According to Dave Meltzer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Shawn Spears was one of the masked men working for The Devil in recent weeks. This was his last role on AEW television prior to his departure.
“Spears hadn’t been used much but on a recent TV was one of the Devil’s guys.”
The Devil has appeared for several weeks, with masked men doing his bidding. It was not noted which segment Shawn Spears appeared in, but many believe The Kingdom played the roles of the two masked men who won the ROH World Tag Team Titles during the December 27th episode of AEW Dynamite.
Shawn Spears’ AEW Departure
Shawn Spears was among the initial group of talents signed by Tony Khan for the formation of AEW. He made his AEW debut during the Casino Battle Royale at the inaugural Double or Nothing event.
Sean Ross Sapp first broke the news of Shawn Spears’ AEW departure on Fightful Select. A short time later, Shawn Spears confirmed that he is leaving Tony Khan’s company.
Shawn Spears is scheduled to depart from AEW on January 1st. The separation is reported to be mutually agreeable as well.
Shawn Spears was a part of the first wave of talent that Tony Khan signed when he was putting AEW together. The former Tye Dillinger made his way to AEW as part of the Casino Battle Royale at the first Double or Nothing event, and the rest is history. Now, his time has with AEW come to an end.
Shawn Spears is leaving AEW
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, Shawn Spears is set to leave AEW on January 1st. His separation is said to be amicable with All Elite Wrestling.
We’re told that Spears becomes a free agent on January 1, and the departure was amicable between he and All Elite Wrestling.
Shawn Spears then took to X, where he confirmed this report. He thanked AEW for allowing him an opportunity, but now he is off to a new part of his life. He also made it very clear to note that this was his choice to leave All Elite Wrestling.
“What a wonderful time it has been. Thank you AEW for allowing me to be there from the ground level. It’s been a fantastic 5 years of growth and personal development. This is a personal choice and one that is best for me and my family at this time. Thank you to all, staff and talent alike for the memories. 10.”
Shawn Spears and his wife, Cassie Lee, also recently announced that they are expecting a second child.
AEW’s Notable Departures In 2024
AEW saw significant departures recently, notably the exit of Dana Massie. There will be a few key figures moving on from AEW next year.
QT Marshall’s departure from the company is set to become official in 2024, and he is no longer present at AEW events. Marshall, besides being an in-ring competitor, served as AEW President Tony Khan’s right-hand man for a period.
Internally, AEW is undergoing changes, marked by Kevin Sullivan’s abrupt release and the departures of QT Marshall, Dana Massie, and Rafael Morffi from the company. There could be more details to explore once the dust settles on this unfolding story.
Former WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger (Shawn Spears) recently sat down with entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet for an hour-long interview covering a wide range of topics. Spears discussed leaving WWE after turning down a big pay raise, how his departure affects his fiancé Peyton Royce, opening a new wrestling school with Tyler Breeze and much more.
Head over to Chris Van Vliet’s Youtube Channel for more of his recent interviews with Matt Morgan, Ryback, MJF, Joey Janela, Cody Rhodes and many more. Highlights from the discussion with Shawn Spears are below:
Why WWE Granted His Request To Be Released
Several WWE Superstars have reportedly asked to be released this year, but few were allowed to leave. Spears is not sure why WWE allowed him to go, but he thinks his eight years with the company might have garnered him some respect from management. His tweet back in February announcing that he requested his release also gave him additional leverage.
“I was with them for eight and a half years total including my first time around,” he said” “I did things right, I never got into any trouble. I was professional and I carried myself well and always did what I was asked to do. So that was one thing, the other thing is that statement that I put out later that evening on February 19th kind of handcuffed them a little bit. If they would have kept me, that might have made a lot of people unhappy. If they would have kept me and utilized me in a negative way or have me get killed on TV every week that would have made people upset. I think it put me in the best position possible to get what I was looking for. And the third possible reason is maybe they didn’t see anything in me and they go ‘You know what? We don’t see any value. It is time to go, so go ahead and to be honest with you I really hope it’s that one. I really, really do because that just fuels a little more fire.”
His 90-day non-compete with WWE ending the day before Double or Nothing:
Spears took part in the AEW: Double or Nothing pre-show battle royal. As it turns out, his non-compete clause with WWE expired the day before the pay-per-view.
