#AndNEW: Josh Alexander wins AAW Heavyweight Championship

At this past Friday’s AAW Wrestling event Defining Moment, the Walking Weapon Josh Alexander won the promotion’s AAW Heavyweight championship. Alexander defeated The Draw, Sami Callihan to capture the championship. The win ended Callihan’s 273-day reign as champion. In a match that was a back and forth affair saw Callihan gain the early advantage. After hitting a powerbomb on Alexander, the walking weapon immediately got back up. This had to be an early sign that Alexander wasn’t there just to compete but to win the championship.

Both men exchanged blows with one another until Alexander slammed him down to the mat. Once Callihan regains control as he propels Alexander from the middle ropes to the center of the ring. Callihan doesn’t end his assault there as he took out a chair and continued to beatdown Alexander time and time again. What should be noted is that Callihan focused on the neck of Alexander. For those unaware of Alexander’s story, he suffered near career-ending injuries to his neck, in particular, having his C5 and C6 vertebrae in his back fused together.

In a rather heated moment of the match, Callihan coaxes the challenger to hit him with his best. The result was a stiff knee at the hands of Callihan on Alexander. Alexander eventually locks in an anklelock on Callihan. However, Callihan makes his way back and even manages to piledrive Alexander on a steel chair! The challenger fights back from this! Callihan then hits another piledriver on Alexander continuing to focus on the repaired neck of Alexander.

Alexander channels his inner Kurt Angle and takes down his straps. Callihan then hits Alexander with a low blow and then another piledriver. After attempting a fourth piledriver, Alexander blocks the attempt and hits a backbreaker! Alexander then hits a spinning tombstone piledriver to which Callihan kicks out at two on. A weakened and prone Callihan eventually submits to Alexander’s ankle lock in the middle of the ring. After seventeen minutes a new AAW Pro Heavyweight champion is crowned.

Winner AND NEW AAW Heavyweight Champion Josh Alexander

A great deal of credit goes to both competitors. Both champion and challenger went blow for blow against one another. The result was a hard-hitting matchup. It is as much a celebration of Josh Alexander’s hard work to return to competition as it is a culmination of showing that he has finally made it. Josh Alexander has officially won the AAW Pro Heavyweight Championship.