Cedric Alexander has been cut from WWE but now he is making waves in the world of free agency. It has been confirmed that Alexander has signed with the Paragon Talent Group, signaling his intent to stay active and explore new opportunities.
Alexander’s decision to sign with Paragon puts him in the company of top-tier talent who have also signed with the talent agency. Last year, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton, Liv Morgan, Damian Priest all signed with Paragon, as has Jade Cargill. Paragon, operated by former WWE Superstar Dean ‘Mojo Rawley’ Muhtadi, also played a key role in Alexa Bliss’ contract negotiations, culminating in her return at the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
Cedric Alexander: All Elite?
While Alexander is ready to be represented in non-wrestling projects, his in-ring future could see him join AEW. Tony Khan’s first promotion is already home to the Hurt Syndicate, comprising of Alexander’s former allies Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. Alexander himself has teased joining the group, leaving fans excited to see the high-flyer reunite with his peers.
Whatever comes next for Cedric Alexander, it is clear he’s just getting started. After many years with WWE, fans are excited to see what he can do, both in and out of the ring, now his days as a Superstar are in the past.
WWE released several names from its roster in recent weeks, but those cut from the company aren’t entirely gone just yet. Instead, several names who’ve been given the dreaded pink slip will still be playable as part of WWE 2K25.
Released talent who will be playable in WWE 2K25 include:
Duke Hudson
Akam
Rezar
Blair Davenport
Cedric Alexander
Luke Gallows
Karl Anderson
Giovanni Vinci
Sonya Deville
Isla Dawn
Elektra Lopez
Paul Ellering was also among those released from WWE. While the Hall of Famer/Final Testament alum won’t be a playable character in WWE 2K25, he will be a non-playable manager in the game.
The inclusion of these released Superstars demonstrate how quickly things can change in WWE. While these talents hoped that WWE 2K25 would just be the latest in a series of games they would be a part of, next month’s instalment will most likely be the last time they are playable in a WWE video game.
These released talents will be part of the largest roster in the history of WWE video games with stars from the past and present. With over 300 names confirmed for the game, in addition to Wyatt Sicks-themed DLC, fans will be able to recreate their favorite matches or create never-before-seen contests in the upcoming game.
WWE 2K25 will release on March 14, with the Deadman and Bloodline Editions of the game launching a week earlier on March 7. With WWE 2K Mobile also announced, this year is shaping up to be a massive one for wrestling fans and gamers alike.
Cedric Alexander has parted ways with WWE after an eight-and-a-half year run with wrestling’s biggest promotion. Many now expect Alexander to find his way to AEW and that’s a destination the former Cruiserweight Champion is also interested in.
On his Instagram Stories, Alexander shared a photo of action figure versions of himself, Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP. with the three active talents draped in AEW gold, Alexander made clear his interest in reuniting the Hurt Business, now known as the Hurt Syndicate.
Alexander’s WWE release came after the high-flyer re-signed with the promotion in September 2024. At the time, it was reported that Alexander had reached a multi-year deal with WWE. Now, WWE has moved on from the former Cruiserweight Champion, making a potential reunion with Benjamin, Lashley, and MVP a genuine possibility. With that said, fans won’t be seeing Alexander join just yet, as he will be dealing with the standard non-compete clause for released WWE talent.
The Hurt Syndicate came together in late 2024 and have already seen success as the faction currently holds the AEW World Tag Team Championships. While it remains to be seen if Alexander reunites with his former allies, fans are excited to see what the talented high-flyer does next in his wrestling journey.
After nearly a decade with the company, Alexander has been released—a move he confirmed in a tweet on Friday night.
“Thank you for the last 8 1/2 years! Being a professional wrestler has been a dream of mine since I could form memories, and I will continue to do so till the good Lord says otherwise. #SeeYouIn90,” Alexander wrote.
Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported that Alexander was indeed released, though the reason behind his departure remains unclear.
Alexander first gained recognition in WWE through the Cruiserweight Classic before moving to the 205 Live brand and later transitioning to Raw. In late 2019, it was reported that Paul Heyman, then Raw’s Executive Director, was high on Alexander, leading to a brief push and a feud with AJ Styles over the United States Championship.
