targeted a known weakness of the champion.
“The only thing that is undisputed about this is that I know you have a bad ankle… You’re not walking out with that TNT championship, and hell, when I’m done, you’re not walking out at all,” Alexander stated.
Though he strategically attacked Cole’s injured ankle throughout the physical contest, Alexander ultimately fell short. Cole retained the championship after hitting his finishing move, The Boom, following a resilient performance that saw Alexander kick out of a Panama Sunrise.
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