Before Spears wraps up his in-ring career, he wants to hold a title in a major promotion.
Last month, Shawn Spears returned to AEW programming after being away since late May. After his return bout on Rampage on 10/15, Spears addressed his absence from the company and shared publicly that he lost his mother.
Spears talked about how he’s feeling present day and more subjects were covered when he joined Renée Paquette on The Sessions podcast. Spears has been wrestling for over 20 years and expressed that he still feels good. As they were conversing about what could be next for him, he stated that he’s winding down.
He added that he does not have a lot of time left and when asked if he meant contractually or body-wise, he said both. Spears clarified the ‘body-wise’ remark and said he means it in a sense that he’s never worked a top of the card, champion schedule.
I am winding down, I don’t have a lot of time left. That’s probably the main reason why I put pressure on myself now.
Both [Spears responded when Paquette asked if he means contractually or body-wise]. Body-wise, I’m in really good shape. I’m in great shape, best shape of my life. I mean it in a sense where I’ve never been at the main event, top of the card, champion schedule. You understand the champion schedule. Jon [Moxley] is all over the place. That’s a champion’s schedule. A champion’s schedule is staying ‘till the end of the night. You’re last, you’re going out there, 30 minutes every night and busting your ass and then you’re jumping in a car, driving to where you gotta go. I never had to do the champion’s schedule, so my body after almost 21 years is in really good condition, based on what I have done, but there’s very few things that I would like to do left in wrestling. I’ve been pushing to try and check off a few of those boxes before my time is done and it’s been difficult and it’s been a challenge, but not more challenging than anything else I have been through in 20-plus years so, that’s where I put the pressure on myself nowadays if I’m being honest.
Spears alongside Cassie Lee are expecting to welcome a child into the world. He wants to win a singles championship in a major company to be able to have something to display to his child from his wrestling career.
He brought up a photo that the late Jon Huber (Brodie Lee) has with his children and the TNT Championship. If Spears had his pick of any title, he said he’s always wanted to be WWE Intercontinental Champion.
So, my favorite picture of all time, aside from anything my wife [Cassie Lee] is currently in or will be in the future with my son, is Brodie, Brodie Lee, very good friend of mine. He has a picture with his son, both sons actually, holding the TNT Title and they’re both so happy and they’re both — like, you can see it on his face how proud he is. You can see how proud they are of him. He’s their hero. I want that same thing between me and my son and when my son comes to me one day and says, I wanna be a World Series baseball player, yeah, you can do it. Think so? Yeah, here’s why. This is what dad did. This is dad’s reward and he gets to hold it and see it and look at it and you know, that’s what I’m envious of Jon [Moxley] of. Nora’s one day gonna pick up his stuff and go, dad, what’s this? And he gets to tell her stories and he gets to tell her that moment. Hopefully that inspires her to go, I want my moment too and then she goes and chases it. That’s the idea behind that, so my goal is to be decorated, is to win a championship in a major company. AEW or elsewhere. That is my goal. Just so I can have that time and that prize to show my son in the future.
Being completely honest, I have always seen myself as an Intercontinental Champion. So I grew up on the Mr. Perfects and the Rick Rudes and The Ultimate Warrior and as I got into wrestling, it was always known as the workhorse championship. So I had always seen myself in that zone. So in a perfect world, yeah, it’d be the Intercontinental Championship.
Spears has been a part of AEW since 2019. When he came back in October 2022, he was donning the ‘Perfect 10’ character and realigned with FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler).
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit The Sessions with Renée Paquette with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
