May 15, 2025 • 16 mins
In this exclusive interview, AEW star Josh Alexander opens up about his journey from reaching out to The Young Bucks in 2019 to finally becoming All Elite in 2025. Josh discusses what it means to represent Canadian wrestling in the prestigious Owen Hart Cup, the philosophy behind his unexpected alliance with Don Callis, and how he balances tradition with controversy as the Maple Leaf Pro Champion.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You'll play for all.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Things wrestling and exclusive interviews with some of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Ground podcast stop here. What's up you guys? Welcome back
into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast, And man,
it is a fun week here on the show. Of course,
you've got a E W Beach Break that is this
Wednesday night, eight seventh Central on TBS, and of course
(00:38):
you could stream it on Max. And today we have
joining us on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Is no stranger this show.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We can consider him a friend because he's been on
here multiple times. A lot has changed the last time
he's been on. But uh, let's make some noise for
the Walking Weapon Josh Alexander's show. Yeah, so let's let's
just kind of dive right into this. I know you've
been making the media rounds and I know recently you
said back in twenty nineteen that you reached out to
(01:06):
the Young Bucks about joining AW, but timing wasn't right.
Fast forward twenty twenty five, you're now all elite. How
do you feel to be finally a part of AW
after that initial interaction.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I mean, it feels justified, you know it feels like
a full circle moment, but like I don't want people
like see these headlines pop up and people read into
this stuff. Like it was like you know what I mean,
it was a big shutdown all this stuff. It was
like this was like the the like before the start
of AW. This is when there was just like murmurs
(01:41):
in like alleyways, this thing possibly happening, right, and I
just kicked the tires on it. And like in all
fairness when they said not right now, I was like, yeah,
I get it. Like I'm a guy that's been locked
in Canada basically for five years, done some big independence
here or there. You know, I need to build my
name and then you know, I had a few things
(02:01):
come along and I ended up choosing TNA at the time.
And you know, I built my name up over six
years there well enough to where now I'm an asset
coming in aw So like in my.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Old age, you know, I think I'm a little bit.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wiser and I realized that everything happens for a reason,
and uh, you know it's all come around the way
it should have.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, and now now you're you're repping that that you
know that aw right there on your hat and it's
and it's an awesome thing, especially when we heard the
rumors is Josh gonna show up at aw and all this
other stuff and then perfect timing, it happened for you
and now here we are sitting here thinking about it.
The Owen Hart Cup a tournament with massive legacy. When
(02:41):
you think of Canadian wrestling, obviously you talk about Owen Heart.
We've had these conversations before. What does it mean for
you to represent Canadian wrestling in an event that honors
such an icon such as Owen Hart.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I mean, I think I correct me if I'm wrong,
but I think I was the only Canadian in that
tournament this year. Yeah, and you know it's not something
I take lately. I take a lot of pride in
being a Canadian wrestler, and more importantly than that, you know,
over the past twenty years and especially these past like
five to ten, really kind of you know, representing the
(03:15):
Canadian indie scene and all the wrestlers that come from
up here. Because for me coming up so difficult to
get noticed and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So if I can get out there, build my name
and then bring my.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Name back to the Canadian scene so that it gets
some more eyes on the guys, because we have so
many talented men and women wrestling here in Canada right now,
and we have for you know, decades. It's just, you know,
for whatever reason, it's hard to get noticed. So if
I can go out there and represent and do it
in the Owen Heart Tournament, you know that that's something
that means a great deal to me because you know,
I grew up a kid, you know, idolizing Brett Owen,
(03:46):
Edge Christian, all these guys that you know, we're on
my television when I was you know, a child or
a tine and you know they say Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
I'm like, that guy's like my neighbor, even though it's
you know, a five hour flight away.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Or you know, so you've held gold everywhere, you know,
all over the globe. Literally, what does the initial like?
How does how does this a How does the start
of this run maybe feel different from your other runs?