“I asked for my release on my birthday, February 19th. I was verbally granted it on the Friday which was the 22nd or something but I needed the paperwork officially and I didn’t get that until the following week. Had they waited an extra 24 hours I would not have been able to do Double or Nothing so I think WWE was being gracious. They knew what was going on. I think they allowed me to be out at that time to do whatever I wanted to do including Double or Nothing. I could be completely wrong and it might have slipped their minds, I don’t know but I like to think that I had earned that mutual respect.”
If his WWE departure will affect Peyton Royce’s WWE career:
“When I first brought it up she was open to speaking about it and talking about it and we did on numerous occasions and then finally she could see that nothing was changing and nothing was getting better.”
“My mentality in terms of bringing my work home with me wasn’t getting any better and eventually she said to me, ‘Look, I need you happy and I don’t care how that is, I don’t care where that is. I just know that going forward for the rest of our lives, for our future children and for our household now I need you happy. So whatever it is that you need to do to make yourself happy, I am with you 100%. Wherever you go I am with you 100%.'”
“She has my back. And when you find someone like that, put a ring on it. Lock it down. She has been my upmost number one supporter and my number one fan and my best friend through all of this.”
Spears also discussed turning down a “substantial” raise from WWE before leaving. He said by the end of his WWE run, money was not going to make him happy. He didn’t want to stay with the company and be full of regret. To him, the most important things are being a good person, being a good father and living a life worth living. He wants to live on his own terms.
In a situation that sounds a lot like Jon Moxley’s WWE departure, Spears said WWE told him he’d be getting a “substantial raise” if he stayed, but did not want to see what that actual number was. His decision was made at that point and the pay increase was not going to fix what he was unhappy about.
There’s much more to this interview, which you can (and should) check out here:
Spears also gave an interview with Sports Illustrated where he talked about the decision to sign with AEW, which is where he noted that he believes in what the promotion is doing with their product.
“I believe in providing an alternative for fans, and I really believe that the audience has wanted an alternative for quite some time. This is now the platform to give people exactly what they want, and I am really looking forward to proving myself in AEW.”
It was announced back in late February by the WWE that they had granted his release from the company. This came after he put out a lengthy statement announcing that he had asked to be released from his contract.
Double or Nothing, which is the inaugural show promoted by AEW, will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25, 2019.
Former WWE Superstar Tye Dillinger recently appeared on the Edge & Christian podcast. The long tenured NXT and main roster Superstar discussed a variety of topics with the two WWE legends.
Dillinger spoke about his time in OVW and in particular a match against John Cena. The ‘Perfect 10’ said that Cena was very nice and laid out the match in such a way that would showcase the, then, Shawn Spears.
Match Against Cena
He said that “finally when we [he and Cena] did run into each other, I think the second match had just started and they were not going to go 20 minutes because it was pouring. So he kind of just said, ‘alright, what do you do?’ And I was like, ‘uh…’ And I think I had a title, like I might have had the OVW Television title at the time. So I was like, ‘hey, how about I catch you with a quick rollup somewhere, maybe they’ll think, ‘ahhh!’ I’m trying to be like, ‘whatever you want to do!’ And then, he kind of just looked at me for a second. I went, ‘oh s–t, I said the wrong thing. Dammit!’ He kind of looked off to the side and then he rattled off a finish for us that we had knocked down a referee; I brought in the WWE title; I hit him with that. He rattled off this finish, and I’m sure you guys know, and it was like, whoa.”
Dillinger elaborated on the story further saying that “he didn’t have to do that for me and he did. Here’s the guy, on top, making the company millions and millions of dollars, has a big match a month later, a day later. Who knew? But going out of his way to take some kid who he doesn’t know, maybe that he probably barely heard of, and he made it a night I will never forget. so hat’s off to John Cena.”
*Credit the E&C Pod of Awesomeness and to WrestlingINC for the transcription
Recent months has seen some significant changes take place within WWE. More Superstars are openly expressing their discontent with their positions and how the company has utilised them, with more and more talent requesting their release from the company.
Some were granted their requests; others, however, weren’t so lucky.
One Superstar who requested and was subsequently granted their release was the former “Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger.
Catching up with Edge and Christian on their popular podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness, Dillinger—who is now wrestling under his former indie name, Shawn Spears—opened up about the entire process.
