Alex Shelley Explains Why He Has No Intention Of Slowing Down After Winning Impact World Title

Alex Shelley has been performing in the ring for over 20 years. He recently captured the Impact World Championship for the first time in his career by defeating Steve Maclin at Impact Wrestling's Against All Odds pay-per-view. The 40-year-old — who continues to perform on the independent circuit for various promotions — isn't looking to slow down anytime soon.

"This is a gift," Shelley told Sports Illustrated. "It's not an obligation. It's something I am lucky to do. If you want to be champion of a major promotion, you need to outwork everyone. That's what I want; so I'm grinding."

"I think back to Ric Flair and Harley Race defending the belt in multiple cities in one night," Shelley added. "Those guys didn't take nights off. Kevin Nash is another one. That stretch he had as WWE champion was insane. He said something that always stuck with me when he said, 'I could either sleep or I could work out.' If you find a gym, you take it. CM Punk took care of me on the road 20 years ago. If he passed a gym, he worked out. That's part of how he left his imprint on the business. They led by example, and that's what I plan to do."

"I like the grind," Shelley said. "I find joy in it. Doing this at a high level, there is nothing like it."

Shelley's most recent match, according to Cagematch, took place on June 18, where he and longtime tag team partner Chris Sabin defeated Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz at Prestige Wrestling's Prestige Black Sunshine event.