WWE Star Addresses Decision To Return To The Company After AEW Run

Since the launch of AEW, talent has gone from AEW to WWE and the other way around. The secondary promotion is good for wrestlers and fans alike as it gives them options.

That is exactly what Shawn Spears has been able to do. Spears’ journey with WWE has been a long and varied one. He initially signed a developmental contract in 2006 and later appeared on the ECW brand in 2008 and 2009 under the name Tye Dillinger.

After departing in 2019, he joined AEW but returned to WWE’s NXT in 2024. Spears recently spoke with Gabby AF about his decision to leave AEW and return to WWE.

“Got a break over there in AEW, and then I think it’s just a matter of—much like the business—it’s a personal evolution that we, as performers, kind of seek out. Sometimes, for me, it just felt like I wasn’t in the right place, so I needed to go.

I’ve been pretty smart in life—believe it or not. I know, I know. But I’ve set myself up so that money isn’t at the forefront. It’s a little different now because I have children, but money still isn’t the priority. I put time as the ultimate thing. You know, I’m much closer to the end of my career than I am at the beginning.”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 11: WWE logos are shown on screens before a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on October 11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Spears continued, “I’m a big believer that if you feel in your gut that something needs to change, or you feel like you don’t belong somewhere, or you just have a feeling—do it. Yeah, go do it. Why not?

I felt like I needed to. I have X amount of time left, and I want to spend it the way I want to spend it. By that, I mean I just wanted to contribute—to go where I was not necessarily needed but wanted. I ended up taking that big step, and it paid off.”

On the March 4th, 2025, episode of NXT, Spears captured the NXT North American Title. This marked the first time that he has held gold in WWE.