Josh Alexander Reveals Why AEW Rejected Him Six Years Ago

Josh Alexander’s road to AEW wasn’t smooth—it started with a hard no.

During the June 15, 2025 episode of Hey! (EW) with RJ City, the former Impact World Champion revealed that AEW originally turned him away when he tried to join the promotion six years ago.

“Yep,” Alexander replied when RJ asked if he first inquired about joining AEW back then. So why didn’t it work out at the time? According to Alexander, “’Cause I hadn’t built my name up enough. I was a guy in the indies.”

That early rejection didn’t break him—it motivated him. Alexander admitted it didn’t sit right, but he used it to fuel his grind.

“I definitely got better,” he said. Then with a confident smirk, he added, “This place got better too. But I caught up.”

Now officially signed to AEW, Alexander looks back with no hard feelings—just perspective. When asked how it feels to finally be part of the company, he kept it simple: “It is a good time.”

After years of building his name across the independent scene and a dominant run in Impact Wrestling, Josh Alexander is walking into AEW not as an underdog, but as a proven star. Josh Alexander didn’t wait for an opportunity—he created one.

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