In 2020, Alexander joined Bobby Lashley, MVP, and Shelton Benjamin in The Hurt Business, a fan-favorite faction that was eventually disbanded. During that time, he held the WWE Tag Team Championship. However, since then, WWE has done little with Alexander outside of house shows and Main Event matches. In 2024, he was sent to NXT.
The road to WWE NXT Deadline will begin in earnest on the upcoming episode of WWE NXT, with two Iron Survivor Challenge qualifying matches announced. On X, WWE NXT GM Ava shared that Wes Lee will face Cedric Alexander in a Men’s Qualifying match, while Cora Jade will take on Sol Ruca for a spot in the Women’s match.
The Iron Survivor Challenge is a 25-minute match featuring five Superstars, two of which start the match. A new entrant enters every five minutes, with the winner being the Superstar who scores the most points, earned by pinfall or submission. While those entering the match later have less time to score points, they’re also considerably fresher than those who started the match.
Roxanne Perez and Grayson Waller won the inaugural matches in 2022, earning a shot at the NXT Women’s title and NXT title respectively. Perez’s victory would lead to her first reign as NXT Women’s Champion, ending the 413-day reign of Mandy Rose. Blair Davenport and Trick Williams on their matches in 2023.
WWE NXT – November 12
Here is the card as it stands for the November 12, edition of WWE NXT:
Sol Ruca Vs. Cora Jade (Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifying match)
Wes Lee Vs. Cedric Alexander (Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge match)
Adriana Rizzo vs. Nikkita Lyons
Ava meets with the tag team division to settle on a set of No. 1 contenders
In 2016, Cedric Alexander joined WWE as part of that year’s Cruiserweight Classic and would capture the WWE Cruiserweight title two years later. Now fans can expect to see much more of the 35-year-old wrestler as part of the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
Cedric Alexander has re-signed with WWE, Fightful Select reports, on a new multi-year deal. Alexander has been teaming with Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis as of late. Cedric’s most recent match was at NXT Great American Bash 2024: Night One in July of this year, where he defeated Brooks Jensen.
This report will come as bad news to those who were hoping to see Alexander reunite with his Hurt Business allies outside of WWE. In July, it was reported that MVP and Bobby Lashley intend to reform the popular group outside WWE. The pair left WWE earlier this year and have filed a trademark for ‘Hurt Syndicate.’ Shelton Benjamin, the group’s fourth member, was released from WWE in September 2023.
Cedric Alexander is back in the win column after securing a victory on the July 30 episode of NXT. The developmental brand held week one of their Great American Bash TV special. One of the featured matchups had Alexander taking on Brook Jensen.
It marks the WWE veteran’s first singles win on TV since he defeated Reggie for the WWE 24/7 Championship on the November 22, 2021, episode of Monday Night Raw.
The matchup came together after Shawn Spears confronted Alexander while he was advising other NXT talent backstage. “The Chairman” downplayed the usefulness of the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion’s knowledge and shared that he was mentoring Jensen. Alexander responded that Spears can only influence weak-minded talent, leading to Jensen challenging him to a match in the episode.
Alexander and Jensen had their moments in the match, with the troubled NXT talent coming close to being victorious. However, Jensen would hurt himself on a missed leg drop attempt from the ring apron onto his opponent on the announce table. Alexander used his experience to capitalize on the moment and land his Lumbar Check finisher to get the win.
Cedric Alexander Comments On Current NXT Run
Alexander reflected on his victory in a backstage interview and teased Spears that his teaching methods didn’t seem to have much impact on Jensen. He was also asked how he felt about being on the NXT roster, and the former main roster superstar expressed that he is enjoying it and plans to stick around for a while.
“…It’s been an experience. It’s like going back to high school again,” said Alexander. He explained, “You see a bunch of new friends. You see a bunch of old friends you haven’t seen in a long time, and it’s good to mix it up with the people every once in a while. But yeah, I’m enjoying my time here, and I think I might be here for a long time.”
Although he was successful against Jensen, it seems Alexander will have to deal with Spears soon. The former All Elite Wrestling superstar showed displeasure with his Protégé taking the loss. Spears will likely want to prove a point and show that he is a better influence over the NXT locker room than Alexander. Hopefully, the “Babyface” can continue his momentum with his fresh start on the developmental brand.
Jordynne Grace is set to compete for WWE NXT very soon but she may not be the only example of a wrestler working in another company.
