10! 10! 10! 10 Things You Didn't Know About Tye Dillinger
The Long and Winding Road.
It was a mix of joy and relief for most discerning fans when Tye Dillinger made a successful debut on the post-WrestleMania edition of Smackdown Live! in front of an elated Orlando crowd.
Hailed as a prospect for the bulk of his lengthy career, the 36-year-old took his time finding the right fit to click as a main roster mainstay, but the confident persona captivated NXT audiences enough to effectively force the company's hand to take the long-awaited chance.
Dillinger was given a soft launch on the big stage at January's Royal Rumble, predictably claiming the #10 position in the 30-man battle royal after months of speculation from fans that WWE might buy into the gag and give the guy an opportunity.
Enthusiasm in his act had really kicked into life months earlier at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, when defeat against Bobby Roode couldn't mute the Canadian crowd's love for their countryman. The '10' chant became a meme amongst wrestling fans the world over, hijacking referee counts and corner punch spots from independent shows right the way up to WrestleMania itself.
It took this perfect storm to finally give 'The Perfect 10' the stage he deserved, but before WWE re-writes his history and makes or breaks his last big chance, here are 10 things you didn't know about Tye Dillinger.
10. He Tagged With Colt Cabana
One of several men Tye paired with on his strained journey through WWE's developmental system, 'Art of Wrestling' host and Ring of Honour mainstay Colt Cabana won the vacant Ohio Valley Wrestling Tag Team titles with the future 'Perfect 10' shortly after the two men had battled furiously over Dillinger's (then 'Shawn Spears') Television Title.
The victory over fellow future main roster strugglers Paul Burchill and Stu Sanders (Wade Barrett) didn't aid relations between the pair though, with a final fight occurring on the company's last show of 2007 in a ladder match to determine which man could take total control of the championships and pick a partner they actually wanted.
Colt would end up victorious, abandoning Spears for Charles Evans. The duo would lose the gold back to Burchill and Sanders shortly after, whilst Shawn Spears floated around the OVW midcard before WWE moved all their developmental talent to their new Florida Championship Wrestling territory in mid-2008.