AJ Styles Questions WWE’s Call to Release Motor City Machine Guns, New Day

AJ Styles isn’t shy about second-guessing WWE’s front office over one of its more surprising roster decisions in recent memory.

Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, once their 90-day non-compete clauses expired, showed up on AEW Collision last week to make their debut for the company. Meanwhile, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods — half of the legendary New Day pairing — have stayed quiet on their next move, though speculation is mounting that they could follow the Motor City Machine Guns to AEW.

Speaking on his own podcast, The AJ Styles Show, Styles made clear he doesn’t love how WWE handled either situation.

“I have so much respect for these two tag teams and know what they’re capable of. Man, I don’t know if it was the smartest decision letting those two tag teams go. Don’t know,” Styles said. “I can tell you, I wouldn’t bet that it was the smartest decision.”

Styles was quick to note his own bias, given his long relationships with all four men. “And I am, I am biased. Two guys that I’ve known forever in Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. And then Austin Creed (Xavier Woods), who I’ve literally known for over two decades. Like, we go way back. And Kofi’s such an awesome dude,” he said.

Beyond the personal ties, Styles argued that what these teams bring to the table goes well past their in-ring output. He pointed to their experience, their psychology, and their knack for elevating whoever they’re across the ring from — the kind of intangible value that’s hard to replace once it walks out the door.

It’s a fair point, and one that plenty of fans have echoed since the news broke. Shelley and Sabin are among the most decorated tag specialists of their generation, with a two-decade partnership that’s spanned multiple promotions and title reigns. Losing them for nothing — allowing them to walk right into AEW’s crowded but hungry tag division — is the kind of move that invites exactly the scrutiny Styles is offering.

The New Day situation carries its own weight. Kingston and Woods are reportedly set to officially hit free agency this week, having teased what’s next in a video posted on July 29. Word going back to May suggested the pair chose to walk away rather than sign revised deals that would have cut their pay — a decision that, if accurate, speaks to how WWE is managing its upper-midcard tag roster amid a stacked overall roster.

If Kingston and Woods do land in AEW, it would mark a significant reshuffling of one of wrestling’s most storied tag rosters, pairing a Hall of Fame-caliber unit with a promotion that has made tag team wrestling a genuine centerpiece. For WWE, it raises real questions about depth and retention in a division that suddenly looks thinner than it did a month ago.

Styles didn’t offer a solution, only skepticism — but with two of the era’s premier tag teams potentially headed to the same rival promotion, that skepticism feels earned.