The reigning TNA Knockouts World Champion made an ‘impact’ during the May 28, episode of WWE NXT. Grace was revealed as the challenger for WWE NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez for the upcoming NXT Battleground event in June. Grace will also be in action on next week’s WWE NXT when she faces off against Stevie Turner.
With Grace set to compete for the WWE NXT Women’s Championship, more wrestlers are hoping to test their skills in the other promotion. On Twitter, WWE’s Cedric Alexander was curious if Grace’s arrival means he will soon have a chance to compete for the TNA X-Division Championship.
This tease caught the attention of TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali who was open to the match and reflected on a previous encounter between the two.
‘Dashing’ Chris Bey of TNA tag team ABC was also open to competing in NXT as a TNA representative if WWE’s gold brand wants “one of the best tag teams in the world.”
Alexander will seemingly get his wish as NXT stars are expected to make appearances for TNA Wrestling. Audiences will no doubt be excited to see more from NXT and TNA as both brands prepare to do much more together to deliver high-quality wrestling and entertainment.
The announcement that WWE Speed will feature its own champion has certainly gotten the Superstars of WWE talking.
WWE Speed was announced earlier this year and will stream exclusively on Twitter/X starting on April 3. This week, it was announced that the show will feature its own championship. The first champion will be crowned via a tournament though no names have been confirmed as of this time.
WWE Superstars React
The prospect of a new championship and becoming the inaugural WWE Speed Champion has proven to be enticing to the WWE roster. On Twitter, Noam Dar said there’s not much he can’t finish in the WWE Speed three-minute time limit.
WWE Speed will feature three-minute matches, meaning there’ll be no time for Superstars to waste in their pursuit of victory. There’s no word yet on what the new WWE Speed Championship will look like.
Originally, the matches were given a five-minute time limit, but the video announcement this week said matches will last three minutes at max. It’s unclear if the matches filmed in December will be edited to fit the time limit.
This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown was stacked with major segments and matches. It seems due to time constraints, WWE yet again excluded a segment from the show. However, it was later featured in a WWE-exclusive video on social media.
WWE SmackDown features some of the best tag-teams and one more has been added to the list. Following last night’s WWE SmackDown, it was revealed that two superstars have been repackaged as tag team partners and they were none other than former Hit Row member Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander.
A few weeks back in a segment on SmackDown, Adonis spoke with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis regarding an idea that would get him back on TV. Well this might be that idea.
Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and Cedric Alexander bring threat to tag-team division
In a video clip posted on WWE’s official Twitter/X account, it was revealed that Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and Cedric Alexander have formed a tag team and put the whole tag-team division on notice.
As per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis, were scheduled for a vignette on the show. However, it was cut from the show for unknown reasons.
Adonis had been a member of Hit Row with Top Dolla but the former has been on a singles run after the latter was released by WWE in September 2023. Meanwhile, another former member of Hit Row, B-Fab recently joined forces with Bobby Lashley-led group that includes the Street Profits as well.
Speaking about, Cedric Alexander, he was drafted to SmackDown in November, but hasn’t been on TV since two straight losses to Dragon Lee that month. He has some tag-team experience when he was part of The Hurt Business alongside MVP and Shelton Benjamin and the group was led by Bobby Lashley.
MVP may have something planned involving a Hurt Business reunion.
Back in May 2020, MVP aligned himself with Bobby Lashley. In July of that same year, Shelton Benjamin joined MVP and Lashley to form The Hurt Business. Eventually, Cedric Alexander joined the group.
While the faction garnered praise from fans, it came to an abrupt end on the March 29, 2021 episode of Monday Night Raw. Lashley attacked both Benjamin and Alexander, kicking them out of the group.
After Lashley lost the WWE Championship to Big E this past Monday (Sept. 13), he may be in need of some backup again. MVP recently met up with Shelton Benjamin, potentially to discuss that matter.
Before Lashley lost the WWE Title, he discussed his initial reaction when the decision was made to split Hurt Business up. Here’s what he told Metro.
“I’m comfortable with staying in my lane. In the wrestling business, I think too many people start worrying about so many other things and then they don’t focus on their career. Ultimately, we have to make sure our career is great before trying to do anybody else’s stuff.
