Shawn Spears stirred up controversy shortly after his AEW debut in 2019, hitting Cody Rhodes in the head with a chair at AEW’s Fyter Fest event that busted Rhodes open, giving Spears the nickname “The Chairman of AEW.”

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Now part of the WWE roster again after a five-year absence, Spears spoke on “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and reflected on his time in AEW starting with his departure.

“I think it just came down to a personal want in terms of wanting to contribute a little bit more both in front of the camera and behind the camera,” Spears recalled. “I had a wonderful time in AEW. I have and have had a great relationship with Tony Khan, you’re never gonna hear me say anything bad about that guy. Same thing with a lot of the EVPs, talent, everything. I had a wonderful time.”

He added that he learned a lot about himself as a businessman while in AEW, discovering that it was okay to put his foot down and have faith in his worth and abilities.

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“It was a really good learning process in terms of being an individual man, in a different company, but, man, my time there was special. Getting to work with all the top guys based on a lot of storylines that I was in with Max (MJF), and FTR, and things like that, so a lot of things that I would’ve never gotten to do I think in my career, I was very fortunate enough to do there,” Spears recounted.

Spears also reflected on his departures from WWE in 2019 and AEW in 2023, and stated that leaving both promotions was a “personal-based decision.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

In the pro wrestling business, stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena were propelled to mega-stardom, but arguably, no one has matched the level of fame and popularity that Hulk Hogan achieved. 

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Hogan was a guest on “Barstool Rasslin'” and was asked why wrestlers today can get to the top of the industry but not to where he or Austin reached in the past.

“Well, you gotta realize, nowadays the star of the wrestling business is the production, where back in the day you had to actually draw money to be the main event guy,” Hogan answered. “It’s all about a run — how long you’ve been married? How long you going to live? How long are your kids going to behave? It’s a run.”

Hogan, whose run lasted 40 years, addressed that he could not wrestle initially, but was kept as a main event talent. The Hall of Famer pointed out how other major stars like Bret Hart and Steve Austin were not main eventers for their entire careers but had periods of great popularity.

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“There’s a difference between being a main event guy and being an attraction, and then the difference between being an attraction and being an international phenom that has awareness internationally. There are very few guys [who had it] — Andre [The Giant] was one,” Hogan continued.

He also reiterated that it’s easier to make stars in WWE now than during his time, crediting the production of the shows as the main draw.

“If someone gets hurt right now in the WWE, the machine is so big and the production is so slick and so sharp that they can make anybody their main event star because they’ve got this thing down to a science and thank god they do because the numbers. The way they’re doing business, WWE is on FIRE and they’re doing better now than they’ve ever had.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Barstool Rasslin’” with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Tony Khan has remained an active user of social media since becoming the president of AEW in 2019, as he often uses “X” — formerly known as Twitter — to promote AEW’s weekly programming, advertise matches or announce breaking news. However, Khan has also used social media to react to AEW criticism and poor ratings as well as throw shade towards his biggest competitor, WWE. Speaking on “WFAN Daily,” Khan explained that he thinks social media is a great tool to gain an understanding of what his audience wants or explore his other professional venture with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. 

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“I think that it’s great to stay in touch in terms of listening to the fans in every walk of life and I also think it’s fun and there’s a lot of fun, interesting stuff. And the positives of it definitely outweigh anything else. And I really love staying in touch with what the fans think. And that, I think, drives a lot of positive thinking … even setting aside the AEW wrestling and just talking about the football side of it, over 35 years of my life watching football and watching how some of it has changed in the presentation, but so much is exactly the same.” 

Khan has recently addressed the reported backstage drama in AEW, stating that “every situation is its own unique thing.” The company has reportedly seen multiple behind-the-scenes incidents over the years, such as CM Punk’s altercation with Jack Perry in 2023 at All In or more recently Britt Baker’s suspension this past August. 

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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “WFAN Daily” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

WWE’s decision to tease tension between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns has raised doubts over how much longer Cody Rhodes can play the babyface. It was evident on the September 13 episode of “WWE SmackDown” that fans were ready to embrace Reigns following his four-month hiatus, perhaps at Rhodes’ expense, as some boos were directed his way. The following week, WWE made a creative choice to film another dueling promo between the two stars, this time taking fans out of the equation, with WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray saying there was nothing not to love about the segment.

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How imminent a Cody Rhodes heel turn may be is anyone’s guess, but on “Busted Open Radio,” Bully surmised that Reigns’ former wise man, Paul Heyman, could help facilitate a credible transition. Bully pulled out a rather deep cut from the “Star Wars” prequels to emphasize how it could be done. 

“When Emperor Palpatine is telling the story to Anakin Skywalker about [Darth Plagueis] the wise, and you can see the wheels turning in Anakin. And he asks the Emperor, ‘Is it possible to learn this type of power?’ And that’s when the Emperor says, ‘Not from a Jedi.’ A Jedi is a babyface,” Bully explained, adding, “That’s when the turn comes. I just got goosebumps thinking about that scene because I can see that scene playing out between Paul Heyman and Cody Rhodes.”

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Complicating a Rhodes heel turn is that he’s WWE’s top merchandise seller. It’s generally understood that heels don’t move as much merch as babyfaces, a theory that kept John Cena from turning heel for years. A recent report revealed Rhodes had entered the top five in sales overall at sports merchandise conglomerate Fanatics, becoming the first wrestler to reach such a milestone. Meanwhile, the wise man hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since June the Bloodline attacked Heyman.

AEW original Darby Allin has had an extensive career so far in Tony Khan’s company, during which time he has held the AEW Tag Team Championships alongside wrestling legend Sting. Allin has made a name for himself for his death-dying matches, signature Coffin Drop finishing maneuver, and various feuds with the likes of MJF, Cody Rhodes, and now Jon Moxley. 

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Allin appeared on “Busted Open Radio” and spoke about signing with AEW after performing in the indies. Allin called the experience “very surreal” because he was never “the guy” on the indies and never thought he would be the “main event guy.”

“I hear this company, AEW, [is] starting. I heard the words ‘creative freedom,'” Allin said. “I was like, ‘If I have any ounce of making it in this whole world, I need to just be there.’ I felt it. I knew it, and then thank god for Cody for seeing it. He got me through the door and I just kicked the door down. It was very surreal because AEW has given me everything. I had my dad retire from his s*** a** job because of AEW and now he’s my personal assistant. I can do so much stuff for my family and friends.”

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Allin said that AEW has given him so much, and he wants his parents to enjoy their lives to the fullest, now that he’s able to provide more for them. He shared a story about landing a helicopter in his yard to surprise his parents with a ride, during which his dad jumped 30 feet into a lake, showcasing where Allin got his affinity for stunts.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.