The Motor City Machine Guns recently addressed whether there were ever plans for their acclaimed TLC match to take place at WWE WrestleMania 41. Despite the match’s massive reception, including a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer, it ultimately aired on SmackDown the week after the premium live event rather than as part of WrestleMania itself.

WrestleMania 41 only featured one men's tag team title match across both nights, with The New Day facing The War Raiders for the RAW Tag Team Championships. The SmackDown Tag Title match, a TLC showdown between The Street Profits, DIY, and The Motor City Machine Guns, was held instead on the April 25 episode of SmackDown in Las Vegas, just days after WrestleMania.

Speaking on SHAK Wrestling, Chris Sabin clarified that he was unaware of any plans for the TLC match to be featured at WrestleMania.
“If there was I knew nothing of it, we did not know till the week before on SmackDown. They told us, ‘Next week we’re going to do a TLC match,’ and that was the first I heard of it. So if there was, I was not part of those talks and did not hear anything about it.”

Alex Shelley echoed that sentiment, adding, “Yeah, we had so much going on WrestleMania weekend before and after SmackDown. That if the conversations were had, it did not reach us. Quite frankly, we would not have cared one way or the other, because we are going to wrestle our asses off no matter where it’s at.”

When asked about the fan frustration over the TLC match not being featured on the main WrestleMania card, Sabin offered a positive perspective on the response.

“I mean, I just think it showed that the fans cared, which is a good thing. Because that SmackDown was in Las Vegas, which is where WrestleMania was. So many of the same fans that were at that SmackDown were going to go to WrestleMania so they kind of thought. Maybe, ‘Oh, they do not get to see the match live.’ So, you know, but that just showed that they cared. And then to see the response that we had from the fans and everyone after the match like that I think it worked out the way it was meant to work out, and I was very happy with everything. I would not change a thing.”

Shelley wrapped things up with a grounded reflection on the accolades the match received.
“Yeah, and I think it’s in one ear, out the other. It’s nice that we got these accolades. But at the same time, those are done with, and they do not benefit us going forward. So we got to stay grounded. We got to stay humble, we got to work even harder, because if there’s another one, you better believe we’re going to want to top it.”