Josh Alexander discusses becoming the longest-reigning world champion in IMPACT Wrestling history.
Alexander has become the face of IMPACT Wrestling in recent years. He won the X-Division Championship in 2021, and he invoked Option C to challenge Christian Cage for the World Championship at Bound For Glory. Though he beat Cage, his first crowning moment as the world champion was ruined when Moose cashed in his Call Your Shot Gauntlet Trophy and beat him for the world title the same night. Alexander later regained the title by defeating Moose at IMPACT Rebellion 2022, and he has held the title ever since.
On January 4, Alexander became the longest-reigning world champion in IMPACT Wrestling history, as his reign with the gold reached 257 days. In doing so, he surpassed Bobby Roode's Bobby 256-day run, which had been the record.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Alexander shared his thoughts on the milestone. He looked back on the impact the company has had on his career. Alexander described how watching stars like AJ Styles, Low Ki, and Jerry Lynn changed his perception of wrestling and showed him that he could enter the business. He then made it clear that, at least in the moment, he would stop and smell the roses, as he's proud of his hard work.
“It’s completely unbelievable. I’ve said on this show, probably many times, the thing that got me into wrestling and made me think that I could be a wrestler was tuning into NWA TNA on that first Wednesday on pay-per view and seeing that first match with The Flying Elvises, with Low Ki, AJ Styles, and Jerry Lynn. That changes my perception of what professional wrestling was. To now be here, almost 20 years later, or just over 20 years later, and to be able to call myself the longest-reigning world champion of all time, it seems like a fever dream. But I say that so much, and people bust my balls for being humble and all this stuff. As talented and as gifted as I am as a pro wrestler, the only thing that sets me apart is my work ethic and my heart. I have busted my ass to be in the position I’m in, and I’m not going to let go of this championship soon. So yes, I’m going to stop and smell the roses right now. Today is a record-setting day, it’s something I can hang my hat on, I’m building a legacy for myself in pro wrestling unlike anything I could have ever imagined, and I’m just proud of myself," Alexander said.
Alexander was named IMPACT's 2022 Wrestler of the Year. More information is available here.
At IMPACT Hard To Kill, Alexander will defend the IMPACT World Championship against Bully Ray. Check out the card here.
IMPACT Hard To Kill has sold out, and IMPACT announced a new set of TV tapings. More information is available here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