Like do you just kind of have like maybe there's
some momentum behind you or just like you kind of
(04:19):
feel like it's right around the corner whatever that goal
may be.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, you know, when I started, you know TNA, I
was a relative unknown for you know, the bulk of
wrestling fans throughout the world nless they've watched you.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Know, a little bit of PDBG, a little bit of
a ring of honor. You know where I had popped
up before.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Now I think, you know, in the worldwide, you know
scene of pro wrestling, I've built my name up enough
to where you know, I showed up at AW in
that tournament and there was a hell of a pop
on my entrance. So you know, people people were you know,
I was a recognizable name enough. And now I'm coming
in and you know, I've already established myself. I do
have to reintroduce myself to some AW fans that might
not know me, but it's far easier now if the
(05:00):
experience I have, you know, wrestling on television for the
past six years coming in, so I think I have
a leg up on a lot of people in that respect,
and you know, being thrown in the mix with you
know a lot of top guys right off the hop
and you know, I'm I'm ready for it and I'm
hungry for it, and that's exactly what I want.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Absolutely, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You know, one thing that a lot of US fans
were not expecting. Was you aligning with Don Kalis, especially
after the beginnings of Maple Leaf Pro and everything that
took place in that first event. But what was that
turning point for you that made the alliance make sense? Okay,
maybe I shouldn't have said what I said back then
(05:40):
about Don at that thing. Let me align with him.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Now, you also faced to Ketch at the first MLP event.
Sot a lot of kind of head scratching going on.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Well, you know, more than welcome to face to Kesha
any day of the week, even now as a member
of the Don Kallis family. Because iron sharpens iron. You're
talking about one of the very best in the world. Yeah,
when it comes to Don, you know, no stranger to Don.
We work together in the past, you know, in CNA
and stuff, and he's you know, he's an acquired taste,
(06:11):
I'll say that, but he is a genius when it
comes to pro wrestling and coming into a new landscape,
you know.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Aw, you know, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
People are already established, a lot of people already in
their groups and stuff like that. I realized that I
needed to join forces with some people, you know, to
really get ahead. And I think I made the best choice,
And I think Don made the best choice because he's
the one that came to me and recruited me real fast,
and I jumped at the opportunity. It was something I wanted,
you know, even coming into AW, I just never thought
it might materialize at all, or even this past.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
So is it kind of one of those situations where,
now that you've been involved with the family to a degree,
you kind of get why someone like the god of
pro Wrestling Kiney Omega wants to align with someone like it,
Like it's kind of clicking maybe behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
So, yeah, you look at the history of what Don's
done just in AW. You know, Kenny Omega the biggest
best wrestler in the company in my opinion, and you know,
the list goes down line. Will Osprey has been in
and out of that group, Kyle Fletcher. To see the
transformation he's made over the past you know, twelve to
eighteen months, yeah, to being now you know, undeniably one
(07:19):
of the very best wrestlers in the company, if not
the world. And then we've already talked about Takesha and
everybody else in the group. I think it's just a
layout for success and when you look at you know,
AW and the stables and groups that are involved in
this company, I don't think any of them stack up
merely as well as the Donkallis family against anybody.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
So let's talk maple Leaf Pro Congratulations are becoming the
new Maple Leaf champion. You know that is a promotion,
proudly bit built on Canadian wrestling in tradition.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Obviously, how do you.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
How do you plan to balance the responsibility of being
their champion while also be attached to a controversial faction
like don Kallis and not to you know, throw this
out there, but if there was some sort of interaction
where it was the don Kallis family maybe pitted against
the Scott de More faction, do I mean, is it
(08:17):
gonna be one of those head versus heart type things
or like do you are you are you just tried
and true down the line with callous?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I mean, that's a real tough question.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
The battle of head and heart is a really good
way to yeah, way to say it, because you know,
my head's in the game, you know, with me and
AW want to find success and stuff, and I know
that's going to go through don you know He's going.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
To be integral in my climb in the ranks at AAW.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
When it comes to MLP, you're talking about the heart
of everything I've done for the past twenty years and
everything I want to continue to do with my career.
And that's, like I said, like prop up the Canadian
wrestling scene. I think MLP arriving in Canada is one
of the most important things that I've seen happen in
my entire career because, like I said, very difficult for
Canadians get noticed. Now, Canadians have a homegrown promotion that
(09:03):
it's going out there running these you know, amazing we
sold out may be leaf gardens, like completely insane. I
didn't think it was gonna happen, right, I knew it
would be a big show, but I didn't think you'd
be able to get that many people into that building.