“There’s lots of guys on the roster that I look and I’m like, man, he looks good – he’s tough, he’s that and he’s that. Once we have that opportunity, we might open up the Hurt Business and bring some people in and help fuel their career. But it’s one of those things where I have to focus on me for a little while, and I gotta make sure I’m defending the world title.”
Bobby Lashley has spoken out on whether or not he was vocal about WWE’s decision to split The Hurt Business.
Lashley aligned himself with MVP and soon, the two linked with Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander to form The Hurt Business. While the team had success, capturing gold and gaining some steam, the group abruptly broke up when Lashley attacked Benjamin and Alexander. Lashley remains with MVP on television, while Benjamin and Alexander have mainly been reduced to WWE Main Event.
During an interview with Metro, Lashley said he chose to stay in his lane once the decision was made.
“I’m comfortable with staying in my lane. In the wrestling business, I think too many people start worrying about so many other things and then they don’t focus on their career. Ultimately, we have to make sure our career is great before trying to do anybody else’s stuff.
“There’s lots of guys on the roster that I look and I’m like, man, he looks good – he’s tough, he’s that and he’s that. Once we have that opportunity, we might open up the Hurt Business and bring some people in and help fuel their career. But it’s one of those things where I have to focus on me for a little while, and I gotta make sure I’m defending the world title.”
Bobby Lashley went on to praise Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander for their in-ring talent. He said he felt The Hurt Business gave fans an opportunity to see just how good Cedric is and gave others a refresher on the ability that Benjamin possesses.
One WWE star decided to travel to Jacksonville, Florida to attend AEW’s latest pay-per-view event, Full Gear, and that’s Cedric Alexander.
The WWE Raw star was seen backstage at the event from Daily’s Place. The reveal came when Big Swole posted a video to her Instagram account alongside Serpentico ahead of the show.
During the video, the camera moved towards two people talking, which were Will Hobbs and Alexander. This led to Swole giving a quick pose. In a funny moment, Serpentico told her to point the camera at him as the camera showed Alexander.
The reason that Alexander was at the show is due to him visiting with friends and he’s also married to Swole as they tied the knot in 2018.
It should be noted that Swole doesn’t have a match lineup for the show. Typically, AEW will hold a casino battle royal or a ladder match in order to put as many people possible on the card.
However, that wasn’t done here as it’s likely due to how stacked the card is and how many matches they already have.
Hurt Business member Cedric Alexander has addressed comparisons between the Raw stable and 90’s faction, the Nation of Domination.
Speaking with TV Insider, Alexander acknowledged the juxtapositions made between the two groups. He noted how, when the idea was first proposed, people immediately gravitated towards the concept of a modern-day Nation of Domination.
“When we first started, people might say, ‘Oh, this is another Nation of Domination,'” said Alexander. “I feel like the group is a positive spin on strong, Black men. At the same time, we don’t want to spread the idea that race is the driving force.”
Alexander added how The Hurt Business just happens to be comprised of “[…] four, strong, Black men who believe in themselves.” He argued that it’s a great thing to have that kind of representation on TV right now, “[…] especially when racial injustice is still prevalent and things are looked at so negatively. When you have four men with a positive goal in mind to succeed and be the best they can be, why not go for it?”
Regarding the group dynamic since he joined, Cedric Alexander shared how it’s like he’s in a group with his “best friends.”
Alexander pointed out how, although he’s the newest member of the Hurt Business, he has long-standing relationships with each individual member. Because of these friendships, when he joined the group, he felt like a natural addition.
31-year-old Cedric Alexander signed with WWE in 2016 after wrestling Kota Ibushi in the Cruiserweight Classic. He’d compete on 205 Live and won the cruiserweight title in 2018. Recently on RAW, however, he has turned heel and aligned with the Hurt Business.
In a recent interview with SI.com, Alexander said that the new role is a change of pace that gives him a chance to let loose.
“I needed a change of pace and the chance to let out a new side that people aren’t used to seeing,” Alexander said. “One of the things that made me love wrestling in general was my career in amateur wrestling in high school and college. Just being on the mat made me feel a type of aggression I wasn’t really able to produce in my regular life. Now, with the Hurt Business, this is my chance to let loose. Before, when I was frustrated, I couldn’t let it out. Sometimes being a bad dude just feels a lot better. I knew I needed this, and it feels good.”
