Josh Alexander passes AJ Styles to close in on breaking record milestone in Impact

Josh Alexander is on the cusp of making history as Impact world champion.

Alexander recently passed AJ Styles to overtake second place for the longest reigning world championship run. The numbers include the days from TNA and Impact.

As of Thanksgiving, that chart is updated to 215 days for Alexander. Give yourself a pat on the back if you would have guessed Bobby Roode as the record holder at 256 days.

It’s all but a given that Alexander will pass Roode. Alexander’s next title defense is scheduled for January 13, 2023 against Bully Ray at the Hard to Kill PPV. Alexander’s reign will stand at 265 days for the date of that bout.

It’s fitting that Alexander will become the longest reigning Impact world champion in history. That comes after he suffered the shortest Impact world title reign in history. Mere minutes after Alexander triumphed over Christian Cage to win gold at Bound For Glory, Moose cashed in the Call Your Shot trophy to attack Alexander while his family was still in the ring celebrating. Moose quickly won the belt to shatter Alexander’s dream moment.

On top of that honor, Alexander is also the longest reigning Impact tag champion with Ethan Page. The North held the titles for 380 days.

If Alexander retains against Bully Ray, the record chase isn’t over yet. Jeff Jarrett has a say in the matter. When factoring in the early TNA days with the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship as the promotion’s top prize, Jeff Jarrett was king of the mountain for 305 days. As is often the case with Jarrett in TNA, nothing is as easy as it appears. He actually lost the belt in Puerto Rico to Ray Gonzalez, but that title change was nullified. Jarrett held the title for an additional 42 days, which is not officially recognized anymore. Either way, I think there is a strong chance that Alexander can pass 347 days.

Where does Josh Alexander stand on your rankings of Impact greats?