Motor City Jannetty?

[Ferreira]

CHRIS SABIN & ALEX SHELLEY
(THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS)​

These guys are just great. No doubt about it. Since the first time I watched a TNA show I thought they were very good in-ring talents.

Well, the first show I saw was Bound For Glory 2006, why? It was on my birthday and I was trying to watch TNA for the first time for about two or three months and I thought I would give it a try, and I did.

And the match that stood out for me was Chris Sabin vs. Senshi for the X-Division Championship, the match was just great and the build-up was too, but around that time, Alex Shelley was doing nothing around this time, you have to jump to Turning Point 2007 with Paparazzi Championship Series to see Alex Shelley back in action on PPVs.

Since then, Shelley and Sabin have feuded with each other and now are back as the Motor City Machine Guns, and for me, they are the best tag team on the planet. But like every team there will be a Jannetty and a Shawn Michaels, someone who will accomplish more than the other...

If you ask me and probably there are many people that think the same way I do, they should run as a tag team for 3 or 4 years, they have great chemistry and they could do wonders for TNA Wrestling as a solid tag team division that they already have could be something that would help them fight against World Wrestling Entertainment. Just look at the reports from the last three weeks, everybody will say that their matches against Beer Money were the best of the week, and that's something very important for TNA.

So let's look at the statistics of both of these guys in TNA Wrestling:

Chris Sabin:

• TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Alex Shelley
• TNA X Division Championship (4 times)
• Super X Cup (2003)
• World X Cup (2004) – with Jerry Lynn, Elix Skipper, and Christopher Daniels
• World X Cup (2006) – with Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley, and Sonjay Dutt

Alex Shelley:

• TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Chris Sabin
• TNA X Division Championship (1 time)
• Chris Candido Memorial Tag Team Tournament – with Sean Waltman
• Paparazzi Championship Series
• TNA World X Cup (2006) – with Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal
• TNA X Division Championship Tournament (2009)

So Chris Sabin has accomplished more as an individual than Alex Shelley, but I do think that Shelley had less opportunities than Sabin. Shelley looks more a threat than Sabin, his looks at least for me make me believe he can be a main-event player in the future, Sabin doesn't, but they are just as good in ring as AJ Styles, and AJ is not way bigger than them, and he is a former World Champion.

Who do you think will be the most successful Motor City Machine Gun?

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

A VERY VERY tough decision. If I had to choose I would go with Shelley.

He is just as good in the ring as Sabin, but I think he is more charismatic and funnier. Also, I think he would be better suited than his partner for matches against bigger wrestlers.

Sabin would stay in the X-Division, but I could see Shelley using his technical ability to move up the card and hold the TV title

On a side note, my friends ex-girlfriend had sex with Alex Shelley a couple of years ago haha, just thought you may like to know!

 

[Reddannihilation]

Neither, plenty of tag teams have broken up with each member going on to success. Edge and Christian spring to mind, both have held world titles and mid-card titles since splitting. Sabin and Shelley will both have equally good careers.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Shelley will go on to have more success, because of the two, Shelley has the better wit and the better look, however that's not to say Sabin won't succeed – that's not the case at all. They'll both be very successful, but in terms of comparing the two, I just feel Shelley has the more complete package. He reminds me of a young Chris Jericho.

Just like Red noted about Edge & Christian, both went on to have successful careers, but Edge has just a few more World Championships to lay claim to in that regard.

 

[hatehabsforever]

If I had to pick one of these two guys to break out on his own and have success as a singles competitor, I'd pick Alex Shelley, I simply think he's the better wrestler of the two.

And I actually have something positive to say about TNA in this post! I think MCMG's are a really good young tag team, in fact I'd love to see them end up in the WWE at some point if, heaven forbid, something were to happen to TNA and it were to cease to exist.

