Motor City Machine Guns Were in Deep Talks Elsewhere Before WWE Jump

The Motor City Machine Guns shocked the wrestling world when they signed with WWE in 2024—but things nearly played out very differently.

According to Fightful Select, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley were deep in talks with AEW before making their WWE debut. AEW even had big plans for the legendary duo, with discussions centering around a major tag team title feud against The Young Bucks at All In.

The original internal idea would’ve seen the Young Bucks defend the AEW Tag Team Titles against the Motor City Machine Guns at AEW’s biggest show of the year. But as summer rolled on, communication between AEW and the former TNA icons reportedly stalled.

“At some point in the summer, things went radio silent between the two sides, at which point AEW assumed MCMG were going to WWE,” the report explained.

With AEW left in the dark, the company pivoted. The Young Bucks instead defended the gold against FTR and The Acclaimed at All In, leaving the dream match with Sabin and Shelley off the table entirely.

It didn’t take long for the Motor City Machine Guns to make an impact in WWE. shortly after signing, they captured the WWE Tag Team Titles, cementing their arrival on wrestling’s biggest stage.