Josh Alexander pulls back the curtain on his free agency period after a lengthy run with TNA.
When the Walking Weapon officially hit free agency in February, it didn’t take long for him to land somewhere new. His contract with TNA Wrestling had run its course—technically extended through 2024 when the company exercised its option year—but once it ended, Alexander made the move to AEW.
Now with All Elite Wrestling, Alexander says the transition wasn’t because he was eager to leave TNA—it’s because they simply never gave him a reason to stay.
"I had the meeting with TNA the year before, and they picked up my option. They were like, 'We really want to keep you.' 'Okay, guys. I would be doing myself and my family a disservice by not seeing what else is out there from a financial and opportunity perspective. You guys come to the table with an offer. I love this place. I love the locker room.' Part of me was like, 'I don't want to leave, but it doesn't make sense to stay if it's not in the same ballpark.' They never made me an offer, ever,” Alexander said during an interview on Casual Conversations with The Wrestling Classic.
Despite making it clear that he wanted TNA to make a pitch, he says the company just seemed to assume he was already gone.
“They took that and were like, 'Oh, he's leaving. Okay,' even though he had conversations several times, 'Just make me an offer, guys.' They never did,” he explained.
With no deal from TNA on the table, Alexander explored his other options. After speaking with a couple of companies, he landed on AEW.
"Obviously, I went and talked with two other companies and I had to make my decision there. I chose AEW. It was the right fit for me and my family. Very happy to be there."
Alexander made his AEW debut as the wild card entry in the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament at AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru, where he faced off against Hangman Page. Although he didn’t win, he soon aligned with the Don Callis Family and has since been a regular presence on AEW television.
(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)
