Alex Shelley has revealed that he turned down a WWE contract offer back in 2019, citing uncertainty brought on by the global pandemic. Speaking with CBSSports.com, the Motor City Machine Guns member explained that the unpredictable state of the entertainment industry made him hesitant to commit at the time.

“I had tabled a WWE contract offer because of the pandemic. I was too scared to sign a wrestling contract because the entertainment industry was so up and down. I didn’t know what was going on. Nobody in the world did,” Shelley said.

Now firmly a part of the WWE roster alongside long-time tag partner Chris Sabin, Shelley reflected on what changed by 2024. He noted that a major part of their decision to finally sign with WWE came down to direct conversations with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

“We talked directly to Paul [Levesque], Triple H, and he treated us with the utmost respect. A huge factor in our decision was wanting to be players on his team. We wanted to be a part of the WWE machine, specifically with him leading the charge.”