Josh Alexander addresses TNA picking up contract option

Josh Alexander isn’t upset about his contract situation with TNA Wrestling.

It was announced on February 20 that TNA had exercised an option to extend Alexander’s contract by one year. Alexander signed a two-year extension with TNA in 2022 that also included an option for TNA to add another year to the deal.

TNA picked up that option despite Alexander asking them not to. In an interview with the Battleground Podcast, Alexander explained that he thought it would be cool to enter free agency, find out what he’s worth on the open market, renegotiate his deal, and see what could happen. But Alexander understands that it was well within TNA’s right to pick up the contract option. Alexander said he’s “completely fine” with their decision.

Alexander said he feels like he’s outworked the contract that he signed two years ago, but it’s still a good deal and he’s cool staying with TNA. Alexander noted that he’s dreamt of competing in a TNA ring since he was 15 years old.

With the option being picked up, Alexander will be with TNA until at least February 2025. He told the Battleground Podcast that Anthem (TNA’s parent company) has expressed interest in negotiating a long-term deal.

Alexander said:

I didn’t even know that my contract was coming up, to be honest. All this stuff happened with the termination of Scott D’Amore and stuff like that. And I looked at my contract, I was like, ‘Oh man, February 14? That’s like in three days. That’s weird.’ 

So I had to inform Anthem that my deal was lapsed and they had 10 days to pick up the option if they wanted to. And, you know, if you don’t ask, you might never find out. So I certainly asked if they could not pick up my option and we could negotiate something different, because I feel like I’ve outworked that contract I signed. But, you know, it was a team option. It’s something that the ball is in their court. I signed the deal. And it was totally within their rights to pick it up, and I’m completely fine with them picking it up. Like, it’s still a good deal. It’s not something that I’m upset about by any stretch. But just to read tweets and stuff [saying] like, I’m being held hostage and all this stuff and forced to stay here against my will — that’s not the case.

I signed that deal two years ago. I knew what I was signing when I signed it. At the end of the day, at the end of my career, I want to be able to look in the mirror, hold my head high, and say that I carried myself as a professional first and foremost above anything else I do in this business. I want to say I did things right. And I signed that deal, I’m going to honor that deal, and we’ll see what happens in the next 12 months. Something could be renegotiated for something long-term in the meantime. Anthem has certainly mentioned that they would be interested in something like that. But, at the same time, I thought it would be cool for the first time in my career to kind of hit free agency and see what I was worth on the open market and then renegotiate then and see what could happen then.

But, yeah, I’m totally cool here staying in TNA. I’ve dreamt of being in TNA since I was a 15-year-old kid and I tuned in on Wednesday nights for the first time. So for that to happen, finally get in a TNA ring at the Palms for Hard to Kill and then the next day against Will Ospreay for Snake Eyes. Man, that’s a dream come true. So I want to see this thing through and I will for the next 11 months or whatever it is and then we’ll see where we go from there. But — not being held hostage [laughs]. That’s a little too dramatic for me. 

Alexander, who is one of TNA’s top stars, has been signed to the promotion since 2019. His time with TNA/Impact has included two World Championship reigns.

The Battleground Podcast’s interview with Alexander can be watched below: