10 Times Wrestling Feuds Crossed Over Promotions

3. Cody Vs. Shawn Spears

Tyson Jericho
AEW

Cody last year referred to Shawn Spears once as "the greatest person in the world," when asked what Tye Dillinger had to do to get over in WWE.

Spears was instrumental to Cody's early development - quite literally - having partnered him in an Ohio Valley Wrestling tag team before a loss led to a split led to what was quite the extravagant feud, the excesses of which might have sparked Cody's boundless imagination early: they fought in strap, lumberjack, pole and steel cage matches in the summer of 2007. 12 years later, with a throwaway line ironically (and deftly) planted on the Road To Fyter Fest, Spears cracked him over the head with a steel chair to resume their feud in a quite improbable context.

He was likely always going to get a job in AEW, on merit or otherwise.

If what was nepotism didn't create a superstar in Shawn Spears, nor a blowoff that matched the well-drawn blood feud stakes, it did make for an over-delivery of a fun, legitimately PPV-sized spectacle - and a strong early omen of AEW's episodic storytelling credentials - before Spears found his niche as an entertaining undercard heel.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!