“It Was Time To Go”
He admitted that the decision had been on his mind for about six months. It was during his time off injured that he was able to clear his head and figure out what he wanted to do in WWE and accomplish in pro wrestling. This injury gave him three months to think about his options. During that time he changed his look, his gear, and recalled pitching at least half a dozen ideas to WWE Creative.
Recalling speaking with Vince McMahon, he said that he “might have put my foot in my mouth, but I needed to say what I needed to say and I stand by what I said. I did feel that when I came back, things were going to be different. They were not. I had a conversation and was told to wait and give it a few weeks. Weeks passed, and it was it,” he said.
“It put me in a bad place because my performance was suffering. I was dreading it. I was praying that [the audience] would acknowledge that I still existed because it felt like I didn’t at the time. When you’re not giving it your all, they could see it, and it wasn’t fair to them. It was time to go. I was probably late in leaving, actually.”
Dillinger revelled via Twitter on his birthday, February 19th, that he had requested his release. WWE would grant this request only a few days later on February 22nd.
Former WWE star Tye Dillinger is moving forward with the new lease on his pro wrestling career. It was announced last week by the WWE that they had granted his release from the company.
Thus, he recently announced on his official Twitter account, which has since been changed over to his real name, Shawn Spears, that he will be accepting indie pro wrestling bookings for shows after May 31st, 2019. He also made it known that he’s available now for select signings and appearances. He wrote the following:
“Ok, under 2 weeks out and my excitement is already building. So, Let’s get to work. NOW accepting bookings for shows after May. 31st, 2019 and available now for select signings and appearances. Email: SpearsBookings@gmail.com. Thank you all and I look forward to this.”
Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler also offered some praise to Dillinger:
Shawn Spears is a multi-faceted, asset to any company out there! 🚨🚨🚨 https://t.co/KagR1fh7fJ
This comes after earlier this week he put out a lengthy statement announcing that he had asked to be released from his contract. He worked under the WWE banner as recently as February 18 against EC3 at a live event.
Dillinger had two stints with the WWE with the latest run starting in 2013 on the NXT brand. He would later be called up to the main roster in 2017.
As we reported earlier this week TJP, WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson, Tye Dillinger, and Hideo Itami were all released from their WWE contracts. Itami had publicly announced that we would be leaving. Dillinger also made some comments this week on social media confirming his release.
There appears to be some reasoning for the recent releases. According to the Wrestling Observer Arn Anderson was constantly in conflict with Vince McMahon. The actual details are few and far between but apparently a recent house show involved an incident which the WWE CEO was not happy about. Anderson took full responsibility for the incident and was subsequently terminated from the company.
TJP’s release is reportedly for disciplinary reasons. WWE are quite reluctant to ‘fire’ anyone currently due to the new landscape of professional wrestling (see: AEW). Again details are scarce but WWE felt firing TJP needed to be done.
Itami and Dillinger asked for their releases from WWE. With the aforementioned change of landscape both clearly feel that there are opportunities for them elsewhere.
Bruce Prichard, Steve Corino, “Hurricane” Shane Helms, Sonjay Dutt, Shawn Daivari, “Abyss” Chris Parks and WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett have all recently joined the company in backstage roles.
Cruiserweight Classic winner TJ Perkins and Tye Dillinger have both vented publicly about their frustrations. Dillinger issued a statement earlier this week telling fans on social media that he requested to be released. He expressed gratitude for his time with WWE and wrote,
“To the male and female locker rooms, coaches and producers, to the production/ring crew, all the way up to the very top of WWE and most of al the fans…I wish you all the very best and thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything.”
TJP wrote the following in response to WWE’s announcement:
Thanks for giving me a chance and letting me play for the team I grew up watching ????? https://t.co/r7001mqjx2
As noted early Friday morning, WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has also been released. Anderson had been working with talent backstage as a producer. AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes commented on AA’s situation:
Love AA. I stole all of his catchphrases & use them on a daily basis. He went to bat for young talent & at the same time is essentially responsible for all of the current top guys & “golden circle”. He’s not corporate, but that’s a compliment. Can’t take wrestlers outta wrestling
Tye Dillinger is no longer under contract with the WWE.
