22. Success, Bust or In Between: Alex Shelley

[It's Damn Real!]

Success, Bust or In Between Series
Brought to you by IDR

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You know the series by now, I'd hope, but for those of you who don't, here's the run down:

• Former talents of TNA are to be critiqued regarding their work with TNA, and only their work with TNA for the basis of these polls.
• Any work from the performer that was not done during his/her tenure during TNA should not factor into your vote.
• You can vote them either a success, a bust or in-between if you don't feel they deserve either extreme.​

In addition to your vote, I'd like to know why you feel the way you do. Why was this particular character a success, a bust or in-between? Remember, these are still NO SPAM threads, so spam replies will not be accepted, and will be warned/infracted over to boot. Take the time to formulate an answer that people can get behind or debate.

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Next in the series is…

Alex Shelley

Years with TNA: 8 (2004-2012)
Number of titles runs: TNA World Tag Team Championships (x1), TNA X Division Championship (x1)​

Notable Feuds:

• America's Most Wanted via Michael Shane (2005)
• Austin Aries (2005)
• Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin and Matt Bentley via Austin Aries, Roderick Strong (2005)
• The X Division via Kevin Nash (2006)
• Chris Sabin via Kevin Nash (2006)
• Austin Starr (2006)
• Team 3D via LAX and Kevin Nash (2007)
• Team 3D via Motor City Machine Guns (2008)
• Main Event Mafia via The Frontline (2008)
• British Invasion via Motor City Machine Guns (2009)
• Generation Me via Motor City Machine Guns (2009)
• Beer Money, Inc. via Motor City Machine Guns (2010)
• Generation Me via Motor City Machine Guns (2010)
• Team 3D via Motor City Machine Guns (2010)
• Austin Aries (2011)
• Magnus & Samoa Joe via Motor City Machine Guns (2011)​

Other Accomplishments:

• Debuted in TNA in 2004 with Goldy Locks as "Baby Bear" Alex Shelley
• Founded "Paparazzi Productions" (Kevin Nash, Austin Starr, Johnny Devine)
• Took place in the only ever Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament with Sean Waltman
• Competed in the only ever Paparazzi Championship Series
• Won the TNA World X Cup in 2006 with Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal
• Won the TNA X Division Championship Tournament in 2009​

Previous Polls:

01. Christian Cage – 87.72% Success, 12.28% In Between, 0% Bust
02. Booker T – 46.43% Bust, 33.93% In Between, 19.64% Success
03. Petey Williams – 52.50% In Between, 35.00% Success, 12.50% Bust
04. Gail Kim – 61.54% Success, 19.23% In Between, 19.23% Bust
05. Senshi – 66.67% Success, 28.57% In Between, 4.76% Bust
06. Monty Brown – 54.05% Bust, 27.03% In Between, 18.92% Success
07. Awesome Kong – 82.61% Success, 13.04% Bust, 4.35% In Between
08. Christopher Daniels – 68.97% Success, 20.69% In Between, 10.34% Bust
09. Consequences Creed – 80.77% Bust, 19.23% In Between, 0.00% Success
10. Sheik Abdul Bashir – 44.00% In Between, 44.00% Bust, 12.00% Success
11. The Naturals – 48.00% Bust, 28.00% Success, 24.00% In Between
12. Traci Brooks – 61.29% Bust, 25.81% In Between, 12.90% Success
13. Johnny Devine – 79.31% Bust, 17.24% In Between, 3.45% Success
14. "The Franchise" Shane Douglas – 35.90% Success, 35.90% Bust, 28.21%% In Between
15. Sabu – 43.59% Success, 33.3% Bust, 23.08% In Between
16. Homicide – 62.50% In Between, 21.88% Success, 15.63% Bust
17. Jay Lethal – 52.38% In Between, 38.10% Success, 9.52% Bust
18. Matt Hardy – 67.02% Bust, 26.60% In Between, 6.38% Success
19. Kevin Nash – 67.57% Success, 24.32% In Between, 8.11% Bust
20. Ron Killings – 57.58% Success, 6.06% Bust, 36.36% In Between
21. Ric Flair – IN PROGRESS​

Have a request?

Send me a PM with the wrestler, manager, etc. you want to see in the series and if I feel it'll spark discussion I'll do it.​

 

[Pera]

Hmmm, this is interesting. Are we judging him on his singles and tag team run or just singles career? I guess either way, the guy was a massive success. His in ring skills are awesome, and with Sabin, they formed the best tag team the US has seen in the modern age.

Unlike most X-Division wrestlers, the guy had charisma and was very good on the mic. I sort of like the cheesy style he brought on the stick and think he has made a massive name for himself in some pretty hard times at TNA.

 

[pepentorresHHH]

I guess you have to call him a success if you see where he was BEFORE TNA and after it. say what you want about his lack of title or the fact that he didnt go further, he was there 8 years and now he is more well known than when he went in so I choose success.

