Alex Shelley is headed to Major League Wrestling.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Alex Shelley is the final competitor in the 2021 MLW Opera Cup tournament. Shelley rounds out the field that already features “Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Davey Richards, TJP, Matt Cross, Calvin Tankman and Bobby Fish, who was confirmed as the seventh competitor on Monday.
MLW has since confirmed Shelley’s debut, issuing the following statement:
Alex Shelley will make his Major League Wrestling debut Saturday night October 2nd at the 2300 Arena.
Entering the Opera Cup, Alex Shelley is the eighth and final participant. His opening round opponent and full brackets will be revealed in the days ahead.
“Alex is a true fighting artist,” said Court Bauer. “He’s someone I’ve been dying to bring into MLW and the timing is perfect as the Opera Cup is the definitive stage for the grappling genius that is Alex Shelley.”
See Alex Shelley square off alongside seven other participants in the historic 2021 edition of the Opera Cup in Philadelphia.
The 2020 tournament was won by Lawlor. This year’s edition of the eight-man, single-elimination tournament with kick off on October 2 at MLW Fightland in Philadelphia.
Alex Shelley made his in-ring return at Black Label Pro and GCW’s “3 Cups Stuffed” event on September 3. Prior to that, his last match was in December for IMPACT Wrestling, where he teamed with Chris Sabin against XXXL. He was originally scheduled for a six-man tag team match featuring Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers at January’s “Hard To Kill” pay-per-view, but he was unable to attend the show due to “unavoidable circumstances.”
Shelley had stepped away from the sport due to his career as a physical therapist and the risks involved with patient health and travel related to COVID-19. Since returning to the ring this month, Shelley has also been confirmed as appearing at Beyond Wrestling’s “Uncharted Territory” on October 7, as well as two Without A Cause events in November and December.
Read more about Shelley’s decision to step away from wrestling last year and take extra precautions for his career and patients at this link. You can also learn more about the return of the Opera Cup in MLW at this link.