On Friday afternoon, WWE confirmed that the SmackDown star has been released after requesting the termination of his contract. The company issued the following statement announcing the news:
“WWE has come to terms on the release of Ron Arneill (Tye Dillinger).”
Back in October, the company announced that he suffered a hand injury and had to undergo surgery as a result of it. According to the statement that was posted on the official website of the company, the SmackDown star suffered the injury while competing at a live event in Macon, GA at the Macon Centreplex. At this show, he lost to Shelton Benjamin in a singles match.
The announcement came just a few hours before he was supposed to challenge then-champion Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship on the blue branded show in Atlanta, GA. R-Truth would later replace him.
He worked under the WWE banner as recently as February 18 against EC3 at a live event. Dillinger had two stints with the WWE with the latest run starting in 2013 on the NXT brand. He would later be called up to the main roster in 2017.
Dean Ambrose surprised everyone by choosing to leave WWE after WrestleMania and now it appears that another star can follow his footsteps and leave the company sometime soon.
Former NXT Star Tye Dillinger, who has been part of the SmackDown roster since 2017 confirmed on Twitter today that he has asked for his release from the company.
Dillinger sent out the following tweet, saying that he wants to straight things up before rumors start spreading and claimed that it is what’s best for him and WWE:
Tye Dillinger signed with WWE back in 2013. He was assigned to WWE’s development territory NXT upon his debut where he wrestled for almost 4 year before being called up.
He made his main roster debut during 2017 Royal Rumble and later joined the SmackDown roster while making his first appearance during the post WrestleMania episode of the show.
While he has asked for his release and made the request public as well, it’d be interesting to see if WWE grants the request considering the current environment.
There is no word yet on how much time Dillinger has left in his current contract and how long he may have to stay with the company if they decide not to let him go. We’ll keep you posted on his status.
We recently wrote about WWE Superstar, Tye Dillinger, making his in-ring return. The “Perfect 10” came back this weekend at WWE’s Live Event on Saturday in Dekalb, IL at the NIU Convention Center. He would compete in a losing effort against Shelton Benjamin.
Hours prior to his comeback that night, however, Dillinger took to Twitter to answer a fan’s question. When asked if he would “go back to nxt if it would be possible,” Tye would respond with a one-word answer: “Tried.”
In recent weeks there have been rumors circling The Revival as well as Mike and Maria Kanellis. 205 Live Superstar, Hideo Itami, asked for — and was granted — his release. It now appears that Dillinger, then, can be added to this list of WWE Superstars who have been reported to be unhappy and disgruntled with their handling and position on the roster.
A Perfect Comeback?
Tye Dillinger has been out of action due to a hand injury. His last televised match took place in late September where he would best Shinsuke Nakamura via disqualification. Before injuring his hand, Tye Dillinger was involved in a short feud with “The Viper” Randy Orton.
Does his request surprise you? Would you prefer if Tye went back to NXT? Do you think they could restart his feud with Orton? What do you see for him in the future?
One WWE star has made his return from injury to in-ring action under the WWE banner. SmackDown talent Tye Dillinger did so on Saturday night in Dekalb, IL at the NIU Convocation Center.
Dillinger battled former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin in a singles match but ultimately came up short.
Hey hey!!
Yes I still wrestle! I actually start back tonight….
It was reported earlier last month that Dillinger was close to returning to the ring. Back in October, the company announced that he suffered a hand injury and had to undergo surgery as a result of it.
According to the statement that was posted on the official website of the company, the SmackDown star suffered the injury while competing at a live event in Macon, GA at the Macon Centreplex. At this show, he lost to Shelton Benjamin in a singles match.
WWE Dekalb Results
Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev defeated New Day and The Usos – Triple-Threat Tag Team Match
Carmella & Naomi defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
Shelton Benjamin defeated Tye Dillinger
Mustafa Ali defeated Samoa Joe
SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair goes to a no-contest once Becky Lynch attacked both Flair and Asuka with a crutch.
WWE United States Champion R-Truth defeated Andrade
WWE SmackDown superstar Tye Dillinger has shown off his new look as he prepares to make his in-ring return under the WWE banner. The star of the blue brand showed off his new haircut and an all-black wardrobe in a recent photo that was posted to his official Twitter account.
