Time To Come Home, Alex Shelley?

[It's Damn Real!]

Safe to say the choice to leave for the hopes of WWE starting up that cruiserweight business was probably a bad one — at least in hindsight?

I know he's doing fairly well with NJPW as part of Time Splitters, and I know the invitation may not even exist for him to return, but the fan in me can't help but say fuck it and hope for his eventual return. The X Division (hell, even the tag division) could sure as hell benefit from him coming back, no?

Shelley to me has always had that breakout potential, and IMO he could really be something of a Chris Jericho for TNA if they'd just put stock in him and give him the runs he needs to truly get over. If the world can buy Bryan Danielson as entertaining, there's no way in hell Alex Shelley can't share or exceed the same fortunes IMO.

This isn't based on any report (unfortunately) — just the hopes of a fan.

Thoughts on Shelley returning? Do you see the same future in him as I do?

 

[Alex]

FUCK YES!!!!!!

I love Alex Shelley (and not because we share a name) the guy has a cool look, is good in the ring and is pretty good on the mic, all the qualities to succeed.

I loved the match between him and Aries at Against All Odds and I was pissed off they didn't use him more.

If he were to return I'd rather he be in the X-Division/TV title picture. I love the Motor City Machine Guns as much as the next guy but they've run their course I feel. Heck throw Sabin (when he's healthy) into the X-Divsion and Shelley in the Tv title picture (or vice versa) and make them have a rivalry as to who's better.

But yeah TNA could use Shelley, he's got all the tools to be successful and as IDR said he has a Jericho quality which means you could place him anywhere on the card and he would fit like a glove.

 

[SpecialFNK]

he could surely be used in the X division right now.
but I wonder just how TNA sees him/saw him anyway. there was a long time there when Sabin was out with his previous knee injury that Shelley was not used. and it wasn't like the X division had much other competition then either.
so what is different now that Shelley would all of a sudden be used properly?
I do think it would be nice to see him right now, and he could be right there in the title picture for the X division.

 

[josh210]

Of course we need him because he will be helpful to the rebuilding x division with aj styles being back to the x division and please tna add shannon moore,shane helms,rubix and mason andrews

 

[midgensa]

Actually ... the Motor City Machine Guns need to come back as a tag team ... period ... if Sabin can still walk that is.

These guys are PURE entertainment in the ring and on the mic and I do not know why either of them would consider leaving TNA just to get buried somewhere else.

I don't know that TNA ever knew the gold they had with Alex Shelley though and I don't think I would completely trust them to bring him back into the fold and not lose him in the shuffle, but there is no doubt he would bring a ton of legitimacy back to the X-Division and it would work well for Shelley who obviously has to know he is never going to get a real shot with the E.

I hope we see him back on Impact! really soon.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

I like Shelly and I even dug his whole Paparazzi gimmick he had going with the now known as Austin Aries. He was something different and his work with Sabin was amazing. MCMG's were a breath of fresh air. It makes me still wish Gen Me was around and the X Division of the 2005 to 2007 was around.

I can see where he could be compared to Jericho in TNA. Shelly could easily be the guy who could main event and then dwell down to upper mid card with no issue. He is good in the ring, decent on the mic and all around if given the chance could break through.

If the rumors are true and that Velvet Sky is coming back next yea, then maybe we can pray for Shelly, Angelina Love and a hopeful Sabin return.

Side note: If TNA never wanted to kill of Suicide then this could be the chance to bring in Shelly. Much like with what they did with Daniels and Kaz.

 

[jeff_hardy_heel_is_awesom]

its an interesting thread, because it depends on how shelley left tna, whether it was on good terms or bad. Obviosuly if he left on good terms, he would be welcome back. I took a look at the reason why he left tna, he simply didn't re-sign his contract, which could mean anything, but i think he wasnt happy with soemthing in tna. So IMO i don't think we'll see him on TNA tv well at least in the near future. I don't see him on wwe tv either, since the whole court case is still going on (its becoming pointless). At the moment the x div is okay, the x div need sabin back urgently, cuz if they lose sabin, well there goes tna.

 

[Albert T]

I hope TNA makes him an offer to return. Fantastic wrestler with the ability to connect with spectators. He's more than just a high-flyer and his longevity is proof of that. TNA is crazy to not have more people like him on payroll. I hope he returns to TNA soon.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Could he comeback and be used to heighten the X-Division and/or tag team division? Most definitely. If given a fair run as a singles wrestler would he get over due to his charisma, in-ring ability and likable personality? Probably, yeah. Was he misused by TNA in his initial run, especially during Chris Sabin's absence? Yes, very much so and that to me is what will probably stop Shelley from returning.

