WWE Greatest Royal Rumble Wrestlers - Where Are They Now?
9. Tye Dillinger
Entry: #42
Time: 00:29
Then: It should've been a crime to book Tye Dillinger in a Rumble without making him #10. The 'Perfect 10', as he was known, had delighted fans with that formatting during the 2017 match, but that was the last time his gimmick was truly over in WWE. By 2018, Dillinger was starting to doubt whether or not the company would ever use him properly on the main roster.
An injury followed, then he requested his release from contract in February 2019. The fact that Vince McMahon didn't stand in his way and rubber stamped that quickly perhaps says it all about how he viewed Tye at the time.
Over in Saudi, Dillinger ran out to work a 30 second spot in the Greatest Royal Rumble. He was just one of the sacrificial lambs for match-winning brute Braun Strowman. In fact, he was the 3rd of 8 consecutive workers that Braun eliminated from the match.
Now: Dillinger switched over to the AEW side in time for Tony Khan's first Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in May 2019. He was recast as Shawn Spears, and he initially seemed to be someone who'd become a major star for the promotion. That didn't last too long, but he did get to play a part in factions like The Pinnacle.
Eventually, Spears grew tired of being overlooked in All Elite and decided to launch a WWE return in February 2024. That was 5 years following his exit in 2019. Since then, Shawn (who hasn't revived the Tye Dillinger name) has been a stalwart on developmental brand NXT.
He seems cool with that positioning this time around.