Josh Alexander Reveals He Turned Down WWE NXT Title Opportunity Before Signing With AEW

Josh Alexander surprised fans when he chose AEW over WWE after his run with TNA Wrestling ended—but as it turns out, he had serious options on the table from WWE.

During an interview with SHAK Wrestling, Alexander confirmed he was offered a major spot on WWE NXT… and turned it down.

“There were rumblings of two that I’d heard about after the fact that were denied by management for whatever political reason there was, them not wanting me to lose, or something like that,” Alexander said, describing early talks. But then came a legit opportunity.

“There were rumblings of two that I’d heard about after the fact that were denied by management for whatever political reason there was, them not wanting me to lose. Then there was one offer on the table for me to do a big run, and then wrestle for the title on a pay-per-view or a Stand & Deliver, I think it was. I actually turned that down because it just didn’t fit with what my goals and contract time and stuff like that.”

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Alexander made it clear that while the WWE door was open, it didn’t align with his personal or professional priorities. That’s why he chose AEW—where he feels more freedom and connection.

He also weighed in on the working relationship between WWE and TNA Wrestling. While many fans view the crossover as positive, Alexander shared a more measured perspective.

“I think, from my perspective, I can’t speak for everybody in the locker room, at times, mutually beneficial, for sure,” he said. “When you put somebody like Joe Hendry or anybody else on a Tuesday night NXT, and they come back to TNA, you obviously saw more interest come to the company because of that platform that they were on.”

But he didn’t sugarcoat how the matches played out. “In terms of wins and losses and trading back and forth, it felt like it was pretty heavy towards the WWE end from time to time. But that’s just the business portion of it. They have a bigger platform.”

Josh Alexander’s decision wasn’t about chasing the biggest spotlight—it was about staying true to himself, even if it meant walking away from a WrestleMania weekend spotlight.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.