When I was 22, I was married, had a baby on the way, and was running a nuclear power plant......
When I was 28, I was married, studying Wado-Ryu karate (not even a green belt) and took on three soldiers just back from Desert Storm I and got my *** kicked badly. Saved only by the chance intervention of a huge neighbor who waded in, grabbed me by the armpits from the ground where I was having my head kicked in, and pulled me out, using his sheer size and bellicosity to threaten the soldiers from attacking him as well.
So, uh... I can't point the finger of blame. Whatever Alex did wrong, I did worse. I'm not quite as much on the exaggerations, perhaps.