A quick update on the issue resolution.
With the recommendation from Wicked, I investigated the exhaust clearance and came up with a modified method.
Instead of tapping the shifter from underneath the car, the clearance from the exhaust allows a metal rod standing from the garage floor to about an inch shy from the bottom edge of the shifter (height is fine-tuned with a floor jack to the RX7 body).
I then used a rolling head pry bar and the metal rod as a pivot to pry the shifter off the transmission. The metal rod bottomed at the garage floor provided much needed solid pivot compared to the tunnel opening on the RX7 that flexed too much.
Thanks for the great ideas guys!

Best part is I didn’t have to jack up and crawl underneath the car.
Next is to get the MGW installed!