Ronnie William Arneill
(born February 19, 1981) is a Canadian
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
and professional wrestling trainer currently signed to
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW) under the
ring name Shawn Spears, where he is a current member of
The Pinnacle. He is also known for his time with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
under the ring name Tye Dillinger.
Having begun his career on the independent circuit as Shawn Spears, Arneill initially joined WWE in 2006 and worked for the company between 2006 and 2009, performing in the
developmental territories Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW) and
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW) as well as briefly on the main roster brand
ECW under the slightly modified ring name Gavin Spears. After being released from WWE in 2009, he returned to the independent scene, before rejoining WWE in 2013 where he was assigned to
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
under the new
gimmick of Tye Dillinger. After a rise in popularity, Dillinger was promoted to the main roster in April 2017, working on the
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand until his second release from the company in February 2019.
Shortly after leaving WWE, he signed with the newly founded promotion All Elite Wrestling in May 2019, reverting to his Shawn Spears name.
Early life
Born and raised in
St. Catharines, Ontario, Arneill attended Laura Secord Secondary School.
He played hockey for over ten years until he decided to leave the sport and enter professional wrestling.
During his childhood, he was a fan of
Rick Rude
Richard Erwin Rood (December 7, 1958 – April 20, 1999), better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling ...
,
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, Rick Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association, the ...
, and
Mr. Perfect.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2002–2006)
Arneill trained at the Hart Wrestling School in Cambridge Ontario with Smith Hart, Ike Shaw and Waldo Von Erich and then with
Eric Young at the WrestlePlex
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...
before receiving further training from Derek Wylde and
Cody Deaner
Christopher Gray (born March 7, 1982), better known by his ring name Cody Deaner, is a Canadian professional wrestler signed with Impact Wrestling, where he competes under the ring name Deaner (a shortened version of his previous ring name) and ...
.
Upon wrestling his debut match in March 2002 as Shawn Spears, he began wrestling for some of the biggest independent wrestling promotions throughout Ontario and the United States, including
Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling (BCW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion owned and booked by Scott D'Amore, and based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Many of the promotion's employees were trained at the ''Can-Am'' wrestling school. Aft ...
,
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling (WXW) is a Florida-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam.
The pr ...
, and
Blood Sweat and Ears. On February 27, 2005, Arneill made an appearance on an edition of ''
WWE Heat
''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...
'', unsuccessfully teaming with Mikael Yamaha to face
The Hurricane and Rosey.
After sending a tape to
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE) officials, Arneill was called for a try-out in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
.
He was signed to a developmental contract by WWE following the tryout, on January 21, 2006.
He made a cameo appearance at
Cyber Sunday as an employee called "Stan", who gets superkicked by
Shawn Michaels of
D-Generation X
D-Generation X (DX) is an American professional wrestling stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
The group originated in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in the midst of the "Attitud ...
when Michaels is told that he doesn't understand the meaning of the word "controversial".
World Wrestling Entertainment (2006–2009)
Developmental territories (2006–2008)
![ShawnSpears](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/ShawnSpears.jpg)
After signing his WWE contract, Arneill was assigned to the company's
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
,
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW). He made his OVW television debut as "The Canadian Sensation" Shawn Spears, where he defeated then-
SmackDown! superstar
Simon Dean
Michael Bucci (born June 5, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler. Bucci is best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) as Nova, Super Nova, and "Hollywood" Nova and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as S ...
. After his victory, Dean attacked Spears until Spears was saved by
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Sn ...
, who fended off Dean with a chair. After his debut, Spears quickly made an impact in OVW with a short undefeated streak that was soon ended by
Aaron "The Idol" Stevens when Stevens made Spears
submit. After this, Spears formed a tag team with
Cody Runnels
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
and they feuded with
The Throwbacks for the
Southern Tag Team Championship. On December 15, 2006, Spears and Runnels won the title from The Throwbacks. During 2006 Spears appeared at
Cyber Sunday 2006 as backstage producer Stan, getting superkicked by Shawn Michaels.
