On June 1st, 2021, IMPACT Wrestling hosted a media press conference to hype up the upcoming X-Division title match between Josh Alexander (c.) and TJP. Hosted by IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Famer Gail Kim, this press conference would build the friendly rivalry between the champion and his contender. While Pro Wrestling Post has learned of TJP and Josh Alexander’s training strategies, mindsets, and more – we also inquired about TJP’s hectic schedule and Alexander’s priorities in IMPACT Wrestling. TJP & Josh Alexander discuss facing one another ahead of their upcoming 60-Minute Iron Man Match on Before the IMPACT. What were their reactions and responses to their upcoming battle? To find out more, please see below.
In a conversation with TJP, we asked the former X-Division champion how he handles his commitments between MLW, IMPACT Wrestling, NJPW, and more! TJP would answer us by saying:
“Well, to borrow a line from my old boss – I’ll sleep when I’m dead! No, you know, this is my life. Kobe [Bryant] is a hero of mine, and I remember after the 2002 NBA Finals, Kobe immediately went to Rucker Park and played in a tournament. It’s like ‘What are you doing dude?’ But, I’ve always had a thought – like, there are some guys that just have a link to what they do. It (the schedule) doesn’t matter.”
Photo / IMPACT
TJP would go on to applaud his opponent for this Thursday, Josh Alexander, for his work rate and hectic schedule. He’d follow up this statement by saying:
“As far as for me and for those companies, it doesn’t matter for what uniform, I just want to get in and do my thing. Some day I won’t be able to do it anymore, and everyone struggles with that when that day comes (especially when you are embedded in that as long as I have been.)”
TJP & Josh Alexander discuss their upcoming 60-Minute Iron Man Match
We also got an opportunity to speak with Impact Wrestling X-Division Champion Josh Alexander. We spoke with Alexander about his ups and downs. As a wrestler who had to fight back from two broken necks and forced early retirement, we asked Josh what being X-Divison Champion means to him. He would say:
“You know, there’s a video my wife filmed of my children watching me live on pay-per-view and losing their minds when I win the X-Division Championship. It meant a lot to me in that moment because, as I’ve said before, I was a fan of the X-Division. That’s what got me into wrestling – discovering these guys in this division. It’s really what showed me I could be a wrestler. To see my kids lose their minds and see their dad win the championship, like, that video – I’m going to hold on to that for the rest of my life.”
In describing the actual moment he won the X-Division title, Alexander told Pro Wrestling Post:
“In the moment that the three was counted, and I turned over and he hands me the belt, I got a flash from everything that’s happened in my life… the ‘Hey, you broke your neck, and you retired, and maybe you’re never going to wrestle again’ and now look what’s happened! Through that, you think about those 4 a.m workouts before you go to your day job for 12 hours, then the cardio that follows after you get off before you go home to be a dad. You have this hope that this dream would materialize one day, and it did! Overall, winning the X-Division Championship would stack up at #1.”
The Impact Wrestling X-Division Championship will be on the line in the first-ever 60-Minute Ironman match in company history. X-Division Champion, Josh Alexander, will be defending his title against TJP this Thursday on Twitch. We here at Pro Wrestling Post are excited to watch this match go down!
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