As seen in the photo, the fan favorite star shaved off the sides of his hair and is sporting a short-hair mohawk with a full beard.
It was reported earlier this month that Dillinger is close to returning to the ring. Back in October, the company announced that he suffered a hand injury and had to undergo surgery as a result of it. According to the statement that was posted on the official website of the company, the SmackDown star suffered the injury while competing at a live event in Macon, GA at the Macon Centreplex. At this show, he lost to Shelton Benjamin in a singles match.
The announcement came just a few hours before he was supposed to challenge then-champion Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship on the blue branded show in Atlanta, GA. R-Truth would later replace him.
According to the report, Dillinger is slated to return to the road for WWE within the next several weeks.
Yet another star is expected to make an in-ring return under the WWE banner. PWinsider.com is reporting that WWE Smackdown star Tye Dillinger is close to returning to the ring.
According to the report that was sent out on Friday, he’s slated to return to the road for WWE within the next several weeks.
Back in October, the company announced that he suffered a hand injury and had to undergo surgery as a result of it. According to the statement that was posted on the official website of the company, the SmackDown star suffered the injury while competing at a live event in Macon, GA at the Macon Centreplex. At this show, he lost to Shelton Benjamin in a singles match.
The announcement came just a few hours before he was supposed to challenge then-champion Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship on the blue branded show in Atlanta, GA. R-Truth would later replace him.
He joins the likes of Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, The Bludgeon Brothers (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) as stars who are preparing to make their returns to WWE television in the near future.
SmackDown Live star Tye Dillinger has had a rather interesting week on social media. Recently, Monday Night RAW star Nia Jax took issue with women of color being left off a recent social media graphic for WWE’s female stars. Dillinger took an indirect shot at Jax’s comments in the following Tweet:
“ALL the WWE ladies had a great year but these ones had some very captivating moments in 2018! And, if you’re all #BooBoo face about being left off the list despite being on TV ALL the time….maybe spend more time on the craft instead of social media. Congratulations ladies”
ALL the WWE ladies had a great year but these ones had some very captivating moments in 2018! And, if you’re all #BooBoo face about being left off the list despite being on TV ALL the time….maybe spend more time on the craft instead of social media.
“This is the same old same old. I’ve considered plenty. I control what I can. Attitude, physique, mindset and work ethic. I know how hard I work, and I’m well aware no one gets to see that a lot. I’m sorry for that but you’re asking me for things out of my hands. Enjoy the show.”
This is the same old same old.
I’ve considered plenty. I control what I can. Attitude, physique, mindset and work ethic. I know how hard I work, and I’m well aware no one gets to see that a lot. I’m sorry for that but you’re asking me for things out of my hands. Enjoy the show. https://t.co/omru2WGII5
“I appreciate all the support. I really do. And it’s not patronizing to make a valid point. As much as I appreciate both positive and negative comments here, at the end of the day, I KNOW I work there and that I’ve made it. That is all that matters.”
I appreciate all the support. I really do. And it’s not patronizing to make a valid point.
As much as I appreciate both positive and negative comments here, at the end of the day, I KNOW I work there and that I’ve made it.
“Agreed, knowing your worth is a good thing. Complacency does exists but perhaps not with those you assume it would. Being self aware is important. It could be the most important. I’m not the best wrestler, I’m not sought after or hand picked. I’m just me. Take it or leave it.”
Agreed, knowing your worth is a good thing. Complacency does exists but perhaps not with those you assume it would. Being self aware is important. It could be the most important. I’m not the best wrestler, I’m not sought after or hand picked.
Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks have already signed to the new venture. AEW is being funded by NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars’ co-owner Shahid Khan. A rally has even been scheduled for the launch of AEW.
It will be held on Tuesday, January 8th at the TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. This is the same stadium where the Jaguars play their home NFL games during the regular season. In an interesting twist, WWE SmackDown Live will also be taking place in Jacksonville that night. However, SDL will be going down from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
What do you make of Dillinger’s comments regarding AEW?
Unfortunately, Tye Dillinger will have to undergo surgery. The news was made by the WWE on Tuesday evening shortly before SmackDown Live went live on the USA Network in Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena where he was originally advertised to challenge Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship on the blue branded show.
