Every Former WWE Superstar And Their Grades Since Joining AEW

6. Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger)

Dustin Rhodes
AEW

Grade: D+

There are no two ways around it; Shawn Spears has not lived up to the expectations. Spears was the first notable wrestler to be granted a release from WWE and immediately sign with AEW. Given that he arrived at the upstart promotion amidst misguided fanfare that he could be a game changing acquisition, it's fair to say Spears has been nothing short of disappointing.

Debuting to a huge pop during AEW's inaugural Casino Battle Royale, there was much hype around Spears. He has slowly slid down the card since this debut, with his most memorable moment with the promotion- delivering the head shot heard around the world to Cody at Fyter Fest- being marred by concerns over how dangerous the spot was.

After Fyter Fest, he had an entertaining blow-off match with Cody at All Out, but since then he's, ironically, become nothing more than a good hand. He is being built up again by AEW, having traded wins with Joey Janela, frequently beating jobbers on Dynamite and Dark, and even teaming with Sammy Guevara to defeat Cody and Darby Allin.

Spears is a talented wrestler, however, given the excitement and expectations surrounding his arrival in AEW, he has been a disappointment. There is plenty of reason to still be optimistic about the 39- year-old; here's hoping that once Simon Miller's in his corner, things will start to trend upward for "The Chairman of AEW".

Contributor
Contributor

Brady Coyle is a board game enthusiast, an outdoor enthusiast, a crossword enthusiast and doesn't understand the concept of synonyms. He saw a button that said "Contribute" and, presented with the opportunity to share his opinion, he will never say no. He lives in Toronto, Canada, a place where nothing ever gets done because everyone is too busy saying "sorry" to each other.