Shawn Spears explains why he decided to leave AEW for a return to WWE

As seen during the March 4th 2025 edition of WWE NXT, Shawn Spears won the NXT North American title. Spears, formerly known as Tye Dillinger, commented to Gabby AF about he decided to leave AEW for a 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.”

“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.” (quotes courtesy of RingsideNews.com)