 

[Da Truth]

I think he was an success; his character evolved consistently over the years. I think creative should have done more with him as a singles wrestler, but he did great with what he was given. In TNA he was great in the ring and on the mic. So, I think he was a success.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Alex Shelley was a success.

Shelley was a hot commodity when TNA picked him up. I can remember picking up editions of PWI magazine and in the news/rumors section, month-after-moth it would state, "WWE are TNA are closely moderating independent star Alex Shelley," and why wouldn't they? He was on metaphorical fire in Ring of Honor. Something a lot of people don't know is how good of a promo Shelley can cut. Generation Next in Ring of Honor had Shelley cutting awesome promos left, right and center. Stick a microphone in his face and he was off.

TNA did great to sign someone who was getting a lot of props at that time. Ask anyone some of their favorite factions in TNA's history are, and despite the short time together, Paparazzi Productions always comes up. Shelley and Kevin Nash were made to be together. Every week they'd be in a segment that was ridiculously funny. And even when that ended, where'd he go next? Motor City Machine Guns, and the Guns are what made him a bonified success in TNA.

One of the most popular teams in professional wrestling, full stop, in the past decade. They went to Japan and killed it. Came back to TNA and killed it. People were always scratching their heads wondering why TNA didn't put the tag team titles on them, because doing so was simply going to be good for business. Feud with Mick Foley was brilliant, feud with Beer Money was brilliant, tag team title reign got a great reaction, the night they finally won the belts the live reaction was phenomenal.

Sure, Shelley wasn't used the best, that is probably one of the reasons he left. He had all the tools to be much more than he was, especially as a singles competitor. People can't say he is just a tag team wrestler, because before he ever formed the Guns he was already a popular singles competitor. And even when he was receiving minimal opportunities as a singles competitor during Sabin's injury, he was still putting on great performances, especially with Austin Aries.

Alex Shelley is a success. Still a very popular wrestler on the Internet and with casuals alike. Has the tools to achieve in the business, just needs the time and the push.

 

[IT Factor]

Given all Shelley accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, I'd say his run was a success. He won the X Title once and had the tag titles with Sabin. He could've been a future user of "option c" had he not left the company. It was a shock when he did leave, so that should tell you most fans respected him.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Definitely a success. He was never a world champion or anything, but realistically that was always out his reach and I never really thought he had a shot. So given his place on the card, a mid card/tag team competitor, there aren't very many within TNA who are/were better than Alex Shelley.

 

[Alex]

Where he was at Shelley excelled. X-Division, tag team, he excelled. There's a reason people would say the Motor City Machine Guns were one of the best teams ever, because they were. The chemistry he shared with Sabin was great. While they only won the tag titles once, they were always competing for them and would always put on great matches.

His singles run while not as big per se was great as well. Shelley was (and I'd argue still is) on of the best X-Division wrestlers TNA ever had. He could do the high flying, technical stuff, and could talk on the mic and had a personality.

I personally think he could have had a brilliant fued with Austin Aries and the both of them could have brought the X-Division to the forfront again and had a brilliant rivalry.

While he should have achieved more Alex Shelley was still a success.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

My opinion would be "In Between", the MCMGs were fantastic and, IMO, Shelley was the better of the two - the two were very close as in-ring performers but I always felt that Alex was the more charismatic...

here comes the but...

But, Alex never set the X-Division alight as a singles star. Prior to the formation of the Guns, Shelley was a roster member and a large distance behind the likes of AJ, Daniels, Joe, Sabin, Lethal or Williams. TNA might have dropped the ball during Sabin's injury as far as utilizing Shelley but I can't rate him on a "What if... ?"

Basically, I would rate the MCMGs as a major success, his singles career as a bit of a let down so overall an "In Between" for me.

Having said that, I'd take him back in the morning because I do believe he never got the chance to realize his singles potential.

 

[JWGunslinger]

I'd definitely have to say success, not because of titles reigns or anything like that but his time in the Motor City Machine Guns and their matches/feuding was some of the best if not the best stuff that the TNA Tag Team Division has ever seen. When I had lost interest in TNA they helped draw me back in with their matches against Beer Money, and Alex Shelley was the biggest piece of that because he was the most exciting and charismatic of the two when you look at the MCMG.

As a singles competitor he wasn't as great but still a guy who draws you in and can perform his ass off. Had the awesome title run in MCMG, former X-Division champion and he's one of those TNA talents that you got to see grow in the company, he is TNA to the core and he is definitely a success.

 

[HBsam31]

I would say he was definitely a success. He won the X title, and was a part of one of the best tag teams in the sport for a while with Chris Sabin. They won the tag belts to. He had great mic skills compared to the other X division stars, and like someone else said if he was still with the company he would have been perfect for option c. He seems to be a hot commodity now and basically got himself known in TNA. All that being said I think he was a success.