And you know, as of the day of at like
one pm uh in talking to Scott, he was like,
there's eighty tickets left on ticket Master right now for purchase.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
And then like maybe an hour later it came up
and be like we're sold out.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You know what I'm saying, Like that, that's the kind
of stuff that like gave me goosebumps and got me
ready for the show. But to balance it, you know,
I hope that we don't have to have, you know,
a thing where there's a Scott de Moore versus don
Kallis family or anything like that, because at the end
of the day, I'm paying my bills with everything adw
and the don Kallis family, and that's the thing that's
(09:49):
going to make me find success. But it will be
a tough decision if I have to come to that.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
We figured it was a tough question. That's why we
asked you.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So now I want to I want to go back
to your debut in AEW your match against Hangman Page
in the own Hard Cup, very intense, closely contested. What
was it like stepping into the aw ring for the
first time against somebody like Hangman Adam Page?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
And how did that set.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Your tone for your tenure here? Because when that that
music hit and your name comes across the screen, you
hear that entire arena erupt. Walk us through.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
All that, Okay, Well, the days leading up to it,
you know, I knew about four days prior, I was
traveling in a Boston top secret all this stuff and
for the first time, and I gotta say a few years,
like I am just a wreck, Like I am nervous.
I'm feeling every which way possible, anxiety out the window
because you know, there's so much uncertainty. Like I didn't
(10:49):
know I knew I was traveling to Boston.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
I did not know I was facing hangman Adam Page.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I did not know as loll card, like there was
a possibility that it could have been a swerve. You know,
you're making assumptions, but like radio silence for everybody, here's
your travel, here's your hotel.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know, it's literally a wild card.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah, exactly with everyone involved. Okay, got it. I got
it for me as well.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And uh but like when I found out it was
a wildcard, when I arrived at the building and they
stuck me in and hit me in a room and
stuff like that, and I was like, you know, You've
already gone through these feelings of these possibilities of what
I'm going to be doing, and like it's just like, Okay,
I'm stepping foot in the ring with an established main
event guy, somebody who I think is the like the
best of the best homegrown champions that AW has built
(11:33):
when you're talking about through the tenure of the six
years of AAW to be built from a guy that
was in the elite that was kind of you know,
overlooked compared to the Bucks and Kenny Omega to making
this climb and finally, you know, winning the AW championship
and doing all these amazing things, telling these amazing stories
with Swerve, Strickland and so on and so forth. I'm like, damn,
I get to go out there with you know, one
(11:54):
of the best, the best Miss Company too, on my debut,
and we're going to see if I can hang.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And I think I went out there and I hung,
and you know.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I didn't pull out the victory, but to lose to
somebody like hang that out on page ain't the worst
thing in the world and not a bad way to start.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
So I was more than happy with it. But the
second my music hit, and you know, you've.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Heard wrestlers talk about are they gonna they're gonna know me,
they're gonna pop and all this stuff, and the greatest
of wrestlers have these same feelings. It's like having the
dream of your boots not being on and your music's
playing like it's just this thing that is synonymous through
it all pro wrestling. For wrestlers, the pop happened, nerves
are still there walk down the ring the second I step.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Through the rope, so I was like, oh, I got this.
We're good. All the nerves washed away and we're right
back to business.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
So nice.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Well, as far as you know, there's gonna be a
ton of questions about you know, fantasy bookings and all
this and whatnot. So the question we have around that
is just pertaining to aw talent that you have never faced,
never touched, never none, you know, training nothing, who are
maybe a couple of talents you're very eager to get
in the ring with in aw.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Never faced Top three or Edge Jericho and Kenny Omega.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Holy crap, how you just kind of lift off the
trifecta there, And it's kind of like, how has none
of those three ever happened?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Like that's just what happened now?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, about Canadian roots and all these things, these interchangeable
things like those three are right at the top for me.