The 11-year pro who makes his home in Orlando also said he has lofty goals left for his WWE career.
“If there is a title to win, I want it,” Alexander continued. “Long-term, I want to capture the WWE championship. I want to be a grand slam champion.”
Cedric Alexander On Being In The Hurt Business
Alexander also said during the interview that being in the Hurt Business allows him a chance to work with his friends.
“I’ve known Shelton since the start of my career,” Alexander says. “I’ve known MVP and Bobby for years, too, and we’ve always been really cool and tight. So this is an opportunity to work with some of my best friends.”
Alexander also continued to talk about the respect he has for Shelton Benjamin.
“I’ve said numerous times that Shelton should have been a three- or four-time world champ by now. If I could, I’d work singles matches with him all day, every day for the rest of my career.”
The Hurt Business’ newest member, Cedric Alexander, has revealed he is excited Mustafa Ali was revealed to be the leader of RETRIBUTION.
Speaking on Table Talk w/DVon, Alexander shared how he was surprised Ali was the leader of the faction. He then explained why he’s excited at the revelation despite currently being embroiled in a feud with the anti-WWE stable:
“Honestly, in a weird way, it made me excited because I’ve been waiting to get a hold of Ali again ever since we had our match at WrestleMania [34]. Now that Ali decided to make better business decisions than hanging out with Apollo [Crews] and Ricochet, I’m interested to see what he’s really going to do.
Alexander explained how he’s always thought Ali “had a bit of a mean streak.”
He noted how Ali was one of the nicer guys in the locker room. According to him, Ali “didn’t really cause a lot of trouble.”
Cedric Alexander then stressed that Ali has never beaten him in “any way, shape, or form.”
Whether it was a singles match, tag team bout, or otherwise, Cedric Alexander claimed Ali had never bested him.
“So, that’s part of why I’m so excited that he decided to join RETRIBUTION. Now, I get to get my hands on Ali again and see if he actually learned something from me the last few years we’ve been apart.”
RAW Superstar Cedric Alexander has previously shared his frustrations with his current spot in the company. Following his matchup last night against current WWE 24/7 Champion Riddick Moss, Alexander once again took to Twitter to reflect on how WWE is using him.
Uploading a Gif from an episode of The Simpsons, it showcases Abraham Simpson walking into a room, spotting his grandson, Bart, and immediately turning around, taking his hat, and walking out. He accompanied the Gif with a single hashtag: “#RAW”.
His wife, All Elite Wrestling’s Big Swole, responded to his message. Seemingly sharing her husband’s frustration, she replied, “Whew the mess of it all”.
Last year, Cedric Alexander was involved in a high-profile rivalry with AJ Styles. The two were feuding over the WWE United States Championship, which Styles held at the time. Their feud would culminate with Styles emerging victorious over Alexander at last September’s Clash of Champions show.
It has been previously reported that Vince McMahon allegedly doesn’t see any value in Alexander. It’s worth noting that Alexander hasn’t won a matchup on Monday Night RAW since his Clash of Champions match.
Cedric Alexander has previously taken to Twitter to vent his frustrations. He previously shared a tweet that read “Frustrated is an understatement.” This message, first shared on February 12, is still pinned to the top of his Twitter profile.
A lot could be assumed from that single sentence, but it’s worth noting that the WWE Raw star and former Cruiserweight Champion has not won a match on Raw since September 2019. The most recent win came to Cedric as part of a 10-man tag team match. His last singles victory was way back in August. His other wins were all on Main Event.
This week, Cedric was defeated by Angel Garzia in a match that barely lasted more than a couple of minutes.
Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported that the company has zero plans for Cedric, and they don’t know what to do with him.
According to a report by the Wrestling Observer Radio from September 2019, Vince McMahon had given up on Cedric some time ago.
Vince reportedly decided to bury Cedric in his hometown match at Clash of Champions against AJ Styles. Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman wanted to give Cedric a push, but Vince had a differing opinion. Looks like the burial is not going anywhere as the poor TV time and consistent losses for him are still there.
Paul Heyman reportedly had plans to slowly build up Cedric Alexander’s push, but evidently Vince McMahon was not a big fan of the idea.
Cedric was called up to the main roster from 205 Live during the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up. Sadly enough, he had even lost his debut match against Cesaro. His United States Championship match against AJ Styles on Clash of Champions was also moved to the Kickoff show.
