WWE's Shawn Spears Opens Up About Decision To Leave AEW

Shawn Spears' contract with AEW expired on January 1, 2024, which ultimately led to him returning to WWE by the end of February after five years away from the company. During an appearance on Chris Van Vliet's "Insight" podcast, Spears revealed why his time with Tony Khan's company came to an end.

"I think it just came down to a personal want, in terms of wanting to contribute a little bit more, both in front of the camera and behind the camera. I had a wonderful time in AEW. I have and have had a great relationship with Tony Khan. You're never going to hear me say anything bad about that guy. Same thing with a lot of EVPs, talent, everything. I had a wonderful time."

Spears explained that he got to learn a lot about himself during his time in AEW, especially as a businessman and what not to do. He also learned that one of the most important things in wrestling is to put your foot down when it comes to having faith in yourself and ability. Despite this, Spears only has fond memories of being an individual man in a different company. 

"My time there was special, getting to work with all the top guys based on a lot of storylines that I was in with Max [MJF] and FTR and things like that. So a lot of things that I would have never gotten to do, I think in my career, I was very fortunate enough to do there."

Please credit "Insight" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.