On March 17, 2007, Spears won the
Television Championship from
Boris Alexiev, his first singles title in OVW. Soon after winning the title, he became more focused on championships and even began trying to steal Runnels'
Heavyweight Championship opportunity. During Runnels' Heavyweight Title match, Spears interfered and performed a
piledriver to Runnels, preventing him from winning the Heavyweight Championship and thus solidifying his
heel turn. Spears then began
feuding with Runnels and eventually lost the Television Championship to him on July 6, 2007 before winning it back one week later. He once again lost the title on September 19 to the debuting Ted "Manbeast" McNailer. Spears later regained the Television Title, only to lose it to
Colt Cabana. Spears then began feuding with Cabana and the pair would go on to win the vacant Tag Team Title with on November 7 after defeating
Paul Burchill
Paul Birchall (born 8 October 1979), better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English retired professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE. Prior to joining WWE, Burchill wrestled for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance and oth ...
and
Stu Sanders. On December 19, Cabana and Spears' feud culminated in a
ladder match in which the winner would claim the Tag Team titles for themselves and choose a new partner. Spears lost to Cabana, who then chose Charles "The Hammer" Evans as his new tag team partner.
After OVW split with WWE, Spears debuted in WWE's new
development territory,
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW), and teamed up with
Nic Nemeth to defeat The Puerto Rican Nightmares for the
Florida Tag Team Championship
The FCW Florida Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling, (FCW), a former developmental territory of WWE. It was contested for in their tag team division. The c ...
on August 17.
Nearly a month later, Nemeth and Spears lost the title to
Joe Hennig
Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler better known by the ring name Curtis Axel. Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and wrestled at their Developmental territory, developmental terri ...
and
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football fo ...
on September 11.
ECW (2008–2009)
On the August 19 episode of ''
ECW'', Spears made his WWE television debut as a heel under the name Gavin Spears as part of
Theodore Long
Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional referee and manager known for his work for WWE and WCW serving as an on-screen authority figure. Long began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance ...
's "New Superstar Initiative" in a losing effort to
Ricky Ortiz
Richard Young (born May 12, 1975) is an American retired professional wrestler and former football player. He is best known for his work with WWE performing under the ring name Ricky Ortiz.
Young spent time in the XFL, the Canadian Football ...
. After his
ECW debut, Spears began splitting time between ECW and FCW. On the September 2 edition of ''ECW'', Spears was defeated by
Super Crazy. After a three-month absence due to competing in FCW, Spears returned to television on the December 16 episode of ''ECW'', where he lost to
Finlay
Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh.
Given name Finlay
* Finlay Mickel, Scottish skier
*Finlay Currie (1878–1968), Scottish actor
* Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby pl ...
in what turned out to be his final match for the company. On January 9, 2009, Arneill was released from his contract.
Independent circuit (2009–2013)
![Shawn Spears in 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Shawn_Spears_in_2011.jpg)
The day before he had been released from WWE, Arneill had broken his hand, and was unable to wrestle for 12 weeks following his release as a result.
On May 27, 2009, Spears wrestled and lost to fellow WWE alumnus
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke (born May 24, 1981) is an American professional wrestler also known under the ring names "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero and Da Pope. He currently wrestles for National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as "Da Pope" Elijah Burke, where he i ...
in a tryout dark match for
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promo ...
at their ''
Impact!'' television tapings. On June 12, Spears made an appearance for
Ring of Honor (ROH), where he defeated Alex Payne.
On May 16, 2010, Arneill, under his Gavin Spears ring name, teamed up with
El Hijo de L.A. Park
El Hijo de L.A. Park (born November 20, 1988) is a Mexican ''Luchador'' '' enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. His ring name ("The Son of L.A. Park") indicates he is the son of Adolfo Tapia, the original La Parka, who currently wrest ...
in a losing effort to Dr. Wagner III and Gigante Extassis on an Extreme Air Wrestle show in Mexico, marking his first tour of Mexico.
