In the world of Impact Wrestling, the highly anticipated UK tour hit an unexpected speed bump right out of the gate. On the opening night, reigning Impact World Champion Alex Shelley faced an unfortunate injury that forced him to withdraw from the remainder of the tour. Wrestling fans were left pondering Shelley’s condition and the potential repercussions for the tour.
In a recent chat with Tom Campbell of Cultaholic Wrestling, Impact President Scott D’Amore peeled back the curtain on Alex Shelley’s injury and the indomitable spirit that courses through the veins of the Impact Wrestling roster.
D’Amore extended reassurance to fans, affirming that Shelley’s recuperation was well underway.
“Yeah, I mean look, he’s (Alex Shelley) gonna need a little bit of rest and a little bit of time, but he’s gonna be more than healthy and ready before he needs to be back in an IMPACT Wrestling ring. So it’s gonna be a good chance for him to rest and recharge.”
D’Amore didn’t stop there; he underscored the incredible camaraderie that defines the Impact Wrestling family. He emphasized how both talent and crew rallied around Shelley in a heartwarming show of support. D’Amore was quick to note that, before he could even address the situation, members of the roster were stepping up with solutions. A prime example was Frankie Kazarian, a seasoned veteran with over two decades of wrestling experience. Kazarian eagerly stepped into the breach left by Shelley’s absence, displaying his eagerness to contribute to the tour. D’Amore commended this selfless act, saying, “I think that’s truly amazing… It’s a very welcoming locker room.”
“To your point, I think that like this company really does, like this group does, the talent and the crew, they rallied around each other. Before I even had a chance to turn my mind towards it, talent was coming up and offering suggestions and one of ‘em was Frankie Kazarian stepping up and saying, you know, ‘Look, I’ll step in. I’ll do double duty when needed. I’ll still go out there, I wanna still go out there and wrestle Leon Slater because I’m stoked to go out there and do that but then I’ll circle back in the main event. I got history with the Machine Guns and I’ll be happy to take Shelley’s place and team with (Chris) Sabin and be in the main event.’ So it’s just, to your point, everybody was turning their mind to it while I was still worried about other things.“
“I already had other people coming up and, ‘Hey, we can do this.’ ‘Well if you need me to do this’ and a guy like Frankie who’s been around for 20-plus years and doesn’t have to was like, ‘Hey, I wanna step up, I wanna fill that void, I wanna be part of that solution’ so, I think that’s truly amazing so I think to your point, you (Tom Campbell) got to see a bit of it on this tour, you got to be part of it. The hanging out in the locker room, making the bus rides. It’s a lot of fun and it was great to see so you’ve seen it. It’s a very welcoming locker room.”
Despite the initial setback, the Impact Wrestling UK tour powered on with unwavering resolve and unity.
How do you think the camaraderie and support within the Impact Wrestling roster during Alex Shelley’s injury reflect on the wrestling community as a whole? Leave us a comment below.