Shawn Spears surprised WWE fans by bringing back his old “Perfect 10” character during an NXT live event held on Thursday night in Kitchener, Canada. He used his old entrance music again, which became quite popular during his run with the company as Tye Dillinger.
The return to his roots happened in the main event of the show, when Spears appeared as the surprise partner of Tony D’Angelo, Tavion Heights and Shiloh Hill to face BirthRight, consisting of Lexis King, Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo.
Spears’ team was victorious after D’Angelo won the match by pinning Lorenzo. Right after the match, in fact, Spears gave a speech recalling his 25-year career. He said that this could have been his last time in Canada, pointing out that he could not have chosen a better place to say goodbye to the fans.
The “Perfect 10” character officially debuted in WWE NXT in August 2015, when Spears was still using the name Tye Dillinger. The gimmick became one of the most popular of his run with the developmental brand, which later led him to SmackDown.
Since his return to WWE in 2024, Spears had been using a different character, leading The Culling. However, he was kicked out of the group by Izzi Dame and Niko Vance in June of this year, ending his involvement in the stable.
The use of the old music and signature gestures was limited to the appearance in Kitchener, meaning Spears should not be expected to return with this presentation.