Back in November when Cedric was asked in an interview about this “burial”, he said: “Of course [it annoyed me]. When you hear things like that, it doesn’t help my brand, you know what I mean? Regardless of how you feel about it, whether you think AJ buried me or not—it was fine. I knew what it was! It was great matches, I got to show a lot of my personality and my in-ring style. A loss isn’t a burial. It’s AJ Styles, how is that a burial?! He’s one of the holy trinity’s of wrestling to me [with Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels] so to lose to essentially a wrestling deity is fine by me.”
Cedric Alexander joined the WWE Raw roster after WrestleMania earlier this year and found himself in the running for the United States championship in September. Alexander twice dropped title matches to AJ Styles, the first on the Clash of Champions kickoff show on September 15th and then again 2 weeks later on an episode of Raw.
Following his two straight defeats to AJ Styles, reports surfaced that Alexander’s push had being derailed backstage. Alexander spoke to Talk Sport recently and refuted these claims.
“Of course [it annoyed me],” Alexander stated. “When you hear things like that, it doesn’t help my brand, you know what I mean? Regardless of how you feel about it, whether you think AJ buried me or not—it was fine. I knew what it was! It was great matches, I got to show a lot of my personality and my in-ring style. A loss isn’t a burial. It’s AJ Styles, how is that a burial?! He’s one of the holy trinity’s of wrestling to me [with Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels] so to lose to essentially a wrestling deity is fine by me.”
.@CedricAlexander reacts to Dave Meltzer’s comments that Vince wanted him ‘buried’ on #RAW and says he ‘loves’ working with RAW’s chief @HeymanHustle
“I read comments like, ‘Cedric is great, but they’re burying him’ but it’s like, you must have check out the match then? It was good, right? You can’t get buried losing to AJ Styles. You just can’t. There’s a reason they’re putting me in a the ring with AJ Styles.”
Cedric Alexander “Being Buried” Reports
In the days leading up to Alexander vs Styles at Clash of Champions, it was reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he would be pushed slowly. Then, following Alexander’s loss to Styles in under 5 minutes, another report from the Wrestling Observer stated that Vince McMahon had dropped the idea of pushing him.
“I was told last night that Vince McMahon wanted to bury him,” Meltzer said in relation to Alexander. “I don’t know why, why you would want to do that.”
Another match has been announced for next Monday’s episode of WWE RAW.
On Wednesday, WWE officially announced that AJ Styles will make his next title defense as WWE United States Champion against Cedrick Alexander.
This match was set up when Alexander got the better of Styles during a brief brawl this past Monday. The two stars had been feuding over the last several weeks.
Styles and Alexander most recently competed against each other in a singles match when Styles beat Alexander to retain the title at the WWE Clash of Champions pay-per-view event in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center on the WWE Network. The contest aired during the pre-show.
This show takes place at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. WWE is loading up the show and hyping it as a new season of RAW, they have done in the past.
Below is the updated announced line-up:
Brock Lesnar to appear
The Miz hosts MizTV with WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan
WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins defends against the winner of the Fatal 5 Way Match
Sasha Banks vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Alexa Bliss
WWE United States Champion AJ Styles defends against Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander has been enjoying a rush of momentum since moving to RAW from 205 Live. The Superstar has managed to wrestle matches against some of WWE’s top Superstars. Turns out that some of his recent opponents are wrestlers he admired growing up, including AJ Styles.
Speaking with SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio ahead of his match against AJ at Clash of Champions, Alexander listed the wrestlers that have inspired him.
“AJ Styles was one of them,” Alexander explained. “I loved Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Rob Van Dam, I was a big fan of any of the big, flashy high flyers. They had that high flying, high intensity, and high impact style.”
He also added Chris Benoit and Mark Henry to the list, but admitted that he usually gravitated towards the cruiserweight style.
Looking to the future beyond WWE and pro wrestling, Alexander reflected on his time training in amateur wrestling. He confessed that he wouldn’t mind becoming a high school wrestling coach once he has retired.
Cedric Alexander recently faced AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship at WWE’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to claim the gold from Styles that night.