However, he suffered a hand injury and will require surgery. According to the statement that was posted on the official website of the company, the SmackDown star suffered the injury while competing at a live event on Monday night in Macon, GA at the Macon Centreplex. At this show, he lost to Shelton Benjamin in a singles match.
No other details were given on the nature of his injury or how long he is expected to be out of action for. The show must go on as WWE sent out this video that featured Mike Rome, who announced that R-Truth would replace Dillinger on SmackDown Live in order to challenge Nakamura for the United States Title. You can watch the video here:
Randy Orton attacked Tye Dillinger last night on Smackdown. Dillinger was wrestling Shinsuke Nakamura when Randy Orton made a run-in and attacked Dillinger.
When WWE correspondents caught up with Orton later in the show, they asked him why he targetted Dillinger. Orton simply responded that he is not fond of Tye’s “Perfect 10” gimmick.
Dillinger’s response to Orton was just a succinct as Orton’s reasoning for attacking him:
Prior to attacking Dillinger on Smackdown Tuesday night, Orton had been involved in a feud with Jeff Hardy. The rivalry led to Orton pulling a screwdriver through Hardy’s stretched earlobes during Hell in a Cell.
Orton’s rivalry with Jeff Hardy also began after Orton attacked Hardy while he was wrestling Shinsuke Nakamura. In fact, he would attack Hardy multiple times during his matches against Nakamura. It’s possible that Nakamura and Orton could be revealed as having a spoken or unspoken alliance. Neither Orton nor Shinsuke Nakamura has a match scheduled for Super Show-Down in Australia on October 6th.
As for Dillinger, his match against Nakamura on Tuesday was his first match on Smackdown in nearly two months. Prior to Tuesday, his last match was a loss to Samoa Joe on a Smackdown from July.
The opening of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw the former Diva’s Champion Brie Bella returning to SmackDown Live and attacking the duo of Miz and Maryse.
After this, it was revealed that General Manager Paige has made a mixed tag team match between Miz and Maryse and Daniel and Brie official for the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV.
Following this announcement, both Bryan and Bella were interviewed backstage where they talked about their upcoming match and what advantage they have over their opponent. You can check out their full interview in the video below:
Injured Star Returns To Action
We noted before how SmackDown Live Star Tye Dillinger appeared to have suffered an injury last week while he was competing in a Live Event match with Shelton Benjamin.
Dillinger was knocked out during the bout. The referee then threw the X sign indicating that he was injured for real and the former NXT Star had been away from ring ever since.
Tye made his in-ring return during a Live Event this Monday Night. He teamed up with The Usos to defeat Shelton Benjamin and The Bar and so it seems like his injury was nothing serious.
It looks like some old Tweets from WWE Cruiserweight Champion Cedric Alexander and SmackDown Live star Tye Dillinger are coming back to haunt them.
Some fans dug up some old Tweets from the pair which are pretty insensitive to rape. Both Tweets are several years old, as Alexander’s was allegedly from 2012 while Dillinger’s is from 2011.
— HK of Mark Out Mania (@RealMarkoutHK) July 31, 2018
Both men have since deleted the Tweets. Dillinger actually issued out an apology for them, while Alexander deleted all Tweets that he has ever made from his account:
I have no excuse for my old tweets. I was a different person six years ago, and I’m beyond ashamed at what I considered “humor” . I’m so damn embarrassed and I’m truly sorry to anyone I’ve offended.
Alexander, a former Ring Of Honor (ROH) star, signed with WWE back in 2016 after competing in the Cruiserweight Classic Tournament. After a small run on NXT, Alexander debuted on 205 Live. At WrestleMania 34 Alexander won the Cruiserweight Title when he defeated Mustafa Ali. Alexander defeated four men, including Ali, to capture the then-vacant title.
Dillinger’s initial run with WWE started back in 2006. He was sent to the company’s then-developmental territory of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). When WWE decided to relaunch ECW, Dillinger was one of the Superstars called up from Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) for the project.
He was released after only a few months. Dillinger returned to the independent circuit for four years before once again getting the call from WWE. He joined NXT, where he remained for four years and was then finally called up to the main roster.
Dillinger made his SmackDown Live debut on April 4th of 2017. He has yet to win a title under the WWE’s banner.
Last night on Smackdown, Samoa Joe was scheduled to face Tye Dillinger. The match never happened, however. Joe attacked Dillinger before the show began and the match never took place.
