Summary

Cedric Alexander said he chose not to join The Hurt Syndicate in AEW because he wants to establish himself outside of that faction identity.

He said Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, and MVP are close friends and that he was happy they could revive the group and finish their careers the way they wanted.

Alexander added that he still sees a long runway in his own career and wants to be known for choices he makes for himself.

Cedric Alexander's long-term career plan puts independence over faction nostalgia

Cedric Alexander deciding against a Hurt Syndicate reunion creates a concrete consequence, his next chapter is being framed around individual branding instead of immediate group association.

That approach also fits his current in-ring trajectory, with Alexander still active in featured match settings such as the TNA iMPACT Atlanta Street Fight setup against Moose.

Quotes

Quote from Cedric Alexander

"Bobby (Lashley), Shelton (Benjamin), MVP — they’re all legit close friends of mine, so I was very happy for them that they got to bring the group back and finish their story, their careers the way they wanted to. But I was also like, ‘Man, what about me? I was a part of that group too. I helped make that group what it was.’ But at the same time, when I had the opportunity to go to AEW, I was looking at it in the sense of, well, for them, they’re finishing their careers with The Hurt Business. I still got another 10, 15 years to go. So I kind of want to do my own thing and just be my own man for a while, and not be linked to ‘all he did was Hurt Business stuff.’ Cedric Alexander because of the Hurt Business — like, nah, no. I was a self-made man before I came to WWE in the CWC, so I would like to be able to say, nah, this was my choice. Something I did for me."

Sources

As reported by NoDQ.