The Motor City Machine Guns are officially part of AEW. After months of rumors following their WWE release, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin made a surprise debut on the special live episode of AEW Collision from Detroit’s Masonic Temple Theatre.
The hometown stars received a huge ovation as they confirmed they had signed with AEW, giving the company one of its biggest signings of 2026. Their arrival comes at a great time for AEW’s tag team division, with All In just around the corner and many top teams expected to return or debut soon.
Motor City Machine Guns confirm AEW signing
AEW kicked off Collision with a big surprise. The familiar entrance music and video of the MCMG played. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin then walked out to a massive hometown welcome.
Sabin spoke first and told the fans they couldn’t miss the chance to perform in front of their hometown crowd. He even called Detroit “the greatest city in civilization,” which earned another loud cheer.
Shelley then took the microphone and said the night felt like a homecoming in more ways than one. Not only were they back in Detroit, but they were also starting a new chapter in AEW. He officially announced that the Motor City Machine Guns were now “All Elite.”
Right after that, AEW’s famous “All Elite” graphic appeared on the screen, confirming that Shelley and Sabin had signed with the company.
AEW President Tony Khan also confirmed the signing on social media shortly after the segment.
Their AEW debut comes after a long journey. Back in 2024, Shelley and Sabin left TNA after another successful run together. At the time, both WWE and AEW were interested in signing them. Many expected them to join AEW, but they signed with WWE.
Their time there didn’t last long. WWE released both stars in late April 2026 and they had to complete the standard 90-day non-compete period before they could wrestle elsewhere. Once that period ended, fans immediately started expecting them to show up in AEW, and it finally happened.
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