After months of speculation, PWInsider has reported that the iconic Motor City Machine Guns have officially signed a contract with WWE.

Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley’s contract with TNA expired on April 1, 2024, after the duo wrestled their final match for the company on the taping of TNA Impact on March 23, 2024, which aired on April 18.

The report further stated that the Motor City Machine Guns could debut on the October 1 episode of NXT on its premiere on the CW Network. However, WWE’s alleged decision to have Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin debut on NXT instead of the main roster has received mixed reactions from the fans.

How Will The Motor City Machine Guns Fit In WWE?

While Chris Sabin has never stepped inside a WWE ring, Alex Shelley has made a few appearances for the company. His first appearance for WWE came in June 2005 when he worked a match with Simon Dean on an episode of Sunday Night Heat.

Shelley then teamed up with Kushida on two NXT live events in January 2020 and competed in a televised episode in the first round of the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Despite the criticism over Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin debuting in NXT, there is an upside to the decorated tag team joining WWE’s developmental brand.

With NXT’s move to the CW Network next month, WWE would look to get more eyes on the product, and having a veteran tag team like the Motor City Machine Guns would elevate the show’s viewership and help the budding NXT tag team division.

WWE’s current partnership with TNA could also mean Shelley and Sabin could work with the wrestlers from their former company.

Sabin and Shelley are two of the most decorated wrestlers in TNA history and are former TNA World Champions, and there’s no doubt that their contributions to NXT’s future success will be immense.