Alex Shelley Goes In-Depth On The Day He Beat Steve Maclin For The Impact World Title

Alex Shelley knew he was in for a big night heading into Impact Wrestling's Against All Odds pay-per-view on July 9. For only the second time in his entire career, Shelley received the opportunity to wrestle for the Impact World Championship. On this occasion, he battled Steve Maclin, and in fitting fashion, Shelley defied the odds, delivering the Shell Shock to secure his victory.

During a recent chat with "Sports Illustrated," Shelley recounted the day he won the Impact World Championship, which started with a workout and a calculated breakfast. Instead of a plane ride, Shelley opted to travel by car. After driving three hours from Detroit, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio — the site of Against All Odds — Shelley arrived at the venue with a restored sense of clarity.

"When I walked in, everything slowed down and became fluid. That reminded me it was my moment. It was my match and no one was going to take that away from me. I wasn't going to believe anything until it happened, so it was surreal for me even as it was happening," Shelley said.

Upon his lock-up with Maclin later that evening, Shelley said there was "no doubt" in his mind. This was his moment to shine — and sure enough, it was.

In the wake of pinning Maclin, the Impact locker room serenaded Shelley with hugs and a standing ovation backstage. He was later flooded with congratulatory text messages as well. When he finally picked up his phone to read them the next day, he discovered that hundreds of his friends and colleagues had reached out. 

Naturally, he was overwhelmed by their sentiments. "It was mind-blowing, it meant the world to me and I responded to every single one of those texts," he said.