Impact World Title Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs. Alex Shelley - Impact Wrestling Emergence 2022 - 12/08/2022
I’ve never really been into Josh Alexander in most of the matches I’ve seen but I’ve never seen him in these matches, as the champion of Impact, as the guy, in the main events. Indies and NJPW Strong doesn’t give you a big idea of what the person can do, especially when his reputation comes from these types of matches.
The match starts with Shelley out wrestling Alexander with a wrist lock then a headlock before drop kicking Alexander in the leg. Alexander escapes a submission hold but finds himself with his arm stuck around the ropes thanks to Shelley’s nous. Alexander responds by picking at the arm, then the back and then the leg, potentially setting up for the ankle lock. Just as the match was stalling, they pick up the pace with some solid reversal spots and Shelley launches himself over the top rope onto the arm but Shelley wastes time and taunts on the apron, allowing Alexander to get a weak blow in and that awkwardly sets up his patented cross body to the back. Shelley almost immediately retakes control to hit a dragon screw, highlighting my issues with the match. The selling is mediocre (I won’t say it doesn’t exist but it’s not a real factor in the match) and the match is too quick to move onto the new thing. Shelley just had Alexander throw himself into his back and the match quickly changes to Shelley in control, not allowing Shelley adequate time to show the effects. Obligatory strike exchanges occur that are swiftly cut off by a powerful uppercut by Alexander.
The issues with selling pop up again with Alexander gingerly popping up onto the ropes (after lifting Shelley on his shoulders which requires leg strength) only to then run towards Shelley. Inconsistency. Though Shelley had a cool counter, smacking Alexander with an enziguri and throwing him into the turnbuckle. Shelley sets up a frog splash which gets no sold by Alexander to apply an ankle lock. Right… I thought this guy was supposed to be great. Josh Alexander no-sells ANOTHER Shelley move, this time being sliced bread, so he can do a roll up kick out. Shelley’s selling is gone by this point as well. Shelley hits a second sliced bread on the outside floor, which is, thankfully, not shrugged off for a chop or something stupid like that. Shelley attacks the arm which gets counted into triple german suplexes - ironic for a Kurt Angle clone - which leads to a ripcord rolling elbow that only gets a two count. The closing stretch was a series of counters with Alexander trying for the ankle lock and Shelley trying for the Border City stretch. It all goes on too long but even I can’t fault the amazing spot where Alexander turned a sliced bread into a piledriver. Despite some frankly mediocre wrestling, there were some good things to be seen. The match finally comes to the end with the C4 and Alexander beats his inspiration.
I decided to watch the match on a whim. The build and the story of the feud was lost on me. However I have read some reviews and background on the match after the fact and found that it was a mentor/student type of match where Alexander had Shelley scouted. But the match was not very good despite that story. The selling was poor throughout the match. There were isolated moments at best where the selling was decent but it wasn’t consistent or considered into the match’s story. The match felt way too long but that’s mostly because they lost me way early on with bad nuts and bolts of the match. The transitions were just lazy and rushed, mostly rushed which led to the lack of selling. It failed to come together for me. I liked certain aspects of the match, most of the things that you could post on twitter as a gif but as a whole, cohesive match, I was left with a disappointing view on the match. Josh Alexander is someone who has been praised consistently and I’ve come out of the match with a more negative opinion of him than I had going into it. Shelley brought some of the better offensive moments but his veteran instincts were lacking. Or does he think that not selling a frog splash so you can do an ankle lock is a great spot? **
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