Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin strike first in the best-of-five rivalry.
Summary
– Motor City Machine Guns defeated FTR at WrestleDream to take a 1 to 0 series lead
– Shelley and Sabin countered the Shatter Machine before finishing Cash Wheeler
– The match marked the teams’ first traditional tag team meeting
The Motor City Machine Guns have the early advantage over FTR after winning the opening match of their best-of-five series at AEW WrestleDream.
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin secured the victory by stopping FTR’s attempt at the Shatter Machine. They followed with a combination attack on Cash Wheeler before putting him away with a double package powerbomb.
The result gives Shelley and Sabin a 1 to 0 lead, leaving Dax Harwood and Wheeler needing a response when the series resumes. Three victories are required to win the best-of-five contest.
The series was arranged during a confrontation on Dynamite. FTR had complained about their position in the tag team championship picture when the Machine Guns came out to challenge them. Shelley proposed the series and wanted to begin immediately, but Stokely Hathaway pushed for the opener to take place at WrestleDream.
Although the two teams had shared a ring before, this was their first match against each other in traditional tag team competition. Their previous encounter came on opposite sides of a trios bout at All Out in 2022.
That history now has a new chapter, with the Machine Guns holding the first win and FTR facing an early deficit.