I've been keeping up to date on how hes been doing in New Japan and I have to say, he is really shoving his talent down the throat of just about everybody. To go to Japan as a gaijin and become a champion so quickly, especially in their Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship division which has at the least, eight teams, is extremely impressive. He and KUSHIDA have wins over a lot of good teams in a very short space of times, just to mention a couple, Forever Hooligans (former ROH wrestler Rocky Romero and WWE developmental talent Alex Kozolv), CHAOS (Gedo and Judo, a very popular up and coming Japanese tag team) and most impressively, Apollo 55 (Irish wrestler Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) who are two of New Japan's top talents.

What incentive would Shelley have to return? And is TNA even his home anymore, hell was it even his home to begin with? Considering he spent just as much time in Ring of Honor and at least as a singles guy, despite being surrounded with arguably the best roster ROH have had to date he still shined and played a main role in Generation Next, a stable which was led at different points by him and Austin Aries, it also featured the likes of Jack Evans, Matt Sydal (WWE's Evan Bourne) and Roderick Strong.

Alex Shelley is one talent I will always criticize TNA was wasting. What makes it worse is before they initially signed him WWE wanted him too, he had to decide between them and supposedly he chose TNA because he felt they'd offer him more oppertunities. Asides from a couple good pushes with Motor City Machine Guns, another couple as a singles wrestler which gained all but one rather short X-Division Championship reign, Shelley has little to show from his near seven year tenure with TNA. And he still managed to aid MCMG into becoming one of the most popular tag teams in recent memory.

Sure I'd love to see him return (I'd much prefer to see him back in ROH, but that's neither here nor there) but think of this from his point of view, consider how well hes doing in a company who are actually using him to his full potential, would a return really be worth it?

 

[ramblinroy682]

Yes! Yes! Yes! I think Shelley should come back. I know with some guys you can only give them so much time and if they don't bust out, then cut them loose, but he wasn't one of them. Shelley and Sabin were as over as you could get in TNA. Then came the injuries for both of them. Thank You Hernandez! Now, I agree that MCMG had run it's course and they both could use a fresh start. I think that TNA missed an opportunity on something special with him.

Both Shelley and Morgan were rumored to have had deals with WWE. Both were potentially blocked by the lawsuit. Instead of Morgan showing up with no real point. TNA should have had Morgan and Shelley return as a team. Both with bones to pick with TNA for blocking them from there chance at the "big leagues."

Obviously, TNA wouldn't want to project itself as a small time company compared to WWE, but they could have said: "We had a chance to go to a company that recognized our talents and were going to give us the opportunities we finally deserved. TNA Management, AKA Hulk Hogan, was too stupid to see what kind of superstar talent he had in front of them. TNA's Lawsuit killed that opportunity for us. We're here to kill TNA so that we can take our place in the Spotlight..."

Then you'd have an opportunity to blend real life with fake wrestling. History has shown these are the angles that blow up. Shelley and Morgan could have been TNA's organic version of the Outsiders/NWO instead of forced attempts like Immortal and Aces and 8's. That angle could have been much more hot and had real heat to it. Eventually, you could bring in a 3rd guy to turn on the company, like Angle. He could say he's stuck in his TNA contract and he's had chances to leave also.

Even without a story like this, Shelley should come back. With all the injuries, TNA also missed on an opportunity to feud the two guys. Sabin vs Shelley was just starting when one of them got injured first. Those two feuding over the x-division title would have been money. Instead we have Zema Ion vs Kid Kash, whoohoo....

 

[Strong Style X]

I'd love to see Shelley return in some form alongside of Sabin, their chemistry together is untouchable. Do I see it happening in TNA? Not exactly, Shelley left for a reason. But there's no doubt in my mind that these two will team up again, it's just a matter of when.

I've been keeping up to date on how hes been doing in New Japan and I have to say, he is really shoving his talent down the throat of just about everybody. To go to Japan as a gaijin and become a champion so quickly, especially in their Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship division which has at the least, eight teams, is extremely impressive. He and KUSHIDA have wins over a lot of good teams in a very short space of times, just to mention a couple, Forever Hooligans (former ROH wrestler Rocky Romero and WWE developmental talent Alex Kozolv), CHAOS (Gedo and Judo, a very popular up and coming Japanese tag team) and most impressively, Apollo 55 (Irish wrestler Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi) who are two of New Japan's top talents.