Heading into Clash of Champions, Cedric Alexander was riding high in WWE. He had just pinned United States champion AJ Styles on WWE RAW from Madison Square Garden. Alexander would lose to AJ Styles on the Clash of Champions preshow, however, and was again pinned by the US champion last night on RAW in tag action.
Alexander’s push in the company was addressed following RAW by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“I was told last night that Vince McMahon wanted to bury him,” Meltzer said in relation to Alexander. “I don’t know why, why you would want to do that.”
Alexander was drafted to RAW from 205 Live during the WWE Superstar Shakeup after WrestleMania this year.
“I don’t see a good sign for him right now,” Meltzer continued.
Previous reports regarding Alexander has attributed his push to RAW Executive Director Paul Heyman. According to this report, Alexander’s push was to be a slow-build.
Cedric Alexander in WWE
Alexander signed with WWE shortly after (or possibly during) the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic. He would go on to with the WWE Cruiserweight title at WrestleMania 34. Alexander would hold the title until the Super Showdown event in Australia that October when he dropped it to Buddy Murphy.
AJ Styles is still the WWE United States Champion.
As seen at Sunday’s (September 15, 2019) WWE Clash of Champions pre-show before the live pay-per-view event in Charlotte, North Carolina on the WWE Network, Styles beat Cedric Alexander to successfully retain the strap. It was a quick match that saw Styles beatdown Alexander after the match.
Styles beat Ricochet to win the United States Title in June at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Philadelphia, PA.
Both stars will likely receive new opponents for different feuds heading into the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, October 6, 2019 in Sacramento, California at the Golden 1 Center. It’s possible that WWE continues this program.
This match comes after the two battled on Monday’s RAW in a non-title match.
This program came after Alexander entered the King of the Ring tournament where he defeated Sami Zayn in the first round.
After finding success under the 205 Live banner that included a run as the Cruiserweight Champion, Alexander was drafted to RAW as part of this year’s Superstar Shakeup.
What are your thoughts on AJ Styles retaining the United States Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
We have seen Cedric Alexander getting some time in the
spotlight recently and latest reports suggest that his push is expected to
continue in the upcoming future.
According to reports from the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the former 205 Live star is one of the talents the new Executive Director Paul Heyman is high on.
However, it appears Alexander won’t be hitting any big shots
in the near future as Heyman intends to push the former Cruiserweight Star
slowly.
The ‘slow push’ strategy is said to be Paul’s plan for a few different Raw stars and it would be interesting to see which other roster members get pushed in coming times.
Cedric Alexander pinned the current United States Champion
AJ Styles in the 10 men tag team main event on this week’s episode of Monday
Night Raw.
After this victory, WWE announced that Alexander will face
the Phenomenal One at the upcoming Clash Of Champions PPV in front of his
hometown crowd of Charlotte, North Carolina.
While many thought that Alexander could be headed for a
victory in this match, in light of these recent updates, it’s possible that he
will not win the belt.
Though his push is expected to continue regardless of the
outcome of this bout and even if Alexander doesn’t win the title, he will
surely get some moments to shine during the bout.
Off the back of his victory over AJ Styles on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Cedric Alexander has been granted an opportunity at Styles’ United States Championship. WWE’s Twitter account revealed the matchup, noting how Alexander had “earned it.”
Now AJ Styles has responded to the announcement. The WWE United States Champion replied, “Celebrate your night @TheGarden kid. # TheOC’s been doing this a longggg time and one night isn’t good enough. You have to be better than good. Better than great. To beat me for the #USTitle? You have to be #phenomenal. #WWEClash”
Cedric Alexander also shared his thoughts, simply tweeting “UnitedStatesOfAlexander.”
Alexander defeated AJ Styles via disqualification after O.C. members, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, got involved in the match, attacking Cedric Alexander. The Viking Raiders, however, would make the save, helping Alexander fight off the assault at the hands of The O.C.
Cedric Alexander will face AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship this Sunday at WWE’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
Clash Of Champions 2019
WWE Universal Championship Match Seth Rollins (c) vs. Braun Strowman
WWE Championship Match Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton
WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Match Bayley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match Drew Gulak (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado – Triple Threat
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. The Miz
WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match The New Day (c) vs. The Revival
WWE Raw Women’s Championship Match Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sasha Banks
Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose
WWE United States Championship Match AJ Styles (c) vs. Cedric Alexander
