"My time is coming to an end" - AEW star teases retirement after 2-decade career
AEW star Shawn Spears has expressed that he feels he is at a point in his career where he has slowed down. The 42-year-old has teased several times that he may be wrapping up his two-decade-long career.
Spears has been with the company since its first pay-per-view Double or Nothing 2019, as he competed in the Casino Battle Royale. The former Pinnacle member recently returned to the promotion, competing on Rampage against "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry in a losing effort.
In a recent interview with WrestleZone, Spears reflected on his current role in the Jacksonville-based promotion. The AEW star mentioned that he wants to have stellar matches against top names like MJF and Jay White before he hangs up his wrestling boots.
"So whether or not I’m going to be highlighted coming back, I don’t think that’s going to be a thing. I think my role in AEW is pretty set. I, for lack of a better [phrase], don’t care anymore. I want to go out and have banger matches, I wanna wrestle Jay White, I wanna wrestle FTR, I wanna wrestle Wardlow, I wanna wrestle Max, I wanna wrestle these guys because I’m winding down. My time is coming to an end. I wanna have banger matches before I’m done, get it out of my system, and ride off into the sunset.” [H/T - Fightful]
Spears was recently inserted into the feud between Ricky Starks and Bullet Club members Jay White and Juice Robinson. Unfortunately, he took the pinfall in the duo's tag team match against White and Robinson on the April 26, 2023, edition of Rampage.
What's next for AEW star Shawn Spears?
The AEW star has been a prominent name in the wrestling industry for over two decades, competing in top promotions like WWE and AEW. Considering his recent comments, one would ask the important question: What is next for Shawn Spears?
In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Spears mentioned that he had one final goal before retirement: to hold championship gold.
"I do wanna do it much longer, not because I am being forced out of it or anything health-wise I am in very good shape. I feel like I’ve done a lot. I think I’m pretty level-headed. But I’d like to win a championship. I’d like to win [a] championship in a major company, and reason being is one of my favorite photos ever is Jon Huber, Brodie Lee. I think it was his second time as a TNT Champion." [H/T - Sescoops]
Despite his recent losses since returning to AEW, the former Pinnacle member has impressed inside the squared circle. His alliance with Ricky Starks could lead to a long-term feud for the duo against Jay White and Juice Robinson.
These two 🥜 sacks….
#AEWRampage #AEW @AEW twitter.com/aew/status/165…
Fans will have to wait and see if Starks can bounce back and secure championship gold in AEW before he eventually retires from pro wrestling.
Do you think it's time for the superstar to retire, or is there much more in store for Spears? Let us know in the comments section below.