And if there's one that I have that's like I
don't want to match with him. I want like a
six month story and several matches with that Swear strictly,
and I think he's one of the best in the
business at you know, telling stories in that ring right now,
and I'm mentioning that the chance to get to face.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Him, I mean caught me a little off guard. I fow.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Just I'm sitting here thinking of the stories that you
and Swerve can tell, just because of you know, we've
seen the past stories with you and TNA and impact,
and just thinking of how this could play out between
you and Swear, because you and Swear are both great
storytellers as well as great wrestlers, and you're great on
the mic. So just go ahead and uh, you know what,
(14:05):
We'll clip this, we'll send it to Tony and just
be like, hey, go ahead and get this started. I
don't know when, but maybe next Wednesday, after beach break,
we can get this started.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Please don'ty, I mean, you're you're rushing things. I'm cool,
wait a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, yeah, well I can establish myself over the next
six to twelve months and when we're ready, when it's
gonna pop off, it's gonna be even better.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So yeah, let's not rush. Nothing good comes fast, all right,
That's true?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That is that is very true. Well, I know, uh,
time is is a sensitive here because you've got some
other things to do, so before we let you go,
we always like to have a little fun at the
end of these shows.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
And you know, if we.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Were looking at uh at at Josh's workout playlist, Let's
say we're scrolling through, right and all of a sudden,
we're like, huh, didn't know that Josh lifts waits to
this song. What is that song that's on your playlist
that we're gonna be like, huh, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Oh man, I live, I lift, like all sorts of music.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Well, let's do the one that would ruin your tough
guy image.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
The name of the artist is skipping my mind. But
hard to Love. It's a country song really pops on
every once in a while.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
There, I'm a real Rice. Yeah, that's Lee Rice, Lee
Rice a real.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I'm not even the country, some romantic country every once
in a while.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Yeah, man, some of the ballads in country or something.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Could you just.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Imagine, Like you look over and Josh has like got
like four hundred pounds and he's just benching, and all
of a sudden, he's just like jamming out to Lee
Brice Hard to Love.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Yeah, Lee Holmes or just something, you know. Yeah, that's
what we like that. You know, we talked to somebody
recently who was also Canadian and they also liked country
and it just you know, it's a global thing now,
but we're from Tennessee, so it's just kind of strange
people here. Yeah, here this stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
My father was a country artist his entire life before
he passed away, so I kind of grew up living
on country music. Although I didn't appreciate my teens, you know,
and my adulthood, I really do appreciate a good country songs.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That's all I understand that.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Well, Josh, we just want to say thank you for
taking the time out and hanging out with us and
talking to us again. It's good to catch up with you.
I know, like we said at the beginning, a lot
of things have changed. It's the last time we spoke,
and we're super pumped to see you in aw super
excited to see that. Josh Alexander is all elite. And
before we let you go, is there anything you want
to say the people that are watching or listening to
(16:28):
this right now, I.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Mean, check out Beach Break this Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Doublin Nuffin's coming up May twenty fifth, and you know,
just keep watching the don Kallis family and aw and
we'll do you some good stuff.
Welcome to the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
You'll play for all.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Things wrestling and exclusive interviews with some of your favorite wrestlers.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Ground podcast stop here. What's up you guys? Welcome back
into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast, And man,
it is a fun week here on the show. Of course,
you've got a E W Beach Break that is this
Wednesday night, eight seventh Central on TBS, and of course
(00:38):
you could stream it on Max. And today we have
joining us on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Is no stranger this show.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We can consider him a friend because he's been on
here multiple times. A lot has changed the last time
he's been on. But uh, let's make some noise for
the Walking Weapon Josh Alexander's show. Yeah, so let's let's
just kind of dive right into this. I know you've
been making the media rounds and I know recently you
said back in twenty nineteen that you reached out to
(01:06):
the Young Bucks about joining AW, but timing wasn't right.
Fast forward twenty twenty five, you're now all elite. How
do you feel to be finally a part of AW
after that initial interaction.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I mean, it feels justified, you know it feels like
a full circle moment, but like I don't want people
like see these headlines pop up and people read into
this stuff. Like it was like you know what I mean,
it was a big shutdown all this stuff. It was
like this was like the the like before the start
of AW. This is when there was just like murmurs
(01:41):
in like alleyways, this thing possibly happening, right, and I
just kicked the tires on it. And like in all
fairness when they said not right now, I was like, yeah,
I get it. Like I'm a guy that's been locked
in Canada basically for five years, done some big independence
here or there. You know, I need to build my
name and then you know, I had a few things
(02:01):
come along and I ended up choosing TNA at the time.
And you know, I built my name up over six
years there well enough to where now I'm an asset
coming in aw So like in my.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Old age, you know, I think I'm a little bit.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wiser and I realized that everything happens for a reason,
and uh, you know it's all come around the way
it should have.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, and now now you're you're repping that that you
know that aw right there on your hat and it's
and it's an awesome thing, especially when we heard the
rumors is Josh gonna show up at aw and all this
other stuff and then perfect timing, it happened for you
and now here we are sitting here thinking about it.