Wow, this post is just full of errors bud. Yes, going to Japan as a gaijin and winning a belt fast is pretty impressive... but quite a few people have done it, most recently DH Smith. Just sayin'. Second, the NJPW junior tag division is VERY small. They don't even have eight teams in the division, as most challengers tend to be outsiders (such as the case with the Forever Hooligans). Third, Jado (not Judo) and Gedo have been wrestling in Japan for quite some time now and to call them "up and coming" is laughable; they're the bookers of New Japan... And while I agree that Apollo 55 is an amazing team, calling them two of their top talents is quite the stretch of the imagination. New Japan has always been built around heavyweights, even at the height of Liger and Tiger Mask I's popularity.

I personally love the Time Splitters team and I think Shelley and KUSHIDA have great chemistry in the ring together. For those of you who aren't aware, KUSHIDA is the disciple of TAJIRI and in my estimation is going to be the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight champion sometime this year. I see this tag team mostly as a way to accelerate KUSHIDA's career, as Shelley isn't even with New Japan on a full-time contract. I'm not sure if he's even technically on contract at all. Much like MVP, he only makes occasional appearances. The Time Splitters won't be defending their belts on New Japan's biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 7. Hell, Shelley isn't even booked.

 

[HBsam31]

I would really like to see Shelley back in TNA. I never really understood why he was so misused after Sabin went out with injury in the first place. He could easily comeback and be a part of the X division. I would love to see some matches between he and RVD. He could also easily come back and be a part of the tag division especially if Sabin is going to be healthy again. The tag division could greatly use some Motor City Machine Guns. What I would be interested to see though is if he could maintain a main event push. I think he has the talent to do so, and if they went in that direction I would like to see how far TNA would take it. I could easily see him against the likes of Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries. We will have to see what happens, but I think he will eventually be back in TNA.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'd like to see him come back to TNA but, all in all, why should he? I don't know the ins and outs of his last TNA deal but if it was a paid per apperance deal, then I don't see how the guy was making any money. The last year and a half or so he was with TNA, the guy barely saw the light of day.

It sounds as though, comparatively speaking, he's doing much better over in Japan than he was in TNA. I wouldn't doubt that he's making more money and even if he came back, there's no guarantee that TNA wouldn't use him, or rather not use him, in exactly the same way as before.

Shelley could be used in the X Division or the tag team picture, no question about that. However, if the tag team or X Division pictures in their current state is any indication, Shelley probably wouldn't make much of an impact. RVD has been X Division champ for nearly 2 months and the X Division still isn't much of a priority. Last Thursday is the most attention the X Division has gotten since Austin Aries dropped the title, and it's a safe bet that Aries was the primary reason for that attention. If TNA can't muster the effort to make the X Division count with RVD as its champion, then Alex Shelley isn't going to change anything. As for the tag team scene, again, there's just nothing really going on. Chavo & Hernandez have the titles because...well...I don't really know why they have them to be honest. But between them and Daniels & Kazarian, that's pretty much the tag scene right now. Matt Morgan & Joey Ryan will probably be the next tag champs but have they wrestled a match as a team yet?

Shelley is talented, no question. He seems to have a pretty good thing going in New Japan right now. He's being used, he's making money, so why leave that to come back & risk being back where he was before?

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Alex Shelley is a fantastic talent, and I have been a fan of his ever since his early days in TNA as part of Paparazzi Productions. The guy is great in the ring, has a unique look and can wrestle...he really could be TNA's answer to someone like Chris Jericho or Eddie Guerrero, a smaller wrestler who would be able to jump up to the heavyweight division and do well.

Shelley and Sabin were a great tag-team, and I am not saying that I wouldn't want to see the MCMG back together, because I would at some point, but I think a solo career for Shelley would be just what the X-Division needs to re-ignite it. Aries v Shelley for the gold would be awesome to see, so YES! I definitely want to see Shelley back in TNA as soon as possible

 

[akathelaw]

It's just not gonna happen with Alex Shelley.

I've NEVER seen him do anything meaningful in the realm of singles competition. Shelley is a tag team wrestler and he should be extremely proud of everything he's accomplished in MCMG.

The comparisons to Chris Jericho are ridiculous. Alex Shelley is worthless on the microphone when it comes to opponent intimidation, drama and charisma. Jericho could make you believe he was going to dismember Batista when they had their match. I honestly didn't miss any of Jericho's early PPV matches on his 2nd run with WWE because he made them so dramatic. Shelley comes off laid back and ineffectual, which might make him attractive to women but it does nothing for PPV buys.

If you're hoping for an Alex Shelley singles championship run in WWE or TNA, you're dreaming. That time has passed and a new generation of wrestlers are about to get their shot in both companies.