On May 28 and 29, Arneill made appearances at the 2010
Anime North
Anime North (AN) is a non-profit, fan-run anime convention, held every year in Etobicoke, a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its major attractions, activities and events include a Masquerade, a Dealers Room, an Artists Alley, Guest of H ...
convention.
On August 15, he teamed up with
Idol Stevens to capture the
WWC World Tag Team Championship
The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.
History Abroad (2017)
On February 11, 2017, Thunder and Lightning defended the WWC World T ...
after defeating
Thunder and Lightning. On October 31, Spears and Stevens lost the World Tag Team Title back to Thunder and Lightning.
Return to WWE (2013–2019)
NXT (2013–2017)
On September 15, 2013, it was reported that Spears had re-signed with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
, and he was assigned to WWE's
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
under the ring name Tye Dillinger. He made his televised ''
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'' debut in a losing effort against
Mojo Rawley
Dean Muhtadi ( ar, دين موهتادي; born July 17, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American professional football player. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mojo Rawle ...
. In early 2014, Dillinger formed a tag team with
Jason Jordan
Nathan Everhart (born September 28, 1988) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jason Jordan. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. He has not wrestled since suffering a neck injury in Janu ...
, with the two described as a pair of
blue chip athletes. The team of Dillinger and Jordan got their first televised win on the April 17 episode of ''NXT'', defeating
Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former off ...
and
Sawyer Fulton
Jacob Southwick (born April 2, 1990) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling under the ring name Madman Fulton, where he was a former member of OVE ( Ohio Versus Everything). He also wrestled in WWE on thei ...
. On the June 5 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger and Jordan defeated
local competitors. On the August 7 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger and Jordan lost in the first round of a
NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on January 2 ...
tournament to
Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady
FreeAgentZ (formerly known as Enzo and Cass) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of nZo and CaZXL. The duo are best known for their tenure with WWE, from 2013 to 2017, under the respective ring names, Enzo Amore and Big Cas ...
. Dillinger and Jordan then appeared infrequently together, with Dillinger mostly being used as
enhancement talent. On the February 25, 2015 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger's partnership with Jordan officially ended when Jordan unhappy with his partner not initially tagging him in, jumped off the apron and walked out on Dillinger just as he went to make the tag.
After the match, an enraged Dillinger called out his old partner but instead was met with a quick loss to Baron Corbin.
[
On the August 12 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger debuted a new gimmick as the "Perfect 10" and defeated Solomon Crowe. He faced the debuting ]Apollo Crews
Sesugh Uhaa (born August 22, 1987) is a Nigerian-American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Apollo Crews.
He started his career in 2009, originally working under the ring name ...
at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn and another debuting Andrade "Cien" Almas at NXT TakeOver: The End, but he lost both matches. On the September 28, 2016 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger was approached by Bobby Roode, who proposed the two team up for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which Dillinger accepted. On the October 12 episode of ''NXT'', Roode walked out on Dillinger during a tag team match against SAnitY ( Alexander Wolfe and Sawyer Fulton), resulting in the team losing in the first round. The following week on ''NXT'', Dillinger called out Roode for a match at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, thus turning face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
in the process. At the event, Dillinger lost to Roode.
On the December 14 episode of ''NXT'', Dillinger defeated Eric Young by disqualification in a number one contender's Fatal 4-Way qualifying match. At NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, Dillinger was defeated by Young following a distraction from Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain. At NXT TakeOver: Orlando, Dillinger teamed up with Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due t ...
, Kassius Ohno
Cassius may refer to:
People
* Cassius, an ancient Roman family name, see Cassia gens
**Gaius Cassius Longinus (died 42 BC), Roman senator and a leader of Julius Caesar's assassination
** Avidius Cassius (130–175), usurper Roman Emperor
* Cass ...
and Ruby Riot to take on SAnitY in an 8-person mixed tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
in a losing effort. Dillinger made his last NXT appearance on the April 5 tapings, closing out the event by winning a Steel Cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
against Eric Young.