The Owen Hart Cup a tournament with massive legacy. When
(02:41):
you think of Canadian wrestling, obviously you talk about Owen Heart.
We've had these conversations before. What does it mean for
you to represent Canadian wrestling in an event that honors
such an icon such as Owen Hart.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I mean, I think I correct me if I'm wrong,
but I think I was the only Canadian in that
tournament this year. Yeah, and you know it's not something
I take lately. I take a lot of pride in
being a Canadian wrestler, and more importantly than that, you know,
over the past twenty years and especially these past like
five to ten, really kind of you know, representing the
(03:15):
Canadian indie scene and all the wrestlers that come from
up here. Because for me coming up so difficult to
get noticed and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
So if I can get out there, build my name
and then bring my.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Name back to the Canadian scene so that it gets
some more eyes on the guys, because we have so
many talented men and women wrestling here in Canada right now,
and we have for you know, decades. It's just, you know,
for whatever reason, it's hard to get noticed. So if
I can go out there and represent and do it
in the Owen Heart Tournament, you know that that's something
that means a great deal to me because you know,
I grew up a kid, you know, idolizing Brett Owen,
(03:46):
Edge Christian, all these guys that you know, we're on
my television when I was you know, a child or
a tine and you know they say Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
I'm like, that guy's like my neighbor, even though it's
you know, a five hour flight away.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Or you know, so you've held gold everywhere, you know,
all over the globe. Literally, what does the initial like?
How does how does this a How does the start
of this run maybe feel different from your other runs?
Like do you just kind of have like maybe there's
some momentum behind you or just like you kind of
(04:19):
feel like it's right around the corner whatever that goal
may be.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Well, you know, when I started, you know TNA, I
was a relative unknown for you know, the bulk of
wrestling fans throughout the world nless they've watched you.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Know, a little bit of PDBG, a little bit of
a ring of honor. You know where I had popped
up before.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Now I think, you know, in the worldwide, you know
scene of pro wrestling, I've built my name up enough
to where you know, I showed up at AW in
that tournament and there was a hell of a pop
on my entrance. So you know, people people were you know,
I was a recognizable name enough. And now I'm coming
in and you know, I've already established myself. I do
have to reintroduce myself to some AW fans that might
not know me, but it's far easier now if the
(05:00):
experience I have, you know, wrestling on television for the
past six years coming in, so I think I have
a leg up on a lot of people in that respect,
and you know, being thrown in the mix with you
know a lot of top guys right off the hop
and you know, I'm I'm ready for it and I'm
hungry for it, and that's exactly what I want.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Absolutely, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You know, one thing that a lot of US fans
were not expecting. Was you aligning with Don Kalis, especially
after the beginnings of Maple Leaf Pro and everything that
took place in that first event. But what was that
turning point for you that made the alliance make sense? Okay,
maybe I shouldn't have said what I said back then
(05:40):
about Don at that thing. Let me align with him.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Now, you also faced to Ketch at the first MLP event.
Sot a lot of kind of head scratching going on.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Well, you know, more than welcome to face to Kesha
any day of the week, even now as a member
of the Don Kallis family. Because iron sharpens iron. You're
talking about one of the very best in the world. Yeah,
when it comes to Don, you know, no stranger to Don.
We work together in the past, you know, in CNA
and stuff, and he's you know, he's an acquired taste,
(06:11):
I'll say that, but he is a genius when it
comes to pro wrestling and coming into a new landscape,
you know.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Aw, you know, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
People are already established, a lot of people already in
their groups and stuff like that. I realized that I
needed to join forces with some people, you know, to
really get ahead. And I think I made the best choice,
And I think Don made the best choice because he's
the one that came to me and recruited me real fast,
and I jumped at the opportunity. It was something I wanted,
you know, even coming into AW, I just never thought
it might materialize at all, or even this past.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
So is it kind of one of those situations where,
now that you've been involved with the family to a degree,
you kind of get why someone like the god of
pro Wrestling Kiney Omega wants to align with someone like it,
Like it's kind of clicking maybe behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
So, yeah, you look at the history of what Don's
done just in AW. You know, Kenny Omega the biggest
best wrestler in the company in my opinion, and you know,
the list goes down line. Will Osprey has been in
and out of that group, Kyle Fletcher. To see the
transformation he's made over the past you know, twelve to
eighteen months, yeah, to being now you know, undeniably one
(07:19):
of the very best wrestlers in the company, if not
the world. And then we've already talked about Takesha and
everybody else in the group. I think it's just a
layout for success and when you look at you know,
AW and the stables and groups that are involved in
this company, I don't think any of them stack up
merely as well as the Donkallis family against anybody.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
So that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
So let's talk maple Leaf Pro Congratulations are becoming the
new Maple Leaf champion. You know that is a promotion,
proudly bit built on Canadian wrestling in tradition.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Obviously, how do you.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
How do you plan to balance the responsibility of being
their champion while also be attached to a controversial faction
like don Kallis and not to you know, throw this
out there, but if there was some sort of interaction
where it was the don Kallis family maybe pitted against
the Scott de More faction, do I mean, is it
(08:17):
gonna be one of those head versus heart type things
or like do you are you are you just tried
and true down the line with callous?
