Cedric Alexander Johnson, born on August 16, 1989, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and also performing on the independent circuit.
Alexander, known for his athleticism and dynamic in-ring style, has made a significant impact across various wrestling promotions. This article delves into his career, highlighting his early beginnings, championship wins, and notable feuds.
Cedric Alexander competes against Drew Gulak. Courtesy
Early Life and Training
As an awkward, asthma-ridden kid, Johnson wasn’t allowed to partake in any sports. He couldn’t even play tag. He couldn’t play football like his brothers, the older of whom played on Independence High School’s team during their five-year undefeated streak.
Johnson learned to wrestle at Charlotte’s George South Pro Wrestling School, where fellow WWE wrestler and Charlotte native R. When he graduated from Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology in 2007, he promised his mom he would attend at least two years of college. So he did, studying sports medicine for two years before returning to Charlotte and training with South.
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His parents, who still live in town, saw him wrestle in a WWE ring for the first time last November, when Monday Night Raw came to the Spectrum Center.
Ring of Honor (ROH) Career
Alexander worked for ROH from 2010 until 2016. Initially, he was part of C&C Factory, a tag team with Caprice Coleman. They worked together until 2014, then he worked as a singles wrestler. Over the course of 2010, Alexander mostly wrestled dark matches for Ring of Honor (ROH).
As part of the C & C Wrestle Factory with Caprice Coleman, Alexander gained attention. The duo’s first prominent tag team bout was a gauntlet match. The match was to determine a future Ring of Honor title match, and despite coming out unsuccessful, it proved to be precisely what they needed to help shape their future together.
Coleman and Alexander’s time together would eventually end, though the duo had only scratched the surface of what they could do as a tag team. Alexander’s singles run in Ring of Honor would come about slowly. He would face the likes of Andrew Everett, Kevin Steen (Owens), and Roderick Strong.
While titles are nice, the opportunities early in his career that Ring of Honor offered were important. From competing on pay per view events to facing veteran stars like Christopher Daniels were great experiences early on.
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In May 2016, Alexander and Ring of Honor parted ways.
Key ROH Matches and Events
- Final Battle 2011: C&C Wrestle Factory competed in a Tag team gauntlet match for a future ROH World Tag Team Championship title shot where they eliminated the Bravado Brothers (Harlem and Lancelot).
- Showdown in the Sun Chapter 1: Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman were defeated by Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin).
- Death Before Dishonor X: Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman were defeated by S.C.U.M. (Jimmy Jacobs and Steve Corino).
- Global Wars '15: Alexander ended Moose's undefeated streak after hitting him with a wrench, turning heel.
- Best in the World 2015: Alexander reunited with Caprice Coleman, but ultimately broke off the partnership for good, when Coleman refused to allow Alexander to use the wrench again in a match against War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe).
WWE Career
He left ROH in 2016, when he was invited to WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament. After that, Alexander would sign a contract with WWE after an impressive performance at the tournament despite losing, which gained critical and fan praise, and would begin performing in their new cruiserweight division.
FULL MATCH: Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander – Second Round: Cruiserweight Classic, Aug. 10, 2016
His initial fascination with wrestling developed during his youth through exposure to the WCW Cruiserweight division, where he became enamored with high-flying, masked performers such as Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, and La Parka for their athleticism and storytelling.
In 2016, Cedric Alexander participated in WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament, where he advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Clement Petiot in the first round before losing to Kota Ibushi. Following his performance, Alexander signed a developmental contract with WWE and made his in-ring debut on the November 29 episode of 205 Live, defeating Brian Kendrick in a match that highlighted his athleticism and marked the start of his cruiserweight tenure.
On the August 29 episode of Raw it was announced that Alexander would be part of WWE's upcoming cruiserweight division. Alexander made his debut on the September 19 episode of Raw , submitting to Brian Kendrick in a Fatal Four-Way match that included Rich Swan and Gran Metalik for a #1 contender's spot for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against TJ Perkins at WWE Clash Of Champions.
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Throughout the tournament, Alexander put on incredible performance after incredible performance. However, it wasn’t until he faced Kota Ibushi that the world took notice and called on him to be a part of WWE moving forward.
