Josh Alexander injured his triceps back in March when he was the IMPACT World Champion.
He quickly announced he’d be relinquishing the title due to an extended absence while he underwent surgery and recovery.
Speaking with Straight Talk Wrestling, Alexander was asked to describe how hard it was to stay mentally tough during his absence. He recalled how the mental game is the hardest part. Alexander also revealed that he probably could have come back a little sooner if he didn’t have surgery.
“The mental part’s the hardest part. Physical pain, if anybody’s watched me wrestle for the past nearly 18 years I’ve been in this business, pain doesn’t really stop me that much. Only for the sake of me having my son Jett, my son Lucas there did I even consider surgery this time to fix this injury. It’s something I probably could have rehabbed and worked through and come back a little bit faster. But I didn’t want to have a left arm that was compromised moving forward in my life with my children and all this other stuff,” Alexander said.
Alexander then described how the mental aspect of being sidelined was challenging. He noted that it was hard to watch everyone succeed while he was unable to help the company grow. Alexander emphasized that IMPACT Wrestling is a family, and he’s excited to compete and do his part in the mission to take the company to new heights.
The mental game, it’s just sitting on your coach, watching everybody have all this success, do all the things that you want to do and not be part of the team. IMPACT Wrestling, as much as we’re competing for these championships and for everything else all the time, I look at that place like my family. Everybody else on that roster, from every Knockout to every member of the male locker room to everybody on the crew, they’re family. For me to not be on the road, not be competing, not be doing my part to try to grow this company and get eyes on it, that ate away at me every day, so that’s the part I’m looking forward to most coming back,”Alexander said.
H/T Colin Tessier for Fightful. Full article here.
There was a match at Rebellion between Kushida and Maclin to crown a new World Champion, which Maclin won. At Against All Odds on June 9th, Alex Shelley would defeat Steve Maclin to become the NEW IMPACT World Champion.
Nobody knew when Josh would be returning until he showed up after the Slammiversary match for the IMPACT World Title where Alex Shelley defeated Steve Maclin to retain the title. Josh emerged from the back and confronted Shelley with two words: “I’m Back!”
On the 7/20 IMPACTonAXSTV episode, Josh would appear on weekly IMPACT television for the first time since March and declare that he’s “100% cleared for in-ring activity” and that he’d be coming for the IMPACT World Title belt that he never lost.
Josh was involved in an 8 man tag team match at Emergence, and was distracted by a returning Maclin. Josh ended up being Speared by Moose and eating the pinfall for his team.
Josh is teaming with PCO to take on Maclin and Bully Ray tonight in a Victory Road preview match, and is slated to take on Maclin one-on-one at Victory Road live tomorrow night.
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