SmackDown (2017–2019)
On January 29, 2017, at Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, Dillinger was a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
, entering at number 10 but was eliminated by Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Braun Strowman.
In WWE, he is a one-time U ...
. On the April 4 episode of ''SmackDown Live
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simul ...
'', Dillinger would make his main roster debut, defeating Curt Hawkins
Brian Myers (born April 20, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is a former Impact Digital Media Champion. He is best known for his tenures in WWE from 2006–2014 and 2016–2020 unde ...
. Dillinger would enter a short feud with Aiden English
Matthew Thomas Rehwoldt (born October 7, 1987) is an American color commentator and retired professional wrestler who currently appears in Impact Wrestling where he performs under his real name. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he per ...
, defeating him on various episodes of ''SmackDown Live'', leading to a match at Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
, where Dillinger once again defeated English to end their feud.
On the July 4 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Dillinger would compete in an Independence Day Battle Royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
to determine the number one contender to the United States Championship, lasting until the final three before being eliminated by Sami Zayn
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to jo ...
. At Battleground, Dillinger briefly reignited his feud with English, with Dillinger facing him in a losing effort. On the August 29 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Dillinger would confront and brawl with Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former off ...
, who was about to answer an open challenge set by AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
for the United States Championship. After Dillinger would fight off Corbin, he would take on Styles' challenge in a losing effort. On the September 12 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Dillinger would get another shot at the title against Styles, once again in a losing effort. After trading victories with Corbin on various episodes of ''SmackDown Live'', both Dillinger and Corbin would challenge Styles for the United States Championship at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
in a triple threat match, where Corbin would win the title. On the December 26 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Dillinger would compete in a United States Championship tournament, after former champion Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
vacated the title the week before, where Dillinger would be defeated by Jinder Mahal
Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, under the ring name Jinder Mahal.
Having started his career on the independent circuit, Mahal joine ...
in the first round.
At Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, Dillinger was to be the number 10 entrant in the Royal Rumble match but was attacked backstage by Kevin Owens
Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens.
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in lat ...
and Sami Zayn, with Zayn taking his spot. At Fastlane, Dillinger would team with Breezango (Fandango
Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...
and Tyler Breeze
Matthew Clement (born January 19, 1988) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Tyler Breeze as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center.
From 2010 to 2012, he pe ...
), defeating the team of Chad Gable
Charles Edward Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He is a four-time tag team champion in ...
, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name.
He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
and Mojo Rawley
Dean Muhtadi ( ar, دين موهتادي; born July 17, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American professional football player. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mojo Rawle ...
. At WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
, Dillinger would compete in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugura ...
, where he was eliminated by Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
. In his final pay-per-view appearance, Dillinger competed in the Greatest Royal Rumble
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2018, a ...
, where he entered at number 42, but was quickly eliminated by Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Braun Strowman.
In WWE, he is a one-time U ...
. On the July 10 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Dillinger was scheduled to face Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AE ...
, however, Joe attacked him after the match, this led to the next week Dillinger to challenge Joe in a losing effort. At a WWE live event
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
on August 13, Dillinger was injured in a match with Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name.
He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
. The referee called for the end of the match, giving Benjamin the win via count out. Dillinger was promptly escorted backstage by officials. Dillinger returned on the September 25 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', challenging Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE United States Championship; however, he was attacked during the match by Randy Orton, in what was Dillinger's last televised match with the company.
Dillinger suffered a hand injury in October 2018 which kept him out of action for several months. He returned to in-ring competition at a house show on February 9, 2019; however, he was still not used on television. On February 19, 2019, Dillinger announced in a Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
statement that he had requested his release from WWE and was granted on February 22, 2019.