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I mean, that's a real tough question.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
The battle of head and heart is a really good
way to yeah, way to say it, because you know,
my head's in the game, you know, with me and
AW want to find success and stuff, and I know
that's going to go through don you know He's going.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
To be integral in my climb in the ranks at AAW.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
When it comes to MLP, you're talking about the heart
of everything I've done for the past twenty years and
everything I want to continue to do with my career.
And that's, like I said, like prop up the Canadian
wrestling scene. I think MLP arriving in Canada is one
of the most important things that I've seen happen in
my entire career because, like I said, very difficult for
Canadians get noticed. Now, Canadians have a homegrown promotion that
(09:03):
it's going out there running these you know, amazing we
sold out may be leaf gardens, like completely insane. I
didn't think it was gonna happen, right, I knew it
would be a big show, but I didn't think you'd
be able to get that many people into that building.
And you know, as of the day of at like
one pm uh in talking to Scott, he was like,
there's eighty tickets left on ticket Master right now for purchase.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
And then like maybe an hour later it came up
and be like we're sold out.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
You know what I'm saying, Like that, that's the kind
of stuff that like gave me goosebumps and got me
ready for the show. But to balance it, you know,
I hope that we don't have to have, you know,
a thing where there's a Scott de Moore versus don
Kallis family or anything like that, because at the end
of the day, I'm paying my bills with everything adw
and the don Kallis family, and that's the thing that's
(09:49):
going to make me find success. But it will be
a tough decision if I have to come to that.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
We figured it was a tough question. That's why we
asked you.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So now I want to I want to go back
to your debut in AEW your match against Hangman Page
in the own Hard Cup, very intense, closely contested. What
was it like stepping into the aw ring for the
first time against somebody like Hangman Adam Page?
Speaker 4 (10:17):
And how did that set.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Your tone for your tenure here? Because when that that
music hit and your name comes across the screen, you
hear that entire arena erupt. Walk us through.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
All that, Okay, Well, the days leading up to it,
you know, I knew about four days prior, I was
traveling in a Boston top secret all this stuff and
for the first time, and I gotta say a few years,
like I am just a wreck, Like I am nervous.
I'm feeling every which way possible, anxiety out the window
because you know, there's so much uncertainty. Like I didn't
(10:49):
know I knew I was traveling to Boston.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
I did not know I was facing hangman Adam Page.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I did not know as loll card, like there was
a possibility that it could have been a swerve. You know,
you're making assumptions, but like radio silence for everybody, here's
your travel, here's your hotel.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
You know, it's literally a wild card.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah, exactly with everyone involved. Okay, got it. I got
it for me as well.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And uh but like when I found out it was
a wildcard, when I arrived at the building and they
stuck me in and hit me in a room and
stuff like that, and I was like, you know, You've
already gone through these feelings of these possibilities of what
I'm going to be doing, and like it's just like, Okay,
I'm stepping foot in the ring with an established main
event guy, somebody who I think is the like the
best of the best homegrown champions that AW has built
(11:33):
when you're talking about through the tenure of the six
years of AAW to be built from a guy that
was in the elite that was kind of you know,
overlooked compared to the Bucks and Kenny Omega to making
this climb and finally, you know, winning the AW championship
and doing all these amazing things, telling these amazing stories
with Swerve, Strickland and so on and so forth. I'm like, damn,
I get to go out there with you know, one
(11:54):
of the best, the best Miss Company too, on my debut,
and we're going to see if I can hang.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
And I think I went out there and I hung,
and you know.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I didn't pull out the victory, but to lose to
somebody like hang that out on page ain't the worst
thing in the world and not a bad way to start.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
So I was more than happy with it. But the
second my music hit, and you know, you've.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Heard wrestlers talk about are they gonna they're gonna know me,
they're gonna pop and all this stuff, and the greatest
of wrestlers have these same feelings. It's like having the
dream of your boots not being on and your music's
playing like it's just this thing that is synonymous through
it all pro wrestling. For wrestlers, the pop happened, nerves
are still there walk down the ring the second I step.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Through the rope, so I was like, oh, I got this.
