Alex Shelley explains why he missed Hard To Kill, immediate future

Image: Impact Wrestling

Alex Shelley’s late scratch from the January 16th Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill pay-per-view came as a surprise as he was part of a high profile main event, teaming with Chris Sabin and Rich Swann against Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers.

However, given travel restrictions for COVID-19, most assumed the virus had something to do with him pulling out of the event the day before the show, replaced by Moose. 

In a series of tweets Thursday, Shelley gave his side of the story past his initial statement of needing to err on the side of caution due to a “complex” situation and that he might be out of the company for some time.

“Most days out of the week, I look like this. I read theories about why I wasn’t at Impact Wrestling for Hard to Kill. They ranged from injury, to illness, to getting arrested, to harming my family members and attempting to cover it up; I am a physical therapy clinician. Physio is my livelihood and career. Wrestling is my livelihood and passion project. At my company, due to the volume of sick and injured patients we are in care of, we modify our COVID-19 mandates as needed. As numbers went up, so did restrictiveness.

To circumvent the topic, I could not be at Hard To Kill due to my career. I respect the decisions made by our company surgeons and doctors: I look to them for advice and guidance. I am unable to travel and wrestle until I am vaccinated. I took every caution I could before…

But I don’t feel right maintaining this duality unless I take every possible safety measure. When the vaccine became available, that required extra security on my end and my company’s end for our patients. I honestly don’t want to get the vaccine so soon…

But I want to wrestle very badly while I help people in therapy. So there’s no option. Impact Wrestling was supportive and understanding and as someone who doesn’t have nor want a contract at this point, my hands were tied. Thanks for your support everyone.”

Sabin is currently teaming with James Storm in Shelley’s absence.