After the conclusion of both Smackdown and 205 Live, WWE posted footage of Joe’s attack.
Dillinger took to Twitter to complain about the attack. “Yeah, I don’t win very often but I welcome all challenges and fight my battles head-on,” Dillinger Tweeted. “Win, lose or draw I’ll look a man in the eye before either giving or taking the first shot… Before the cameras rolled…This was just straight up bull***”
Samoa Joe vs Tye Dillinger
This match was scheduled as a result of a backstage segment from last week. R-Truth was in the backstage area and asked Tye Dillinger to be his new tag-team partner. Dillinger told Truth he was focussed more on his single’s career at the moment. This led Truth to then volunteer Dillinger up to face Samoa Joe this week.
Dillinger doesn’t get a lot of wins on WWE programming. Not including house shows, he hasn’t won a match since March. He teamed with Breezeango to defeat Chad Gable, Mojo Rawley, and Shelton Benjamin that night. His last single’s victory on WWE programming was last October when he defeated Baron Corbin.
Joe has been without a program for much of the year. He feuded with Roman Reigns early in 2018 but an injury kept him off WrestleMania and he’s been largely just floating since then.
In June, Joe announced he will be going to Mars. It is not clear what inter-planetary championships will be available to him once he leaves.
R-Truth has been dealing with an arm injury since October. Despite his injury, he did compete at in the WrestleMania Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal this year. Aside from that match, however, Truth hasn’t wrestled since an October 14th, 2017 house show match against Elias.
Truth was backstage at Smackdown last night, however. He appears to be looking for a new tag-team partner as well. Despite coming to believe he is an alien, Truth first asked Tye Dillinger to be his new partner. When that didn’t work out, Truth then challenged Samoa Joe to face Dillinger in a future match.
WWE.com has released video of the interaction:
R-Truth WWE Career
46-year-old Ron Aaron Killings has been wrestling professionally for 21 years. He was first signed to WWE in 1999. His first stint with the company lasted only a few years, however. He was released by the company in 2002 and wrestled in TNA for 5 years. Killings even won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on 2 occasions while he was there.
He returned to WWE in 2008 and has been there ever since. Truth’s WWE resume includes winning the Hardcore championship twice, the US title once, and the WWE tag titles once along with Kofi Kingston. He is also a 2x Slammy Award Winner, having won awards in 2008 (best musical performance) and 2015 (LOL moment of the year).
In TNA, Truth is a 2x NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 2x NWA World Tag Team Champion (w/ 3 Live Crew), and once won the TNA Tag Team titles as well with Adam “Pacman” Jones.
Another weekend, another main roster WWE star making a surprise appearance at an NXT event.
WWE held an NXT live event on last weekend in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the show, The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) made a surprise appearance.
Tyler Breeze also made a surprise appearance at NXT live event last weekend. This is starting to become a trend within the WWE.
WWE held an NXT live event on Saturday night in Orlando, FL at the Englewood Neighborhood Center. At the show, Tye Dillinger ended up answering the open challenge from Marcel Barthel. Dillinger would go on to win the match.
What are your thoughts on the sports entertainment company sending main roster stars down to NXT to work live events? Sound off in the comment section below.
Some WWE Superstars stick with the same character and the same general persona for the entirety of their careers. Others are given drastic overhauls, some several times, before things click. There are several Superstars on the RAW and SmackDown rosters we feel could benefit from shaking up their images. Here are 4 of them:
Tye Dillinger
Photo credit: WWE.com
Tye Dillinger exploded onto the main roster scene at the 2017 Royal Rumble with great potential and hope from NXT. And now he’s being kept away from his full potential because WWE don’t like his “10” chants… so they entered him at number 10 in the 2018 Royal Rumble…?
The whole situation around Tye Dillinger is confusing, it just doesn’t make sense.
Unfortunately I kind of think that Dillinger may have jinxed himself when he told Sky Sports that he’d be happy if he never achieved anything ever again after making his debut on the main roster in 2017… oh dear.
Tye Dillinger is the only entrant on this list that isn’t injured.
While Tye Dillinger has made appearances on SmackDown Live, and even challenged for the odd title, he’s never been involved in a significant feud, story arc, or title challenge. He sits with the likes of Tyler Breeze, who both shone as stars of NXT but have been unable to make a lasting impact on the main roster.
