5 things you should know about Cedric Alexander

Whenever we talk about the cruiserweights in WWE, Cedric Alexander is one of the first names that comes up. He had signed with WWE in 2016 and within three years, he successfully evolved into a Superstar who is synonymous with the promotion’s cruiserweight division.

Now a mainstay of the Monday Night RAW roster, Alexander rose to stardom owing to his performance in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He was one of those few wrestlers who were selected to be a part of WWE 205 Live in 2016. As days passed, Cedric Alexander became the face of the Purple brand and subsequently started performing on WWE RAW. Following his debut on the Red brand, he squared off against the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, among other top-tier talents and even worked in the main event scene of RAW.

The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion has experienced an incredible run in WWE since joining the promotion and there are certain aspects that distinguish Cedric Alexander from the rest of the locker room. In case you are not aware of those features, this article will surely help you out.

Also don’t forget to check out the interview where the WWE Superstar discusses his main roster run, working inter-gender matches, and several other topics with Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue.

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#5 He didn't have a sports background

Cedric Alexander in WWE

After witnessing him perform inside the squared circle, anyone will be astonished to know that Cedric Alexander doesn't come from a sports background. He has disclosed in earlier interviews that he was never a fan of basketball, football or other sports, and that he only used to watch anime, cartoons, and pro-wrestling as a kid.

Alexander stepped into sports only when he began training to be a wrestler but you can never point that out from his in-ring athletism. He was trained at Highsports, who are known for their professional wrestling DVD library, action figures and memorabilia. It was at this place he honed his skills and went on to dominate the independent wrestling circuit.

#4 His mother wanted to be a wrestler

Cedric Alexander facing AJ Styles on RAW

While he participated in Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast, WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander revealed that he and his father are estranged and the two have interacted only a few times. Evidently, he shares a stronger bond with his mother and according to Alexander, she has played a pivotal role in him choosing pro-wrestling as a career option.

In the same interview, the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion uncovered the fact that his mother had considered transitioning to wrestling but eventually changed her plans. As the couple were separated, Alexander's mother chose to do an office job to provide for the family instead of pursuing a career in pro-wrestling.

Her love for the sport worked as an inspiration for Cedric Alexander when he had decided to give wrestling a tryout.

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#3 His Ring of Honor tenure

Cedric Alexander in ROH

Cedric Alexander's wrestling career received a boost following his debut in Ring of Honor in 2010. He worked in the promotion for nearly six years, performing in both singles and tag team matchups. Teaming with Caprice Coleman, Alexander formed the C&C Wrestle Factory and contested for the ROH Tag Team Championship in the early days of his Ring of Honor tenure.

Although he never succeeded in winning the gold, Alexander got the chance to square off against the likes of The Young Bucks, Rhino, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, and other reputed tag team performers.

In 2014, he started participating predominantly in singles action, and the list of opponents featured Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Tommaso Ciampa, Michael Elgin, Roderick Strong, Adam Cole, among others. With these matchups, Cedric Alexander not only became one of the top talents in Ring of Honor but also showcased that he possesses what it takes to hang with the best in the business.

#2 Shed a lot of weight to join the Cruiserweight Classic

Cedric Alexander as the NXT Cruiserweight Champion

Cedric Alexander parted ways with Ring of Honor in 2016 to take part in the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Classic, a tournament to determine the best cruiserweight wrestler in the world. Wrestlers representing various countries participated in the tourney where the only clause was that the performer needs to weigh 205 lbs or less.

Although Alexander was contacted to join the Cruiserweight Classic, he needed to shed at least 20 lbs to be eligible for the tournament. He didn't hesitate to take on that challenge and got under 205 lbs just in time for the Cruiserweight Classic.

It was the right career decision for him as Cedric Alexander stole the spotlight with his performances throughout the tourney. The WWE Universe was awe-struck with his in-ring prowess and despite falling short in winning the whole thing, their support earned him a contract with WWE.

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#1 The "Please sign Cedric" moment

"Please sign Cedric"

One of the highlights of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament was the crowd chanting "please sign Cedric" after he had lost to Kota Ibushi in the second round. Although we witnessed Cedric Alexander applauding the reception, the actual scenario was a bit different.

Alexander had actually walked back amidst the chants and it was Triple H who asked him to return to the ringside to celebrate the moment. Hunter would then surprise Cedric Alexander by coming out and raising his hands in front of the vocal WWE Universe.

Following that event, WWE officials honored the fans' reaction by signing Cedric Alexander to a full-time contract with the promotion. Three years have passed since that day and now Alexander is one of the most admired NXT Cruiserweight Champions of all time.

Recently, he was involved in the United States Championship feud with AJ Styles on RAW but couldn't take the title away from The Phenomenal One. Hopefully, Cedric Alexander will bounce back and feature in a championship picture very soon.