The Motor City Machine Guns are officially All Elite, but according to a new backstage update, their arrival in AEW wasn’t much of a surprise to people behind the scenes.
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley made their official AEW signing public during the July 30 episode of AEW Collision in their hometown of Detroit. The former WWE Tag Team Champions received a huge ovation before confirming they had signed with AEW, ending months of speculation following the expiration of their WWE non-compete clauses.
Now, Fightful Select has shed more light on how things unfolded behind the scenes. According to the report, there wasn’t much expectation that TNA would be able to keep the legendary tag team once free agency arrived.
“Sources we spoke to months ago did not expect TNA to land Motor City Machine Guns, because they expected AEW to come in with an offer TNA would not match.”
While AEW was always viewed as the favorite internally, the report also made it clear there was no bad blood between Sabin, Shelley and TNA despite the company losing out on the duo.
“However, it was stated that the team is on good terms with TNA.”
The update lines up with what fans saw on Collision, where Sabin and Shelley embraced the Detroit crowd before officially announcing they had signed with AEW. The “All Elite” graphic then appeared on the screen, confirming one of wrestling’s most successful tag teams has found its new home.
The Motor City Machine Guns have already built Hall of Fame-worthy résumés, winning tag team championships in WWE, TNA, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and numerous independent promotions. Their arrival instantly strengthens AEW’s already loaded tag team division as they chase another set of titles.
Although there had been speculation about a possible return to TNA, the latest backstage details suggest many within the industry believed AEW was always going to make the stronger financial play. Now that Sabin and Shelley have officially signed, all eyes turn to who steps up to welcome them to the AEW tag team scene.
Were you hoping to see the Motor City Machine Guns return to TNA, or do you think AEW was the right move? Let us know in the comments.
