Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin, The Motor City Machine Guns, Reportedly Finished With TNA

Two of the most successful stars in the history of TNA Wrestling have reportedly finished up with the promotion. According to PWInsider, Saturday night’s tapings in Philadelphia marked the final TNA performances (at least for now) of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Motor City Machine Guns. PWI says TNA held an emotional backstage sendoff for the veteran duo whose contracts are up on April 1. This report was confirmed by Fightful Select, who add that while “the door has been kept open” for the Guns to return, they are not currently expected to remain with TNA.

Sabin and Shelley have spent the majority of their careers in TNA since debuting for the promotion in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and they’ve seen plenty of individual success, with both men having enjoyed a reign with the promotion’s world championship. However, they are much better known as a tag team — the Motor City Machine Guns are three-time TNA tag champs and have won tag team gold in Game Changer Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and Ring of Honor (prior to its acquisition by AEW CEO Tony Khan).

The Guns’ final TNA match is reportedly against Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers for the tag titles. Come April, they will be free agents and can sign with any promotion. They previously appeared in one match for AEW, teaming with Jay Lethal in a losing effort against FTR and Wardlow at All Out 2022, and Shelley has been seen on WWE television as well, competing alongside KUSHIDA on “WWE NXT” as part of the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (he also boasts an 2005 appearance on “WWE Sunday Night Heat”). WWE Hall of Famer “Road Dogg” Brian James recently suggested Sabin and Shelley would be “good WWE superstars.” on his podcast, “Oh … You Didn’t Know,”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Motor City Machine Guns’ TNA Contracts Expiring Soon

The Motor City Machine Guns’ TNA contracts are reportedly expiring in the near future.

According to a report from Pwinsider, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin will be working Smash Wrestling’s event in London, Ontario, Canada on April 21st. This is the same day as TNA’s post-Rebellion TV tapings.

According to multiple sources, the belief is that the team’s current TNA deals are expiring, potentially as soon as the end of this month. If their contracts do expire, they could continue working on a per-appearance deal but TNA would no longer have priority booking.

As of this writing, Shelley, Sabin and TNA have yet to comment on their contract statuses.

Source: eWn

Motor City Machine Guns To Debut For AEW At All Out

Legendary Impact Wrestling and ROH tag team The Motor City Machine Guns will team up with Jay Lethal at AEW All Out.

Prior to this Wednesday night, fans understood the Wardlow and FTR to be lined up for a six-man tag team match at AEW All Out against Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh. However, after Lethal defeated Dax Harwood on Dynamite, Dutt got on the mic to claim they’d never said who would represent their team at the PPV. Rather than Dutt and Singh, it will be The Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, joining Lethal.

Despite their tremendous talent, it’s possible for fans who’ve only followed WWE, WCW, and AEW to have not had The Motor City Machine Guns land on their radar. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are quite arguably the greatest tag team in Impact Wrestling history, in addition to stints in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor. They’re a fast-paced, high-flying team. Yes, they may have lost a step athletically since they first started being featured together fifteen years ago. The duo has the experience and ring savvy to still perform at high level, though, including staging one of the best matches of the night at the recent Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV opposite The Wolves.

It has yet to be seen if the pair will become AEW mainstays, be more associated with ROH, or if this will be a one-off booking. Nonetheless, the idea of them teaming with Jay Lethal has a great deal of promise.

Earlier this summer, FTR’s Cash Wheeler went on the record to say he wanted to face The Motor City Machine Guns. While this trios contest won’t be quite the same as a straight-up tag team match, Jay Lethal is an elite in-ring talent, and Wardlow is a good talent with a lot of momentum, not to mention a powerhouse who thrives on pulling off feats of strength working multiple opponents simultaneously. Add up these factors and the new line-up for this match is more promising than when it appeared Sonjay Dutta and Satnam Singh were involved.

The All Out card had just started taking shape in earnest. While there are still significant puzzle pieces to fill in, Wardlow and FTR vs. Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns offers and additional bout that might threaten to steal the show on September 4.

Source: TheSportster