WWE NXT’s depleted tag team division needs The Motor City Machine Guns

The Motor City Machine Guns have long been owed a stint in WWE NXT, and now would be an appropriate time for them to make an impact.

For as many things as NXT does right, it’s hard to believe that the brand has neglected its tag team division for as long as it has.

Tag team wrestling has been an afterthought on WWE’s main roster for many years, but that hasn’t always been the case on NXT. In fact, there was a golden age for tag teams in NXT from 2016 to 2018 that featured classic matches with the likes of American Alpha, The Revival, DIY, AOP and Undisputed Era, among others.

For whatever reason, NXT hasn’t been able to properly replenish the pot following the call-ups of The Street Profits, SAnitY, Heavy Machinery and The Viking Raiders. It’s time for some new blood to be brought in, most notably The Motor City Machine Guns.

Alex Shelley’s short-lived stint in NXT earlier this year sparked interest among fans regarding a full-fledged run for him on the brand. He impressed alongside his Time Splitters partner Kushida and even worked a pair of house show matches before being eliminated in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic by The Grizzled Young Veterans.

That was the last viewers saw of Shelley on NXT TV and it’s somewhat odd that there seemingly hasn’t been any talk from the powers that be about bringing him back. He has since competed for Ring of Honor and a variety of independent promotions across the country.

That isn’t to say there is zero chance of him coming in eventually, however. Before then, he may have his sights set on reuniting with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns for TNA’s highly anticipated reunion show over WrestleMania weekend.

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No matches have been made official for the event as of now, but The Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Rascalz would be an absolute barn burner if given time. Shelley and Sabin are former TNA World Tag Team champions and were responsible for helping put their tag team division on the map way back when.

A stellar showing there could pave the way for them to be signed by NXT in the spring, assuming both men remain healthy as injuries have plagued them in the past.

Bully-turned-Bubba Ray made a quick cameo in the 2015 Royal Rumble match but didn’t reunite with D-Von on WWE’s main roster until many months later. That should be the same story with Sabin and Shelley, though they are needed much more in NXT at the moment than Raw or SmackDown.

For a team as tremendous as they are, The Motor City Machine Guns deserve at least one run in the big time before calling it quits (which hopefully won’t be for a while to come). The best part is, their skill set is strong enough that they would undoubtedly be successful, especially at a time when NXT needs a top tandem to build around.

Undisputed Era are seemingly on their way out of NXT if their recent losses have been any indication. Once Adam Cole drops the NXT Championship, nothing will be tying them down to the brand and they’ll be free and clear to jump to either Raw or SmackDown soon after WrestleMania.

They’ve held the NXT Tag Team Championship three times in the past two and a half years, so it might be best that they move on. That said, a match with The Motor City Machine Guns would be quite the swan song for them and immediately establish Sabin and Shelley as tag team title contenders from the get-go.

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In addition to Undisputed Era, The Motor City Machine Guns could also mix it up with The Grizzled Young Veterans, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and the newly crowned NXT Tag Team champions The BroserWeights. Every one of those matches would be a blast for different reasons.

Before Shelley was contacted by NXT to work the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, he previously worked as a coach for one week at the WWE Performance Center. Sabin had a similar gig last summer, meaning it isn’t out of the question for him to follow in Shelley’s footsteps and eventually compete for NXT.

Both are brilliant individually but would be better in NXT together as The Motor City Machine Guns. There aren’t many major tag teams left in wrestling for the company to choose from, but Sabin and Shelley would be a perfect fit for the brand and can play a part in revitalizing their depleted tag team scene.