Shawn Spears may have left All Elite Wrestling because he felt it was time for a change, but now he’s finding himself at the center of a completely different conversation online after bragging about his WWE paycheck.
A fan took to Twitter and took a shot at Spears after he appeared on WWE Main Event, bringing up his move from AEW to NXT and then to Main Event.
“Poor Shawn Spears. From AEW to NXT to WWE Main Event.”
Spears didn’t let that one sit. Instead, he fired back by suggesting he’s still getting paid just fine in WWE: “… right to the bank 😉” That response immediately triggered a ton of backlash from wrestling fans, especially with WWE currently dealing with criticism surrounding budget cuts and roster releases. One fan fired back by questioning whether Spears is actually making more money now than he did in AEW.
“You work for a company cutting top talent’s salary in half while you are a midcarder in their developmental brand. There’s no shot you’re making more than you did in AEW.”
Others went even further, joking that Spears may have accidentally put a target on himself publicly by talking about money during a period where WWE has reportedly been cutting costs internally.
“Oh s***, we're gonna see this tweet so much during the next round of cuts. You could have avoided this.”
Another fan added: “Until you are part of budget cuts next month.” And another piled on with: “Bro just inadvertently told us he is the next round of budget cuts happening 🤣 thanks Shawn you could’ve just said nothing!”
The reaction comes during a period where WWE and TKO have faced ongoing criticism over contract restructuring, talent releases, and reported cost-cutting measures behind the scenes. Because of that, Spears’ “right to the bank” comment ended up hitting a nerve with a portion of the online fanbase almost immediately.
Bottom line: Shawn Spears tried to flex about making money in WWE after fans mocked his spot on WWE Main Event, but the response quickly turned ugly as critics used the moment to drag WWE’s recent budget-cutting reputation and question Spears’ standing within the company.
Do you think Shawn Spears handled the criticism well, or did the tweet just give fans even more ammunition to clown him online? Leave your thoughts below.