We're good. All the nerves washed away and we're right
back to business.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
So nice.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Well, as far as you know, there's gonna be a
ton of questions about you know, fantasy bookings and all
this and whatnot. So the question we have around that
is just pertaining to aw talent that you have never faced,
never touched, never none, you know, training nothing, who are
maybe a couple of talents you're very eager to get
in the ring with in aw.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Never faced Top three or Edge Jericho and Kenny Omega.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Holy crap, how you just kind of lift off the
trifecta there, And it's kind of like, how has none
of those three ever happened?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Like that's just what happened now?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yeah, about Canadian roots and all these things, these interchangeable
things like those three are right at the top for me.
And if there's one that I have that's like I
don't want to match with him. I want like a
six month story and several matches with that Swear strictly,
and I think he's one of the best in the
business at you know, telling stories in that ring right now,
and I'm mentioning that the chance to get to face.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Him, I mean caught me a little off guard. I fow.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Just I'm sitting here thinking of the stories that you
and Swerve can tell, just because of you know, we've
seen the past stories with you and TNA and impact,
and just thinking of how this could play out between
you and Swear, because you and Swear are both great
storytellers as well as great wrestlers, and you're great on
the mic. So just go ahead and uh, you know what,
(14:05):
We'll clip this, we'll send it to Tony and just
be like, hey, go ahead and get this started. I
don't know when, but maybe next Wednesday, after beach break,
we can get this started.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Please don'ty, I mean, you're you're rushing things. I'm cool,
wait a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yeah, yeah, well I can establish myself over the next
six to twelve months and when we're ready, when it's
gonna pop off, it's gonna be even better.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So yeah, let's not rush. Nothing good comes fast, all right,
That's true?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That is that is very true. Well, I know, uh,
time is is a sensitive here because you've got some
other things to do, so before we let you go,
we always like to have a little fun at the
end of these shows.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
And you know, if we.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Were looking at uh at at Josh's workout playlist, Let's
say we're scrolling through, right and all of a sudden,
we're like, huh, didn't know that Josh lifts waits to
this song. What is that song that's on your playlist
that we're gonna be like, huh, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Oh man, I live, I lift, like all sorts of music.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Well, let's do the one that would ruin your tough
guy image.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
The name of the artist is skipping my mind. But
hard to Love. It's a country song really pops on
every once in a while.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
There, I'm a real Rice. Yeah, that's Lee Rice, Lee
Rice a real.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
I'm not even the country, some romantic country every once
in a while.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Yeah, man, some of the ballads in country or something.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Could you just.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Imagine, Like you look over and Josh has like got
like four hundred pounds and he's just benching, and all
of a sudden, he's just like jamming out to Lee
Brice Hard to Love.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Yeah, Lee Holmes or just something, you know. Yeah, that's
what we like that. You know, we talked to somebody
recently who was also Canadian and they also liked country
and it just you know, it's a global thing now,
but we're from Tennessee, so it's just kind of strange
people here. Yeah, here this stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
My father was a country artist his entire life before
he passed away, so I kind of grew up living
on country music. Although I didn't appreciate my teens, you know,
and my adulthood, I really do appreciate a good country songs.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That's all I understand that.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Well, Josh, we just want to say thank you for
taking the time out and hanging out with us and
talking to us again. It's good to catch up with you.
I know, like we said at the beginning, a lot
of things have changed. It's the last time we spoke,
and we're super pumped to see you in aw super
excited to see that. Josh Alexander is all elite. And
before we let you go, is there anything you want
to say the people that are watching or listening to
(16:28):
this right now, I.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Mean, check out Beach Break this Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Doublin Nuffin's coming up May twenty fifth, and you know,
just keep watching the don Kallis family and aw and
we'll do you some good stuff.
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