It's too bad that tag team wrestling in general, whether it be TNA or WWE, seems to have a stigma associated with it, like you are less successful as a tag team wrestler than if you are in singles. Lots of guys wrestled their whole careers as tag teams and never split up, and were very successful. Why not keep them as a tag team and not send them on a singles venture. There's no shame in having a great career as a tag team wrestler, I don't understand why this notion seems to have crept in there in both organizations.

 

[ThePh3nomonal1]

I to reckon Alex Shelley will be the more successful gun, although I do prefer Sabin Shelley just seems to be a better talker and more charismatic, also I could definately see him in future main events. And I base that on his entertaining run as X division champ from last year.

But I still believe Sabin will succeed just not as much as Shelley. As someone above me mentioned it will be like Edge and Christian, both successful but one a little bit more than the other. But hey we could all be wrong, we were about miz and morrison eh?

 

[A Mod's Best Friend (aka Bitch)]

Shelley will go further but Sabin will have a very long and successful career.

As for now, hope they remain a tag team for a very long time. And have a long reign as Tag Team Champions. Could take TNA to new heights!

 

[MisterRob]

There is no doubt about it in my mind that Alex Shelley will be the more successful one. I feel like Shelley, right now, could break out into singles competition and be a top star if TNA actually got behind him and gave him a ball to run with as a solo act. Shelley has ALL the tools to be a star; he's a great wrestler, he's got great charisma and can talk with the best of them, and he's got a good look and a natural presence. Sabin is good and he could find some success as he has in the X Division, but I can't see Sabin breaking out beyond that. Sabin's a good wrestler but he just lacks in areas like charisma and ability to talk. Although, honestly, I feel he's improved a great deal with Shelley by his side and likely some of Shelley is rubbing off well on Sabin. But Sabin just isn't as much a natural in those areas as Shelley who when allowed to showcase his stuff just oozes charisma and is always highly entertaining.

It's definitely Shelley.

The real question is is whether either of these two will have the opportunity in the future to really showcase themselves outside of the tag team division. It's clear from the past that if they hadn't fallen back on their tag team and put themselves as a part of a tag team division that would definitely miss them that they'd probably still be overlooked and overshadowed as singles competitors in the convoluted roster of TNA right now.

 

[Boondocks]

I agree with most of the previous posters, Alex Shelley will go on to have a better career than Chris Sabin will. Granted, it won't be by much, because they both will have very decorated, wonderful careers, I just see Shelley having a little more personality. They both have good looks, they both aren't bad on a mic, and they both have great in ring ability. Alex Shelley will succeed more because he has just that bit more personality. They both have personality, but Shelley by just a bit more.

 

[Steve Rogers]

Its a double edge sword being the Shawn in TNA is about as good as being the Janetty of WWE, but that's an entirely different discussion.

Shelly connects better with the IWC, which is truthfully the minority of the wrestling crowd. Sabin connects better with the rest as I have seen him on many shows where there were kids and non TNA fans at shows and Sabin was always in the spotlight, granted I do not see why as Shelly has a better personality, so on the surface you would think Shelly. I am however one of the people who latches more to Sabin.

Personally I think while good, I think the IWC overrates Shelly, and underestimates Sabin. Sabin has Shelly beat in all aspects, minus a personality which in time I feel he could.

So Sabin to answer this.

 

[The Main Event]

i go with sabin cuz simoly in my mind he's better .. i dunno why but he had a better look that alex .. he cuts good promos and had an Awesome in ring abilibity ..
but , if it was up to me i hold them to be tag team ...
and it's abious to me that both of them gonna have one hell of a carrer .
i wish them best !

 

[shattered dreams]

I sort of wonder if they might team 3D their situation anyway. They have issues with mic work in segments that are not controlled environments. Do you remember any promos they have cut in a feud, especially in front of a crowd? They can communicate their next generation attitude when it is scripted but they have a long way to go on the mic IMO. That alone would make it hard to get very high on the card. Alone they are undersized and less exciting in the ring than we are used to as a team. If they break up they might end up with a london and kendrick career path opposed to what others are dreaming about. This is why it might not be terrible for them to stick together a longer that average time IMO.