Backstage Update On Shawn Spears' WWE NXT Return

Last night's "WWE NXT" saw the return of Shawn Spears, formerly known as Tye Dillinger in WWE. Commentary referred to him as Spears, however, and Fightful Select has some additional details on how the deal came together, including confirmation that he's keeping the Spears moniker.

Most talent was unaware of Spears' return and, during rehearsals for last night's show, Shawn Michaels served the role that Spears would later fulfill. Additionally, Spears' name was kept off rundowns of the show and he remained hidden backstage until the big moment.

The report cited AEW sources that said Spears asked for his release last year. Spears announced in December that he was leaving AEW following more than four years with the company after the veteran hadn't been used since August. There were reports that he was one of the masked attackers in the "Devil" storyline from last year, but he never wound up being involved in the storyline. Spears was said to have signed with WWE before the "Three Faces" vignettes began airing in recent weeks.

Spears initially signed with WWE in 2006, spending a few years in the promotion's developmental system. He later began making appearances on "ECW" but was released in 2009. Spears then returned to WWE in 2013, gaining some traction as the Dillinger character on "NXT" before getting lost in the shuffle on the main roster. After asking for his release, the company let Spears go in 2019, and he would later join AEW starting with the company's inaugural pay-per-view.

In addition to his name, another aspect of the Spears character seems to have been carried over from his time in AEW: an affinity for steel chairs. Spears was known as "The Chairman" for some time in AEW, and he appropriately attacked Ridge Holland with one of the "foreign objects" upon his return.