Tyler Breeze was close to making this list, but his success with The Fashion Police has kept him more relevant than Dillinger.
Jeff Hardy
With the spot light on Woken Matt Hardy, many may have forgotten the injured Jeff Hardy who has been sat on the sidelines recently with a torn rotator cuff.
With the anniversary of their return to WWE coming up, the main focus of the last year has been on their partnership as a tag team and the development of the Broken gimmick. What people may have overlooked is that Jeff Hardy was the valuable talent and draw before they left WWE.
Jeff had significantly more WWE title reigns than Matt during their previous stint in WWE, but this contrasts with the resurgence and popularity that Matt Hardy nurtured and grew. It’ll be interesting to see whether WWE split the brothers up; especially since Jeff has appeared to follow his brother, allowing Matt to cover all the promos and onscreen interviews.
The main question though is whether Jeff will come back as himself, The Enigma, or as The Nefarious Brother Nero. Hopefully The Ultimate Deletion between Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will offer further answers.
Either way, Jeff Hardy should take this opportunity and return repackaged as something different to what we have previously seen since WrestleMania 33.
Big Cass
The following comment from the SEScoops community may some up how Big Cass is perceived in the WWE Universe:
“Big Who?”
A torn ACL, an almost career ending injury, has prevented the 7ft superstar from competing since the middle of last year. The last anyone saw of him was when Big Cass turned heel against his tag team partner Enzo Amore, attempting to make a name for himself as a power house and next tallest athlete on the roster.
Many fans were frustrated with the continuing feud between Big Cass and Enzo Amore, but now that Amore has been released due to allegations of sexual assault, Big Cass has an open opportunity to break free and clear a new path for himself.
Having seen how much Braun Strowman has achieved since leaving Bray Wyatt’s family, it may have been WWE’s plan to pit the two against each other, with the crowd favouring Strowman as a face compared to Big Cass who received instant negativity from the crowd.
To demonstrate exactly how negative a reaction Big Cass received, it would be hard to predict who would be jeered more, Big Cass or Jinder Mahal.
Big Cass’s sole mission should be to give himself purpose and make himself relevant having cut ties with Enzo Amore, as well as Carmella. If Big Cass had a target or goal, it should be to make the WWE Universe say: “THAT’S BIG CASS!?” with a new persona and image.
Dean Ambrose
I am guilty of constantly forgetting about Dean Ambrose at the moment. It wasn’t long ago that he was competing as part of The Shield and as one half of the RAW Tag Team Champions, but surgery on a torn tricep in December has ruled him out for 9 months.
Ambrose has also been WWE Champion and Intercontinental Champion in recent years, and has been a solid work horse for the company.
Unfortunately, Ambrose appears to have the longest journey back into the ring, and therefore back into relevancy within the WWE Universe. He won’t be seen in the ring until after SummerSlam at best and won’t have a direction or set angle to return to, unlike Jeff Hardy.
The key word here is ‘relevancy’. Dean Ambrose runs the risk of returning and not being current or fresh. His rumoured heel turn on The Shield has been put on hold, and Seth Rollins is likely to have moved on from his role in the tag team championship race as he faces a triple threat match at WrestleMania in April. Therefore Ambrose will need to find his own way back that captures the WWE Universe.
I think he’s capable of making a successful return with a fresh perspective, but if it involves yet another feud with The Miz… NO!! It has been done time and time again. Leave it now and move on.
Discussion:
Are there any other superstars who need to be repackaged in WWE?
– Earlier today SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon announced on Twitter that the Triple Threat match between AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn for the WWE Title at Fastlane will now be a Fatal Four-Way match. Next week’s SmackDown Live match between Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler will determine the fourth entrant. AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler took to Twitter to react to the news:
– As he was discussing SmackDown Live’s Top 10 list on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed why Tye Dillinger has been kept off WWE TV. Meltzer revealed WWE doesn’t want fans doing the “10” chant anymore:
“Dillinger is just a guy on the brand that works prelims and they put him at number 10 and it makes for a cute minute for people to chant 10, which they don’t even want people to chant anyway. That’s why they keep him off TV so much because they don’t want people chanting 10. So the whole thing is completely stupid.”