Cruiserweight Division and Championship Win
Alexander's cruiserweight momentum peaked in early 2018 when he entered a tournament to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion after the title was vacated. In the following weeks, a tournament to determine a new champion was arranged, in which Alexander defeated Gran Metalik in the first round, TJP in the quarterfinals, and Roderick Strong in the semi-finals to advance to the final.
At WrestleMania 34 on April 8, Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali to win the Cruiserweight Championship. Alexander's most prominent title run was as WWE Cruiserweight Champion, which he won in the finals of a 16-man tournament at WrestleMania 34 on April 8, 2018, by defeating Mustafa Ali with his signature Lumbar Check finisher. He held the championship for 181 days until losing it to Buddy Murphy at WWE Super Show-Down on October 6, 2018, in Murphy's hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
Cedric Alexander WWE Cruiserweight Champion
Raw and The Hurt Business
In 2019, following the Superstar Shake-up, Alexander was drafted to Raw, marking his transition to the main roster beyond the purple brand. He debuted with a competitive loss to AJ Styles on the September 9 episode, where his underdog performance against the world champion drew attention to his versatility outside the cruiserweight constraints.
On the September 7 episode of Raw, Alexander attacked his tag team partners Ricochet and Apollo Crews during a six-man tag team match against The Hurt Business, thus joining The Hurt Business and turning heel for the first time in WWE. As part of The Hurt Business stable, Alexander teamed with Shelton Benjamin to win the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship on December 20, 2020, at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, defeating The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) in a hard-fought ladder match.
This victory came after months of feuds with The New Day, solidifying The Hurt Business' dominance on Raw.
Later WWE Career
On the March 29 episode of Raw, Lashley lambasted Alexander and Benjamin due to them losing the Raw Tag Team Championships and losing to Drew McIntyre in a 2-on-1 handicap match, a loss that meant they'd be barred from ringside at Lashley's WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 37 against McIntyre. This led to Lashley attacking Alexander and Benjamin, thus kicking them out of the faction in the process.
From 2023 onward, Alexander operated as a versatile utility player on Raw and NXT, including brief recruitment attempts to align with Omos in 2022 that fizzled into sporadic rivalries rather than a sustained partnership. He competed in singles and tag matches against emerging talent, contributing to NXT storylines while occasionally appearing on the main roster to job to top stars, demonstrating his reliability in building others.
Alexander was released by WWE in February 2025.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)
Following his WWE release in early 2025, Alexander transitioned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he participated in on-camera interviews and extras for TNA iMPACT!
The feud with Ali escalated to TNA's Slammiversary event on July 20, 2025, where Alexander faced his rival in a singles match that opened the pay-per-view; Ali secured the victory with a 450 splash following interference from Order 4 members, during which Alexander attacked Steelz. Despite the loss, Alexander's performance showcased his resilience and aerial prowess, positioning him for further opportunities in the promotion.
By September 2025, reports confirmed Alexander was operating under a formal TNA contract, allowing deeper involvement in ongoing narratives. However, as his deal neared expiration in October around the Bound for Glory event, negotiations led to an extension that ensured his continued presence on iMPACT! programming into November.
This stability enabled a pivot toward world title contention, as Alexander issued a challenge to TNA World Champion Mike Santana during the November 6 episode of iMPACT! on Open Fight Night. The resulting non-title main event saw Santana retain his championship via pinfall after a hard-fought exchange featuring Alexander's signature Neuralizer and Santana's Spin the Block, underscoring Alexander's evolution into a credible main event threat with emphasis on his explosive offense.
Personal Life
Alexander married professional wrestler Aerial Hull, professionally known as Big Swole, in June 2018. The couple shares a daughter, Adessah, born in 2014. Despite the extensive travel required by his wrestling schedule, Alexander prioritizes his role as a father, often crediting his family as a key motivator in his performances.
Alexander's mother has played an enduring role in his personal development, initially guiding him toward higher education by securing a promise that he would attend college for at least two years after high school. After graduating from high school in 2007, he attended Central Piedmont Community College for two years, studying sports medicine, before returning to Charlotte to train as a wrestler.