Independent wrestler Joseph Alexander is counting his blessings after surviving a terrifying car fire that destroyed nearly all of his wrestling merchandise while he was traveling for AEW extra work and indie bookings this week.
Alexander shared the frightening story Thursday on X, admitting at first he did not even want to publicly talk about the traumatic situation. According to Alexander, he was driving through Virginia in his father’s car on Tuesday when he suddenly heard a strange sound before smoke started filling the vehicle. Moments later, the car caught on fire while he was still inside.
Thankfully, Alexander escaped the vehicle before suffering any physical injuries. However, the aftermath left him devastated financially after discovering almost all of his merchandise had been destroyed in the fire. Alexander explained that replacing wrestling merchandise is expensive, especially for an independent wrestler trying to rebuild inventory quickly after such a sudden loss.
“All my merch was destroyed, 8x10s, cards, stickers and most of my shirts. As you know this stuff is very expensive and I just genuinely do not have all the funds to just whip up a new set of shirts and merch instantly.”
The 25-year-old wrestler, also known as “A-Game,” said only six shirts survived the fire. He shared his CashApp information and encouraged anyone interested in helping to either donate or purchase one of the remaining shirts directly from him. Despite missing the AEW extra work opportunity and several weekend bookings because of the incident, Alexander made it clear he was most thankful simply to still be alive.
“First and foremost I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for making sure I was safe unharmed and walked away alive.”
“I hope there’s more opportunities to come with AEW and the other shows I would have done this weekend, but I am just grateful for my health.”
Alexander has been wrestling professionally since 2021 and regularly works for Wrestling Open along with several New England independent promotions. For many indie wrestlers, merchandise sales are a major source of income while traveling from town to town. Losing nearly all of it in a fire creates a massive setback both financially and professionally.
Have you ever bought merch directly from an indie wrestler at a show? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know if fans should rally around wrestlers dealing with situations like this.
