Impact Wrestling’s Josh Alexander Details Comeback From Career Threatening Injury
The gut-wrenching reality of losing everything that defines one’s passion and identity is a devastating tragedy no athlete yearns to experience. What if a person was miraculously given a second chance? If the scenario was possible, one would sure to seize that opportunity in rewriting wrongs of the past and shooting for excellence in their professional career.
2013 through 2015 marked a troublesome period in the professional wrestling career of Josh Lemay (Josh “The Walking Weapon” Alexander). Courtesy of two neck injuries sustained in wrestling matches and inadequate rehabilitation, the 2015 damage carried with it grim ramifications. An MRI reading later reported that Lemay would be unable to wrestle again. Lemay announced his retirement in front of a live crowd at the Alpha 1 Wrestling show in Ontario, Canada. Coming to grips with the reality of the situation, devastation set in that his wrestling journey was unceremoniously over.
“The moment doctors told me I would never be able to wrestle again; I was numb,” Lemay said. “I don’t know if I believed them or if I didn’t understand what they said. But, once I had my last match and was on my way into surgery the feelings off irreplaceable loss and devastation set in.”
Devastation soon turned into relief. Reanalyzing the MRI, doctors reversed their previous stand, as Lemay’s injury would only require time off and proper recovery management. Elated of the news, “The Walking Weapon” would soon grace the square circle, once more. Lemay aimed in making the best of this second chance bestowed upon him by working hard in the gym, perfecting his promo craft, and putting on show-stealing performances for the fans.
Lemay made good on his promise. Coming back from his career-threatening injury, Josh continued to make strides in the independent wrestling landscape, achieving even greater success. One of his highlights was capturing the Destiny World Championship. Another pivotal moment was his 2018 steel cage match against Sami Callihan. During the cage match, Lemay suffered a laceration yet through grit and desire was able to complete the match. His work that night would get the attention of “Big Stage” Wrestling promotions looking to add him to their roster.
“I wrestled Sami Callihan in a cage match in front of Impact management,” he recalled. “In the match, I was split open and lost a lot of blood. I pushed through the injury and made it through the match. I think that was a crucial moment in front of the right people that showed I was willing to do whatever it took to get to a bigger stage.”
His work did not go overlooked, as Lemay would be presented with an Impact Wrestling contract at a Destiny Wrestling show in Toronto, Canada. All the highs and extreme lows throughout his career, Josh Alexander fulfilled his dreams.
“At that moment, it felt like an immense weight was lifted off my shoulders. I finally achieved what I had to keep convincing myself was possible. However, at the same moment, I put an even larger weight on my shoulders. I set new goals, bigger goals. I’ve never been more ready for this opportunity. “I’m confident in my in-ring abilities, as I believe I can perform in any ring with the best in the world.”
Along with televised exposure, signing with Impact Wrestling Lemay can continue wrestling on the Indy circuit, run his wrestling academy, CSS-(Canadian Strong Style) and most importantly spend an extensive amount of quality time with his family.
“Wrestling gives me a lot of joy, but it will never equal the feeling my family gives me when I walk in the door after a weekend away at work. My wife and kids are my world. I grew up with an absent father, and I’d vowed never to let my kids grow up that way. So the Impact schedule allows me to have the best of both worlds.”
Debuting in April of 2019, Lemay began showcasing his talent at Impact Wrestling. Recently, alongside longtime friend/tag partner, Ethan Page, the two reformed as their tag team faction, “The North.” The two wasted no time reigning dominance over the tag team division. June 5th marked a crowning achievement for “The North” capturing the Impact Tag Team Championships from LAX (Latin America Xchange). Page and Alexander similar mindsets have created the perfect tag team unit destined to achieve greatness as a tag team and individually.
“Ethan Page and I have similar goals. We want to go down in the history books as a great dominant tag team. When all the tag competition is taken care of next, we will both have our time as world heavyweight champions.”
Want to see Josh “The Walking Weapon” Alexander in action and his rise to the top? Be sure to tune into Impact Wrestling airing live on the Pursuit Channel and Twitch, Friday at 10/9c. You can also find him tearing the house at Indy shows across the United States and Canada.
