On the first episode of “The Road to All Out,” Jim Ross sat down for an interview with Shawn Spears. Following Spears’ chair shot to the head of Cody at AEW Fyter Fest, Ross, as well as viewers, wanted answers. To say that the former Perfect 10 was honest would be an understatement, as he made it clear that he had carried a chip on his shoulder.
Spears said that, in day-to-day life, there were certain things that people are stressed to never say. This was no different in the world of professional wrestling. “You don’t call someone ‘a good hand,’ JR,” said Spears. “It’s a curse of this industry to be called ‘a good hand.’ He [Cody] should know better.” He prefaced this by saying that, until recently, Cody was one of his most trusted confidants in wrestling.
Later, Spears expanded on his time in OVW, where he trained alongside Cody. Spears was none too kind, referring to AEW’s Executive Vice President as a leech. “He came in, I taught him to wrestle; he said that those were his words,” Spears explained. “And then when that ran its course, he went on to bigger and better things. Bob Holly, Ted DiBiase, Jr., Damien Sandow; where are those guys now? Exactly.”
When Ross inquired about a future match, or fight, between Cody and Spears, the latter replied, “We both know when that day is going to be.” He then listed off the moments that they shared, which ultimately led to the aforementioned chair shot at Fyter Fest. Spears made it clear that he would be at All Out, in August, and he expected Cody to accept his challenge.
The interview concluded with Spears revealing the ‘ace’ up his sleeve: Tully Blanchard. All Elite Wrestling later revealed that his role, in the company, would be as Spears’ Exclusive Advisor.
Sutter’s Synopsis: Since Fyter Fest, fans longed for an explanation regarding Spears’ attack on Cody. This interview not only accomplished this but presented the former WWE Superstar as a cold, calculating threat.
The built-in storyline was evident when Shawn Spears originally signed with AEW during this interview with Jim Ross. He has a history with Cody dating back to their earliest days in wrestling, and their relationship only grew from there. However, while Cody immediately found himself in a prominent role on WWE television, Spears had to work his way through the independent circuit before ultimately finding his own position in WWE. These events, as well as others, led to Spears turning on his longtime friend at the end of his match at Fyter Fest. Personal feelings on the chair shot aside, I can’t deny that it helped tell a great story.
This story will come to a head at All Out, where Spears and Cody will undoubtedly face off in a violent encounter. Between this and Kenny Omega versus Jon Moxley, it’s fair to assume that All Out will be a show with little mercy.
