Josh Alexander Out With Injury, New Impact World Champion To Be Crowned At Rebellion

Impact Wrestling has announced that Josh Alexander has suffered a triceps tear and was forced to give up the Impact World title. A new champion will now be crowned at Rebellion on April 16, when Steve Maclin faces KUSHIDA.

Alexander had been booked for Sacrifice tonight, but Maclin will take his place there as well. He will team with Frankie Kazarian & Rich Swann against KUSHIDA & The Motor City Machine Guns.

Alexander was set face KUSHIDA at Impact x NJPW Multiverse United on March 30, but that match will be changed as well. A replacement opponent has not been announced at this time.

Impact said in a statement:

The record-setting title run of Josh Alexander is officially over as he will relinquish the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship due to a triceps tear that will require surgery, IMPACT confirmed.

Alexander became a 2-time World Champion at the 2022 REBELLION pay-per-view event in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and is the longest-reigning IMPACT World Champion in company history, with successful title defenses against such stars as Moose, Rich Swann, Alex Shelley, Frankie Kazarian and Bully Ray, among others.

Josh Alexander is currently in Orlando, Florida, where Brad M. Homan, DO, FAOAO, will be performing a triceps tendon repair later today.

Steve Maclin will replace Josh Alexander to team with Swann and Kazarian tonight at the sold-out SACRIFICE extravaganza in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, against Time Machine (Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and KUSHIDA).

On, Sunday, April 16, at the REBELLION pay-per-view in Toronto, KUSHIDA and Steve Maclin will compete in a match to determine the new IMPACT Wrestling World Champion.

Josh Alexander was originally scheduled to face KUSHIDA at the co-branded MULTIVERSE UNITED: ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE show on Thursday, March 30, from the sold-out Globe Theater in Los Angeles, as a part of WrestleCon. His replacement will be announced at a later date.

SACRIFICE will stream live tonight, starting at 8 p.m. ET from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario on IMPACT Plus, YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders and FITE. A limited number of tickets remain for the SACRIFICE FALLOUT Show on Saturday, March 25, in Windsor. Tickets are available for FALLOUT at Eventbrite.ca.

“We wish Josh a full and speedy recovery, and everyone at IMPACT Wrestling, including our loyal fans, can’t wait to see him back in the ring,” said IMPACT Wrestling president Scott D’Amore.

Alexander added on Twitter:

“Safe to say this news is devastating. I’ve torn my tricep. I will have to relinquish my @IMPACTWRESTLING
World title immediately. I’m heading into surgery momentarily. I’m so thankful for my Impact family for the support. I’ll be back & I’ll be better than ever.”

Safe to say this news is devastating. I’ve torn my tricep. I will have to relinquish my @IMPACTWRESTLING World title immediately.

I’m heading into surgery momentarily. I’m so thankful for my Impact family for the support.

I’ll be back & I’ll be better than ever.

🙏 ✌️ pic.twitter.com/p4oudMz3qE

— Josh Alexander (@Walking_Weapon) March 24, 2023