IMPACT Wrestling and Alex Shelley have released a statement explaining his absence from tonight's main event match at Hard To Kill. Shelley explained his absence was out of his control. But he also stated that he still wants to face Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
On Friday, IMPACT Wrestling announced a significant change to the highly-anticipated main event match at Hard To Kill. Shelley, Chris Sabin and Rich Swann were scheduled to take on Omega, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. But now the company has revealed that Alex Shelley wasn't able to compete at the event.
In a video on IMPACT Wrestling's Twitter page, Shelley discussed his removal from the show. The specific reasons for this decision remain unclear, but Shelley apologized to his fans and his teammates.
"There are certain thing in life that are just out of our control, and unfortunately my ability to compete at Hard To Kill has been dropped into that bucket. So on that note, I owe an apology to Chris Sabin, I owe one to Rich Swann, I owe one to the fans, and I owe a receipt to the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega. I don't like getting beat up by you, but I've accepted that it happened multiple times, and I was looking forward to returning the favor. So you'll get that in the mail, and you'll keep the yellow copy," said Shelley.
Clearly, Shelley still wants to face this portion of the Bullet Club. He won't be able to take them on at Hard To Kill, but hopefully this originally scheduled match will still happen at some point.
Alex Shelley assures fans that he doesn't have COVID-19
Given the lack of details about Shelley's absence, some fans have speculated that it might be linked to COVID-19. But in the video, Shelley explains that he doesn't have the virus. He also states that he isn't injured.
"I assure everyone out there I do not have COVID. I am not orthopedically injured, but in the interest of safety, my situation is a very complex one, and I put that first, as has IMPACT management. They are doing the utmost, in terms of precautions, to make sure that nobody is at risk at Hard To Kill or going forward. However, as a transient figure in pro wrestling, I promise you that no matter, what I'll be back in IMPACT, you can count on that," said Shelley.
Though many fans are disappointed that Shelley has been pulled from the match, Hard To Kill's main event should still be an exciting bout. Moose and Swann are two of IMPACT Wrestling's top stars, and Omega is one of the best wrestlers in the world.