Return to independent circuit (2019)
After his release from WWE, Arneill reverted to using the ring name, Shawn Spears once again. On March 1, 2019, he announced on Twitter that he will be accepting bookings on the independent circuit starting May 31. On the June 5 episode of Beyond Wrestling's weekly show, Spears debuted for the promotion defeating Orange Cassidy
James Cipperly (born May 4, 1984), better known by his ring name Orange Cassidy, is an American professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW All-Atlantic Champion ...
in the main event.
All Elite Wrestling
Early feuds (2019–2020)
Arneill, under his previous name of Shawn Spears, debuted for All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW) at their inaugural pay-per-view event Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
, competing in the pre-show Casino Battle Royale
The Casino Battle Royale, with its tag team variant being the Casino Tag Team Royale, is a professional wrestling match utilized by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Both variations are modified rumble rules battle royals. The Casino Battle Royale featu ...
. He would fail to win, however, as the match was won by Adam Page
Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and ...
. In an interview with ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'', Spears stated he would be appearing with the promotion going forward. His signing would officially be announced on June 12. At Fyter Fest
AEW Fyter Fest is an annual professional wrestling event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event was established by the promotion in 2019 and is held during the summer; the first event was held in June but moved to July in 2020. The name, ...
in June, Spears established himself as a heel after hitting Cody
Cody may refer to:
People
*Cody (given name)
*Cody (surname)
* Cody (wrestler), a ring name of Cody Runnels
Places Canada
* Cody, British Columbia
United States
* Cody, Florida
* Cody (Duluth), Minnesota
* Cody, Missouri
* Cody, Nebraska
*Cody, ...
with a steel chair shot to the top of the head. Going forward he would begin calling himself "The Chairman of AEW". At All Out on August 31, Spears unsuccessfully faced Cody in a singles match. Leading to All Out, Spears aligned with Tully Blanchard
Tully Arthur Blanchard (born January 22, 1954) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and manager. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s as a member of ...
, who began acting as his manager. Spears would then start a feud with Joey Janela
Joseph Janela (born July 3, 1989) is an American professional wrestler. Janela is most known for his work with promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) ...
, after Janela had disrespected Blanchard. At Full Gear on November 9, Spears defeated Janela. In February 2020, Blanchard and Spears began a campaign to recruit a new tag team partner for Spears. However, the angle was soon dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Shortly after, Spears was used primarily in a comedic role as he mocked Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE ...
and the Rhodes family in a news report parody segment and challenged Dustin Rhodes to a match at Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
. At Double or Nothing, Spears had his clothes ripped off and was defeated by Dustin Rhodes.
On the June 3 episode of ''Dynamite'', Blanchard returned and berated Spears for making a joke out of himself at Double or Nothing. He then presented him with a black glove, similar to the one worn by Blackjack Mulligan
Robert Deroy Windham (November 25, 1942 – April 7, 2016), better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan, was an American professional wrestler and American football player. He was the father of wrestlers Barry and Kendall Windham, father-in ...
and Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
, that can be illegally loaded with a metal slug. Spears made his in-ring return on the June 16 edition of ''Dark
Darkness, the direct opposite of lightness, is defined as a lack of illumination, an absence of visible light, or a surface that absorbs light, such as black or brown.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low lu ...
'' wearing the black glove, scoring a submission victory over Lee Johnson after applying the Sharpshooter
A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...
on Johnson. Over the months, Spears claimed victories over various competitors, then knocked them out with his loaded black glove. He later disposed of the glove after an interview with AEW commentator Tony Schiavone
Noah Anthony Schiavone (, ; born November 7, 1957) is an American sports announcer, professional wrestling commentator and podcaster currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a play-by-play commentator and senior producer. He has pr ...
. In October, Spears began a short feud against Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Andrews is also known for his appearances with Ring of ...
after taunting him several times before his matches. On the November 11 episode of ''Dynamite'', Spears defeated Sky, ending their feud.
