Josh Alexander wants to kick Bully Ray out of IMPACT Wrestling once and for all.
Alexander won the IMPACT World Championship at Rebellion 2022, and he has held the title ever since. On January 4, he became the longest-reigning world champion in IMPACT history. Meanwhile, Ray, a two-time world champion, returned to IMPACT and won the Call Your Shot Gauntlet. In doing so, he earned a title shot of his choosing, and he later cashed it in on Alexander. Their feud has continued to escalate, and the two foes will collide in a Full Metal Mayhem Match at IMPACT Hard o Kill.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Alexander shared his thoughts on his upcoming match against Ray. He noted that this feud is different than his previous clashes with other contenders because Bully has made it personal by attacking people he cares about. Alexander made it clear that he's looking forward to the chaos that comes with the Full Metal Mayhem stipulation. He then stated that he wants to kick Ray out of IMPACT for good.
"Anybody that's that’s followed my career, especially in IMPACT through this world title run, knows that I’m no stranger to getting beat up. I leave the ring bleeding more times then I leave the ring okay [laughs]. Going into this match at Hard To Kill with Bully, the one thing I can say is, you can hurt me all you want. I busted my nose at Bound For Glory, and through everything I [went] through with with Eddie Edwards, at the end of that match, bell to bell, I would have shaken the man’s hand because that’s the stuff that makes me grow. The iron sharpens iron thing is very true. The one difference with Bully is there’s gonna be no handshake at the end of this thing. The one slight you can have against me, the one thing that’s really gonna piss me off is when you hurt the people I love. He went after Jade, he’s gone after Tommy, he’s gone after all these people that have had a significant part of my life and my career so far. When you hurt people I love, then I got no love for you, I got no respect for you. That’s where the stakes change, and I’m just happy that at Hard To Kill I’m gonna get to do it with all sorts of madness involved. I truly do want to hurt Bully Ray and I want to kick him out of this company for good," Alexander said.
When asked whether his anger could get the best of him in his match against Ray, Alexander admitted that it was a possibility, as the rivalry has evolved beyond his other feuds. He then described how he believes Ray craves power, which is why he's so determined to win the gold, as it carries a lot of weight in the company and beyond.
“It absolutely could get the best of me. I’m definitely pissed off, I’m definitely in a different state of mind than I’ve ever been in before, even with the stuff that’s comparable with Moose, I think this has gone a step further. I also that Bully sees that the only advantage he might have is to do this stuff. The man craves power, he wants to be IMPACT World Champion so bad because that is the biggest chip of power we have in our business right now. If he wants the advantage, he’s got to do everything he can, and I’m sorry that it’s ended up this way. But he’s gonna have to do more than he’s ever done before to take this championship away from me and be able to take all the power in IMPACT Wrestling," Alexander said.
Check out the updated card for IMPACT Hard To Kill here.
Alexander recently discussed becoming the longest-reigning world champion in IMPACT Wrestling history. Check out his comments here.
In a recent interview, Alexander explained his decision to re-sign with IMPACT Wrestling. Click here to see what he had to say.
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