IMPACT world champion Josh Alexander recently appeared on the Battleground podcast to discuss a number of pro-wrestling-related topics, most notably how the Walking Weapon believes the promotion’s X-Division and Knockouts division changed the industry forever. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
How the X-Division and Knockouts division changed the pro-wrestling industry:
“Absolutely, that changed the business as much as the Knockouts division here changed the business here in the early years. It cultivated a completely different type of pro wrestling that had completely taken over the industry.”
Calls IMPACT the land of opportunity for pro-wrestlers:
“This is the land of opportunity. I didn’t sign my first contract until three and a half years ago and I was 14 years into my wrestling career. I was just a pro wrestler grinding it out on the indies getting chances everywhere and being passed by. Then, finally Impact came to me and they gave me an opportunity. Ever since then, it’s been ‘here’s the ball, don’t drop it.’ I luckily never had, much due to the fact that I had 14 years of experience fumbling the ball left and right on independent shows where nobody could see me. In the early years [of TNA], the same thing. They were just given opportunities. ‘Here’s the ball, go out there and hit a home run.’ All it was was pretty much home runs. Even guys in the early years, a guy like Malice who was formerly in WCW who I thought was amazing. Unfortunately, he passed away, but that was a guy the very first show, he went all the way to the limit with Ken Shamrock. That’s just indicative of Impact’s entire ethos of ‘this is your opportunity.’
(H/T and transcribed by 411 Mania)