The Motor City Machine Guns have drawn first blood in their best-of-five series with FTR, defeating Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler in the opening contest at AEW WrestleDream on October 18, 2026.
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley earned the decisive three-count over Wheeler after weathering a sustained FTR attack and finding a way to separate the longtime partners at a crucial moment. The result puts the Motor City Machine Guns ahead 1-0, meaning they now need two more victories to claim the series outright.
The match occupied an unusual but significant place on the WrestleDream card. It began late in the Tailgate Brawl pre-show and continued into the start of the main broadcast, where it served as the opening match. That presentation allowed the contest to build in stages, beginning with the more methodical control expected from FTR before accelerating once the main show was underway.
FTR Controlled the Early Stages
Harwood and Wheeler entered the series opener with a clear plan: break down one member of the Motor City Machine Guns, cut the ring in half, and prevent the veteran tandem from building the rapid-fire exchanges that have defined their partnership for years.
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FTR spent much of the early portion of the match doing exactly that. Sabin was isolated first as Harwood and Wheeler kept him away from Shelley, forcing him to absorb punishment while denying him the tag. The same approach was later used against Shelley, illustrating the disciplined tag-team strategy that has long been central to FTR’s success.
That control did not immediately produce a finish, but it established the physical tone of the bout. The Motor City Machine Guns had to fight from underneath and rely on their chemistry to regain momentum. For a team such as Sabin and Shelley, whose greatest advantage is often their ability to move as one, FTR’s separation tactics were especially important.
The pace changed noticeably as the match moved onto the main WrestleDream card. With the contest opening up, both teams had greater opportunities to capitalize on transitions, create separation, and turn near-falls into potential momentum swings.
Sabin Survives a Major Scare
FTR came close to taking the first match of the series after delivering a spike piledriver. The move appeared to put Sabin in serious danger of being pinned, but he kicked out at two and a half.
That near-fall proved to be one of the defining moments of the opener. It gave FTR their clearest opportunity to establish an immediate advantage in the series, while Sabin’s escape kept the Motor City Machine Guns alive at the point where the match seemed most likely to end.
The kickout also shifted the emotional direction of the contest. FTR had imposed their game plan for extended stretches and had connected with one of their most punishing attacks, but they were unable to secure the three-count. From there, Sabin and Shelley were able to regroup and lean into the teamwork that made the difference down the stretch.
Rather than allowing Harwood and Wheeler to continue operating as a united force, the Motor City Machine Guns found a way to isolate Wheeler from his partner. With FTR separated, Sabin and Shelley took advantage of the opening and dropped Wheeler for the winning pinfall.
The specific finish underscored the importance of positioning in a match between two accomplished teams. FTR had spent much of the contest controlling the ring and preventing tags. By the end, the Motor City Machine Guns reversed that dynamic, removing Harwood from the immediate equation and focusing their attack on Wheeler.
A First-Time Tag Team Meeting
WrestleDream marked the first traditional tag team match between the Motor City Machine Guns and FTR. While the two teams had previously shared the ring in trios competition at All Out 2023, they had never met in a two-on-two setting before this series began.
That distinction added an extra layer to the match. Sabin and Shelley are one of the most established pairings in modern professional wrestling, and Harwood and Wheeler have built a similarly formidable reputation as FTR. Between the two teams, they have held 24 tag team championships around the world.
Their first dedicated tag clash therefore carried the weight of a major matchup even before the best-of-five stipulation was considered. It was a meeting of teams whose identities are built around experience, timing, cohesion, and a willingness to make every tag, every cutoff, and every moment of ring positioning matter.
There was no need for either side to establish its credentials during the match. Instead, the WrestleDream opener presented a direct test of which team could execute more effectively under the pressure of a series format. On this occasion, the answer was the Motor City Machine Guns.
What the 1-0 Score Means
With the victory, Sabin and Shelley hold a valuable early advantage. A best-of-five series requires three wins, so the Motor City Machine Guns are now two wins away from ending the rivalry.
They could complete a sweep by winning the next two matches. If that happens, matches four and five would not be necessary. FTR, meanwhile, must respond in the second match to avoid falling into an 0-2 deficit, a position that would leave them with no margin for error for the rest of the series.
That is the immediate significance of the WrestleDream result. The opening match did not settle the broader issue between the teams, but it gave the Motor City Machine Guns control of the path ahead. FTR still have ample opportunity to change the direction of the series, particularly considering how much of the first match they were able to dictate. However, Wheeler and Harwood will need to convert those stretches of control into a victory when the series resumes.
The next match in the best-of-five has not yet been announced. That leaves the timing and setting of the second encounter unresolved, but the strategic questions are already clear. FTR will likely look to return to the isolation work that created so much trouble for both Sabin and Shelley in the opener. At the same time, they will have to account for the Motor City Machine Guns’ ability to recover from adversity and capitalize when FTR are separated.
Momentum Belongs to Sabin and Shelley
The Motor City Machine Guns did not simply take a numerical lead at WrestleDream; they showed that they can survive FTR’s most effective offense and still put the match back on their terms. Sabin’s kickout after the spike piledriver prevented a major FTR breakthrough, while the closing sequence demonstrated that Shelley and Sabin remain exceptionally dangerous when given even a brief chance to work together.
For FTR, the defeat is frustrating because their approach was effective for much of the contest. They controlled the early pace, isolated both members of the opposing team at different points, and came within a fraction of a second of winning after the spike piledriver. Those elements offer a foundation for a rebound. But the result also shows how small the margins can be when facing a team with the shared instincts of the Motor City Machine Guns.
Sabin and Shelley now have the chance to put enormous pressure on FTR in match two. A second consecutive win would move them to the brink of a sweep and force Harwood and Wheeler into an elimination scenario. FTR’s challenge is more immediate: even the series before the Motor City Machine Guns can turn their opening WrestleDream success into an overwhelming advantage.
The first chapter delivered a competitive, increasingly urgent contest between two decorated tag teams. It began with FTR’s control, featured a dramatic survival from Sabin, and ended with the Motor City Machine Guns making the most of a late opening against Wheeler. The series is far from finished, but WrestleDream belongs to Sabin and Shelley, who leave the event with a 1-0 lead and a clear route toward finishing the job in three matches.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.