Josh Alexander is a former TNA Wrestling World Champion and the one with the longest reign of all time. He also never lost the title, needing to relinquish due to injury. After his heel turn at Slammiversary 2024, Josh told us his side of the story.
When we last interviewed Josh Alexander he was the reigning TNA (then Impact) World Champion at the top of his game. He was the conquering hero, the face of the company and a role model to all. However, during Slammiversary 2024, Josh turned heel by low-blowing Joe Hendry.
After failing to win back the TNA World Championship Josh Alexander has since gone on the warpath, targeting Joe Hendry as well as the current TNA champ Nick Nemeth. After sitting down with him, we recited Harvey Dent’s famous quote from the 2008’s the Dark Knight to Josh and asked him if this resonated with him.
Josh Alexander turned on Joe Hendry at Slammiversary (2024).
The quote goes: “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
In response to this, Josh said, “I think it resonates with a lot of fans, but I don’t feel like much of a villain. In my mind I think I’m sticking up for whats right in TNA. It’s where the best wrestlers in the world come to reinvent themselves or where the lesser known wrestlers come to make a name for themselves.”
“They are all the best wrestlers in the world, and you know, I might take exception to the popularity of somebody that I do not regard as one of the the best in the world. If that makes me a villain then the fans have lost sight of what I believe TNA has been about all along. I’ve been TNA from the very beginning.”
As we’re seeing a lot of heels in wrestling who start out as misguided good guys, but gradually turn to the dark side as their worst instincts take over, we asked Josh what he thinks about the phenomenon of the ‘justified heel’, such as Drew McIntyre and Liv Morgan. We also asked him if he considers himself one.
He said, “Tom Hannifan (TNA commentator) said to me, there’s so many heels in the business right now who just feel like they’re being honest but are still getting heat somehow. He mentioned Drew McIntyre and CM Punk, when he’s a heel, he mentioned me in the same breath. That’s some elite company right there, but if there is truth to it, then I’m not delusional.”
“I’m making a case for myself and some fans may agree, it’s all down to the popularity of the babyface on the other end. The likes of Joe Hendry or Nic Nemeth have all the fans behind them, but maybe I take exception that they’ve forgotten everything I’ve done for TNA over the past five years to keep these doors open. That way it could be a place for people like them to come and compete.”
“I think if you compare it to another form of media like films, the best villains are the ones you almost root for. Like in the film you quoted before, some of the things that villain was saying, there was truth to it. That’s what gave Batman such a crisis of conscience in that film and that’s what makes for good storytelling. It’s the same in wrestling, making these characters relatable, and while you’re supposed to boo them, you do see some validity in what they’re saying. It makes for great television.”
After attacking Joe Hendry, Josh turned his attention to TNA Champion Nic Nemeth.
Last time we spoke to Josh Alexander he was the Impact Wrestling World Champion, but now that the letters TNA are back in front of that title, we asked does this branding bring another layer of prestige to the championship?
“Oh absolutely. Wrestling in a ring with those three letters, hearing the crowd chant those three letters, ups the ante for me because it propels my inner child. That person in me who never believed I’d become a wrestler, the person in me from before I started that journey. To put my name in the history books as a TNA World Champion, if I can hold it and become the longest reigning champion yet again, that would mean a great deal to me in my career.”
“At this point in TNA I’ve done just about everything there is to do, so right now I’m focusing on legacy and what my careers is going to be when it’s all said and done. And all it’s about is that TNA World Championship. Certainly, having the belt again with TNA written on it would mean a great deal. Not so much more than the Impact Championship, but it would definitely feel a little bit different and please my inner child a little bit more.”
We then asked Josh, now that TNA and NXT are working together and his former tag-team partner, Ethan Page, is NXT Champion, could we see a revival of the North in NXT or TNA?
“That would be very interesting as we were the longest reigning TNA Tag-Team Champions in history, then we broke off and look at us now. We’re both World Champion calibre competitors.”
“So I don’t think we’d ever go back to being tag-team wrestlers because we’ve both found so much success as single stars, but if we did come back together to reform The North for a special event it would be because we have shared enemies, like Joe Hendry.”
Sticking to the theme of NXTNA, we asked Josh, if we find ourselves in a TNA versus WWE situation, would he fight for TNA, or would his alliance with Ethan Page make him more of a wild card?
“I would fight for TNA. I am the heart and soul of this company. I am the standard of TNA and thats never going to change. I give it all for those three letters, I would always fight for TNA. Ethan would just be another person in my way at that point.”
Josh Alexander will face Nic Nemeth at TNA Emergence (2024).
Finally, we asked Josh who he’s still like to wrestle in TNA, NXT and the main WWE roster?
“WWE main roster that’s easy, AJ Styles. When you think of TNA, AJ’s name pops right into your head so that match is up there. The heart and soul of the new era and the heart and soul of the original era going one on one? That’s the match that all fans would want to see.”
“For TNA, Jake Something is the one guy, I think he’s criminally underrated and I think he deserves a shot. So, when I win that TNA Championship, I’ll be happy to give Jake a shot at it to show off what he can do – although he won’t be successful.”
“And for NXT, this is one I get thousands of tweets asking about, that’s the NXT North American Champion Oba Femi. I’d be happy to do so, but for me, there’s something about Charlie Dempsey that catches my eye. I think it would be a special kind of match, it’s the old school throwback of the brawling and the technical, I think a match between he and I would be a match made in heaven.”
TNA Emergence takes place on Friday 30 August 2024 and can be watched on the TNA+ app or through Triller TV.
