Shawn Spears reached back to one of the most recognizable elements of his earlier WWE career at the October 15 NXT live event in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Competing at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, Spears made his entrance to “Perfect 10,” the theme music closely associated with his previous NXT identity, Tye Dillinger. The music immediately connected the current Spears presentation with the character that made the “Perfect 10” gesture a familiar part of his first run in WWE developmental territory.

Spears was part of an eight-man tag team match at the event, joining Shiloh Hill, Tavion Heights, and Tony D’Angelo against BirthRight’s Lexis King, Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors, and Stacks Lorenzo. Spears’ side came away with the victory.

The theme change was the standout development from the live event, particularly because it arrived amid Spears’ extended absence from NXT television. He has not appeared on NXT programming since July, shortly after his removal from The Culling. While a live-event entrance change does not automatically establish a permanent direction for television, the use of “Perfect 10” was a deliberate nod to a defining part of Spears’ past.

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A familiar sound for Spears in Canada

The Kitchener appearance carried added weight beyond the entrance music. Following the match, Spears addressed the crowd and indicated that the NXT live event could be his final occasion wrestling in Canada.

No further details were established regarding what Spears meant by the comment or whether it signals a larger change in his career. The statement nevertheless gave the hometown-region crowd a potentially significant moment, with Spears performing in Ontario while revisiting the music tied to his earlier rise in NXT.

Spears, who previously wrestled as Tye Dillinger during his initial NXT and WWE run, became heavily identified with the “Perfect 10” concept. The character’s central gesture and crowd participation helped distinguish him during a period in which NXT audiences regularly embraced performers whose personalities could develop over time at live events as well as on television.

Bringing that theme back does not necessarily mean Spears is fully returning to the Tye Dillinger persona. He competed under his established Shawn Spears name in Kitchener, and no formal announcement was made regarding a name change, a new character direction, or a television return. Still, entrance music is a major component of wrestling presentation, and reviving a song so strongly linked to a prior identity naturally invites attention.

Spears’ status after The Culling exit

Spears’ most recent NXT television stretch placed him within The Culling. His time away from the brand began shortly after he was kicked out of the group in July, leaving his immediate on-screen direction unresolved.

That context made the Kitchener entrance especially notable. Rather than arriving with a presentation directly associated with The Culling, Spears used a theme that reminded fans of a much earlier chapter of his career. The decision may simply have been designed to give the Canadian crowd a memorable live-event moment, but it also creates obvious interest in how Spears could be positioned when he next appears on NXT television.

At this stage, there is no confirmed indication that the “Perfect 10” theme will become Spears’ regular entrance music. There is likewise no announced timetable for his return to televised NXT competition. The live event did, however, demonstrate that WWE is willing to acknowledge the lasting connection between Spears and the persona that originally made him a standout to many NXT fans.

For wrestlers whose careers span multiple promotions and several different creative phases, callbacks can carry different meanings. They can function as a tribute to a previous era, a way to energize a specific market, or the beginning of a more substantial character reset. Spears’ use of “Perfect 10” in Kitchener currently leaves room for all of those possibilities without confirming any one of them.

Eight-man tag victory gives Spears a successful night

The music was the headline attraction, but Spears also left Kitchener on the winning side of the ring. Teaming with Hill, Heights, and D’Angelo, he defeated the BirthRight lineup of King, Dempsey, Connors, and Lorenzo.

Live events frequently offer opportunities for combinations that may not be active on weekly television, and this match brought together several contrasting personalities from the NXT roster. D’Angelo’s inclusion placed Spears alongside one of the brand’s prominent figures, while King and Dempsey gave the opposing side recognizable NXT names. The result allowed Spears to make a positive in-ring return to an NXT audience after months away from the televised product.

The presence of Stacks Lorenzo on the opposing team also added an interesting wrinkle given his history alongside D’Angelo. However, the key result from Kitchener remains straightforward: Spears, Hill, Heights, and D’Angelo defeated BirthRight.

For Spears, the outcome complemented the broader presentation of the night. He was not simply brought in for a nostalgic entrance or a brief appearance. He worked a full multi-person match, earned a victory with his teammates, and then addressed the crowd afterward. That combination made the event feel more meaningful than a routine untelevised stop, especially for fans in attendance who may have seen a possible farewell to Spears competing in Canada.

The lasting significance of the ‘Perfect 10’ connection

The Tye Dillinger era remains an important reference point in Spears’ wrestling journey. The “Perfect 10” identity gave audiences a simple, participatory hook and helped make him memorable during his earlier NXT tenure. Even after Spears moved through other stages of his career and returned to WWE under his own name, the association between the performer and that theme has remained clear.

That history is why the Kitchener entrance resonated. A theme song can instantly reconnect an audience with a certain period, emotional response, and set of expectations. In Spears’ case, “Perfect 10” evokes the version of the performer whose crowd interaction became central to his appeal. Using it in Ontario, with a post-match comment suggesting he may not wrestle in Canada again, added an unmistakably reflective quality to the moment.

There is also a difference between nostalgia and regression. A return to a familiar theme does not require a wrestler to repeat every aspect of an old character. Spears has accumulated far more experience since his first NXT run, and his current position could ultimately blend established elements of his past with a different role on the roster. Until NXT presents him again on television, though, the exact creative intent remains unknown.

What is certain is that Spears gave fans in Kitchener a reminder of a persona that still holds value years later. The reaction to a recognizable entrance can be as important as the entrance itself, particularly in a live-event environment where the audience is there to enjoy unique moments that may not occur on weekly broadcasts.

What comes next for Shawn Spears?

Spears’ Kitchener appearance leaves several questions open. Will “Perfect 10” remain part of his entrance presentation? Will his exit from The Culling lead to an individual storyline on NXT television? And was his message to the Canadian crowd a personal reflection, a farewell, or the beginning of a new chapter?

There are no confirmed answers yet. The available facts point only to a notable live-event appearance: Spears returned to the theme associated with Tye Dillinger, helped his team defeat BirthRight, and told the audience that this could have been his last time wrestling in Canada.

Those details were enough to make October 15 in Kitchener a memorable night for Spears and for the fans who associate him with the “Perfect 10” era. Whether the moment becomes an isolated tribute or a meaningful step toward his next NXT direction will be determined when Spears next returns to WWE television.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.