Shawn Spears had a special entrance in mind to mark his return to WWE, but this was cancelled due to timing issues.
Towards the end of 2023, the former AEW star publicly announced on social media that his time with the promotion was coming to an end and that he would be departing AEW imminently. In an inverse to the events that took place in the early years of All Elite Wrestling, there were suspicions that Spears may return to the company in the near future, where he had previously worked under the name Tye Dillinger.
On February 27th, the rumours were indeed true as the AEW original made his return to NXT, attacking Ridge Holland with a steel chair to make a statement from the very start. While the angle was certainly impactful, some had another return angle in mind, one that had been seen before.
Back in 2017, Spears made his main roster debut as the number 10 entrant in the Royal Rumble match. Using the gimmick The Perfect 10 at the time, fans were delighted that Spears was given the number following weeks of fans pleading for the cameo. With fans aware that Spears was a free agent for the 2024 Rumble, there was some optimism that this would be the way he made his return. While this did not take place at the Rumble, it was discussed.
Spears spoke with Fightful about his recent return. In advanced notes via Fightful Select, Spears stated that he did “shoot his shot” in regards to being a part of the Rumble, but at this point, it was too late as spots had already been determined.
Shawn Spears Recalls Infamous AEW Chair Shot
Now back in WWE, Spears joins Cody Rhodes as a Superstar who made the jump from WWE to AEW and back. In one of the more controversial angles on AEW programming, the inaugural Fyter Fest saw Spears strike Rhodes in the head with an unprotected chair shot, causing The American Nightmare to bleed profusely as a result. Looking back on the shot, Shawn Spears recalled what Cody Rhodes told him ahead of time.