AEW’s Josh Alexander returning to Maple Leaf Pro
“I take a lot of pride in being the one to carry the brand”
The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Contents for The Week in Wrestling:
Josh Alexander playing starring role for Maple Leaf Pro
An inside look at the past week in wrestling
All Out or Wrestlepalooza?
Tweet of the Week
Josh Alexander on wrestling Kenny Omega: “That’s my dream match”
Josh Alexander starts each day in the same way.
On the Stairmaster.
While everyone else sleeps, he sweats.
His lungs and legs set him apart from many of his peers, and he is preparing to make the most of every opportunity in All Elite Wrestling. That will be the case tonight during the All Star 8-Man Tag on Dynamite, where Alexander teams with Kyle Fletcher and the Young Bucks against Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight.
“I’m working my ass off to make sure it happens,” said Alexander, who made his AEW debut this past April, making an immediate impression by joining the Don Callis Family. “I’m in the prime of my career. My body has never been healthier. I’m ready to crush any opportunity that comes my way.”
Alexander will have another chance to show off his unrelenting approach later this week, as the Ontario native returns home to wrestle for Maple Leaf Pro. Run by Scott D’Amore, a talented wrestling mind who helped elevate Alexander to a whole new platform as world champion in Impact Wrestling (which is now TNA), Alexander will wrestle on Friday in Ohsweken, Ontario at Six Nations Sports & Cultural Centre for Maple Leaf Pro’s Sacred Grounds event.
The reigning MLP Canadian Champion, Alexander defends the belt against TJP. A veteran of WWE, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and TNA, TJP–who is TJ Perkins–spent the majority of the past month wrestling for CMLL.
“I’ve shared the ring with a lot of talent, but I think TJP is the best wrestler I’ve ever been in the ring with,” said Alexander. “He’s so skilled in every aspect of wrestling. We have incredible chemistry, and I can’t wait for the chance to step in the ring with him.”
The match means a lot to Alexander. A world-class showing would catch people’s attention in AEW, but Alexander’s goal extends deeper. This is a chance to put the wrestling spotlight on his peers–which he will do by delivering the best match possible.
“Maple Leaf has a buzz around it,” said Alexander. “Scott has spared no expense in production. These shows are more than just a highlight for Canadian wrestling; they’re a showcase for wrestling as a whole.
“I take a lot of pride in being the one to carry the brand. That goes for Maple Leaf Pro and it goes for the wrestlers in Canada. It’s hard to get noticed. People like Sheldon Jean, Raj Singh, Rohan Raja are extremely talented–but they’re not always seen in the United States. If showing up and doing what I love on this card helps get more eyes on them, then it’s great for me, it’s great for Maple Leaf Pro, and it’s great for the wrestlers.”
A Canadian brand himself, Alexander proudly sports the maple leaf on his gear. Though he is part of the villainous Callis Family in AEW, Alexander is still treated as a babyface in Maple Leaf Pro. It is reminiscent of Bret Hart’s heel turn in 1997 in the sense that Hart was a villain in America yet a conquering hero everywhere else, especially Canada.
“I am very proud to be a Canadian wrestler,” said Alexander. “I wasn’t trained in the Dungeon, but I was trained by someone who was [Johnny Devine]. Tony Khan allows the opportunity to work for Maple Leaf, and I’m grateful for that. I know the history of Canadian wrestling, and I want to carry it forward.”
AEW is also headed to Canada. In two weeks, Dynamite will take place in Ontario, followed days later by the All Out pay-per-view in Toronto at the ScotiaBank Arena.
“To wrestle at ScotiaBank Arena would be something I’d never forget,” said Alexander. “But I’m focusing on controlling what I can control, and that goes back to putting in the work every day.”
Alexander has long dreamed of wrestling Kenny Omega. That should happen, even briefly, tonight on Dynamite.
“Kenny Omega is number one on my bucket list, and he has been for the past decade,” said Alexander. “I’ve looked up to him for so long and I have so much respect for him. He earned that top spot. That’s what I’m vying for. I’ll get to step in the ring with him on Dynamite, and hopefully that snowballs into something even more. That’s my dream match.”
Considering Omega is currently feuding with Callis, it increases the odds that Alexander will eventually get that long-awaited singles bout. Though Alexander is a natural babyface, he is fully embracing his heel run–and is grateful to be surrounded by such an extraordinary collection of talent in the Callis Family.
“The whole group is stacked,” said Alexander. “I joined the night before Trent and Rocky Romero. Then Okada joined. It’s an insane amount of talent. I love getting the chance to tag with Okada–he raises everyone to his level.
“I’ve watched AEW religiously since its inception, and I loved watching how Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita have elevated themselves in the Callis Family. That’s inspiration for me. It’s a whole group full of top guys, and it feels like the perfect stable for me.”
Alexander is still fairly new to AEW, but his talent is undeniable. He feels like a volcano ready to erupt–and he’ll look to leave a lasting impression both times he steps into the ring this week.
And yes, he is still making time for the Stairmaster. There are no excuses for Alexander on the path to stardom.
“I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do,” said Alexander. “I can’t wait to show it to the world.”
This past week…
Real-life husband and wife Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch have joined together on screen, teaming up against CM Punk. Now is the time for WWE to bring back AJ Lee to even the odds for Punk, who is her husband.
John Cena’s farewell run has to include a match against AJ Styles, right?
Taz is getting honored tonight by AEW at 2300 Arena, which is the old ECW Arena. Taz was a critical piece of ECW’s success. If you were an ECW fan in the 90’s, you feared Taz.
This is an encouraging Syko Stu update–but how has there not been an arrest from his attack?
Yes, this makes me more excited to see Street Fighter.
All Out or Wrestlepalooza?
AEW had the right idea for All Out on September 14–go with nostalgia.
That means we’ll get to see Adam Copeland and Christian Cage–who we know best as Edge and Christian–team up to wrestle FTR.
But WWE is moving in the same direction at Wrestlepalooza, which, yes, is also scheduled for September 14. That is WWE’s debut on ESPN, and sources close to the network have indicated that it is going to be a spectacular night highlighting the most recognizable wrestlers on the roster. The card should include John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk–and there will be crossover talents from ESPN and the sports world.
WWE is putting AEW in a very difficult position by countering their pay-per-view with the ESPN debut. An option for AEW owner/booker Tony Khan is to book Kenny Omega against Hangman Page for the world title, which is the biggest match AEW can deliver–unless you swap in Kazuchika Okada for Omega.
As a wrestling fan, everyone wins. Those watching WWE will see a spectacular show. If you order the AEW pay-per-view, you are guaranteed a full night of action. These aren’t the Monday Night Wars, but AEW vs. WWE is the modern-day wrestling battle.
Tweet of the Week
Thankfully, after a health scare last week, DDP is OK.
I was lucky enough to see Alexander wrestle from ringside in the U.K. last year. Tremendous talent.