The Pinnacle (2020-2022)
After the December 23 episode of ''Dynamite'', Spears was absent from AEW television, but was present on the stage for the ten-bell salute In professional wrestling, a ten-bell salute is given to honor a wrestler who has died, especially when the wrestler is a current member of the promotion or a distinguished former member of the promotion. It is the professional wrestling equivalent ...
during the Brodie Lee Celebration of Life
The Brodie Lee Celebration of Life was a professional wrestling memorial event and television special produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event took place on December 30, 2020, at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida and was broadcast o ...
on December 30. He made his return on March 3, reuniting with Blanchard and FTR by helping them defeat Jurassic Express
Jurassic Express was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. The team performed in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where they are former AEW World Tag Team Champions.
History
Prior to signing with AEW, Jung ...
. On March 10, Spears, Blanchard and FTR joined a faction led by MJF, later known as The Pinnacle. Pinnacle would begin a feud with The Inner Circle, defeating them in a Blood and Guts match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of either four, five, or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not h ...
at Blood and Guts before losing in a Stadium Stampede match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
. In early 2022, the Pinnacle began to dissolve. Spears continued aligning himself with MJF in the latter's feud against Wardlow. Spears lost to Wardlow on the May 25 edition of Dynamite in a steel cage match, with MJF as special guest referee.
Face turn (2022-present)
Spears would return on the October 12 episode of Dynamite in Toronto as a face, reverting to his ‘Perfect 10’ gimmick from WWE.
Other media
Arneill, as Tye Dillinger, appears in the video games ''WWE 2K17
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
'' (as downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
), ''WWE 2K18
''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
'' and ''WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'' as a playable character.
Personal life
In August 2019, Arneill married Australian wrestler Cassandra McIntosh, best known by her ring names Peyton Royce and Cassie Lee.
It was announced on August 3, 2022, that he and McIntosh were expecting their first child together, later revealed to be a boy.
He along with wrestler Matthew Clement (better known as Tyler Breeze) run a wrestling school in Apopka, Florida
Apopka is a city in Orange County, Florida. The city's population was 55,000 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. ''Apopka'' comes from Seminole word ''Ahapopka'' for "Potato eating ...
, called Flatbacks Wrestling.
Championship and accomplishments
*American Combat Wrestling
**ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**King Of Florida (2010)
*Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
**FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
The FCW Florida Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling, (FCW), a former developmental territory of WWE. It was contested for in their tag team division. The c ...
( 1 time) – with Nic Nemeth
*Florida Underground Wrestling
**FUW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kenny Kendrick
*Ground Breaking Pro Wrestling
**GBPW Championship (1 time)
*Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
**OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) promotion. The original championship was designed and created in 1997 by Reggie Parks. The title was introduced on Aug ...
( 1 time)
**OVW Television Championship
The OVW Television Championship was the secondary championship of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), started on January 5, 2005. When the title was originally conceived, the champion defended against randomly selected opponents, with the winner receivin ...
( 3 times)[
**]OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
( 3 times) – with Cody Runnels
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(2) and Colt Cabana (1)
*Prairie Wrestling Alliance
The Prairie Wrestling Alliance (PWA, formerly Prairie Wrestling Association) is an independent wrestling promotion based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, since 2001. The PWA is co-owned, operated, and promoted by Kurt Sorochan. Lance Storm is a form ...
**PWA Commonwealth Championship (1 time, current)
*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''
**Ranked No. 114 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' in 2017
*Pure Wrestling Association
**PWA Pure Wrestling Championship (1 time)
*Tri-City Wrestling
**TCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
**WWC World Tag Team Championship
The WWC World Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council.
History Abroad (2017)
On February 11, 2017, Thunder and Lightning defended the WWC World T ...
( 1 time) – with Idol Stevens
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spears, Shawn
1981 births
All Elite Wrestling personnel
Canadian expatriate professional wrestlers in the United States
Canadian male professional wrestlers
Living people
Professional wrestlers from Ontario
Professional wrestling trainers
People from St. Catharines
Twitch (service) streamers
21st-century professional wrestlers
FCW Florida Tag Team Champions