Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, the decorated tag team known as the Motor City Machine Guns, have publicly addressed their recent string of losses in an emotional social media promo, a move that has ignited significant backlash from fans criticizing the team’s booking in WWE. According to Sportskeeda, many supporters have taken to X/Twitter to express their frustration, with a recurring sentiment being that the veteran duo should have signed with AEW instead.
The promo was released following their latest defeat on last week’s episode of SmackDown against the team of Carmelo Hayes and The Miz. In the video, despite expressing clear disappointment with their current run in the company, the former WWE Tag Team Champions vowed to continue wrestling as long as they lived.
The team’s current on-screen struggles stand in stark contrast to their explosive main roster debut after signing with WWE in October 2024. The duo bypassed NXT and joined the SmackDown brand directly, capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship on just their second night with a surprise victory over members of The Bloodline. Their momentum continued into the spring of this year, as they competed in a critically acclaimed Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match in the main event of the April 25, 2025, episode of SmackDown.
However, the recent fan outcry appears to be an escalation of concerns that have been building for months. Social media discussions from as far back as May 30, 2025, highlighted a perceived lack of character development and crowd connection for the team since arriving on the main roster. At the time, fans noted that WWE had not capitalized on their “Motor City” identity to build a compelling narrative for audiences who might be unfamiliar with their storied careers in promotions like TNA.