Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin still haven’t said where they’re wrestling next. Instead, they decided to have a little fun with everyone trying to figure it out.
A few months after their WWE release, the Motor City Machine Guns uploaded a video called “Release” to their YouTube channel, and rather than announcing a new home, they turned the whole situation into a comedy sketch about dealing with life after WWE.
The video opens with Shelley looking completely defeated before Sabin notices something isn’t right: “You okay?” Shelley doesn’t exactly give the answer of someone who’s moved on.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anymore, man. The last couple months I’ve been just… it’s been a rainbow of emotions. I’m down, I’m up, I’m left, I’m right, I’m happy, I’m sad. I’ve been… I don’t know how to express myself. My emotions have been all over the wall and I just… I don’t know anymore, man.”
Sabin immediately decides he knows what’s happening: “Bro, you might be going through the five stages of grief.” From there, Shelley acts out each stage one by one. When Sabin tells him the first stage is denial, Shelley completely loses himself in it.
“This is not true. It’s not true. It’s a joke. They do stuff like this all the time. I’m being punked. That’s the only explanation for this.”
Then comes anger. Sabin simply says one word, “Anger,” and Shelley explodes into a screaming tantrum: “NO! NO! NO!… EVERYTHING’S FALLING APART!” Bargaining is somehow even better. Shelley starts pleading with just about every higher power he can think of—including two wrestling legends.
“God, nature, the universe, Karl Gotch, Harley Race… I don’t care. Whoever is out there, please… just give me what I’m asking for. I’ll help the elderly cross the street. I’ll help a kid do his homework. I don’t give a ***. Just please, give me what I’m looking for.”
Sabin isn’t buying the performance: “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you two cents and a slap across your **** mouth to shut up.” After a silent montage representing depression, Sabin admits Shelley still hasn’t reached the final stage.
“I don’t feel good. You know, there’s a fifth stage too, but you’re just not there yet. And that’s okay. We’ll get there.”
That’s when the video takes another turn. A mysterious box arrives containing a stack of documents labeled “Professional Wrestling Contract,” and the two begin sorting through what appear to be offers from different promotions.
Some get rejected immediately. When Shelley picks up one labeled FMW, he doesn’t even hesitate: “Oh… no way. FMW. I don’t want to get blown up in a pool.” Others leave them confused: “CyberFight? What’s CyberFight? I never heard of that.”
One contract comes with a strange condition that the team must adopt animal-based gimmicks. Another promotion offers them a role that would apparently require Sabin to become Mini Magnum Tokyo. He immediately shoots that idea down: “I don’t want to be Mini Magnum Tokyo.”
The jokes continue as they flip through contracts from WAR, IWA Mid-South, Toryumon X, W*ING, and several other promotions. One unnamed offer disgusts Sabin so much that he instantly pushes it away without revealing where it came from.
Then everything changes. Near the bottom of the stack, the pair finally come across one contract they both seem genuinely interested in. Neither man says a word. Angelic music begins playing as they quietly look it over together. Watching the moment unfold, Sabin smiles.
“I think you’ve hit the fifth stage… acceptance.”
The video immediately cuts to a drone shot pulling away, leaving the contract hidden and the destination a mystery. The timing is hard to ignore. We had reported that TNA would gladly welcome the Motor City Machine Guns back if the opportunity presented itself, although many within wrestling believe AEW is ultimately where the duo will land. The video doesn’t confirm either possibility, but it certainly feels like Shelley and Sabin know exactly where they’re headed—and they’re making everyone wait just a little longer before finding out.
Where do you think the Motor City Machine Guns are headed next? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
