Backstage News On Shawn Spears' WWE NXT Return

The February 27 edition of WWE NXT saw a major surprise when Shawn Spears (fka Tye Dillinger) made his return to the company, clobbering Ridge Holland with his trusty chair and being revealed as the man behind the recent mysterious ‘three faces’ vignettes on NXT TV.

A report from Fightful Select has shed some more light on Spears’ return, alleging that few within NXT were aware of the Perfect 10's return and Spears’ emergence on NXT was a ‘complete shock’ to some backstage.

Internal documents for NXT’s production made no mention of Spears by name, with Shawn Michaels filling in for Spears with Ridge Holland during show rehearsals.

Going forward, Spears will continue using the Shawn Spears name, rather than his former NXT name Tye Dillinger, with it said that Spears signed a new deal with WWE prior to the first airing of the ‘three faces’ vignettes.

Spears was believed to have departed All Elite Wrestling on January 1 after the expiration of his contract, but Fightful’s report alleges he was let out of his deal early - per AEW sources. Spears had been part of AEW since 2019, but was sparingly used in the last year and a half of his run.