Stan Shawn Spears has no time for Shawn Michaels.
On this week’s episode of WWE NXT, Shawn Spears defeated Tony D’Angelo to claim the NXT North American Championship, his first title since returning to WWE last year. Afterward, NXT head booker Shawn Michaels stood by to congratulate Spears backstage. Spears, however, refused to shake his hand, and instead walked away laughing.
While unconfirmed, some fans pointed out that this could be a callback to an interaction between Michaels and Spears at WWE Cyber Sunday in 2006. That night, fans voted in the special guest referee for a tag team match pitting Randy Orton and Edge against DX.
Voting options included Jonathan Coachman, Vince McMahon, and Eric Bischoff, the latter of whom seemingly questioned DX’s ability to be “controversial.” Unamused by this claim, told to him by Triple H, Michaels attempted to prove otherwise by superkicking various WWE crew members, including Spears (who Michaels inexplicably called ‘Stan’).
Of course, Spears’ slight to Michaels could also just be a part of his on-screen character. Spears currently portrays a heel and the leader of an NXT faction, but it’s fun to think that he got some form of “revenge” for Stan.
As for how the name ‘Stan’ came to fruition, Spears says Michaels came up with it on the spot, changing his gimmick name from Shawn to Stan right before cameras starting rolling.
Spears comments on his NXT North American Championship win
Following his title win, Spears spoke with NXT correspondent Kelly Kincaid about its significance and the validation it brought to him.
“Whether you like it or not, this happened,” Spears said. “I am your new North American Champion. Love it. Learn to enjoy it. A man is only as strong as the people behind him, and there is nothing more important than family. This title means a lot. And it proves that I am a top star in NXT. It shows that I’ve climbed the ladder. It also proves that everything I’ve said to Izzy Dame, to Nico Vance, and Brooks Jensen is real. This championship validates it. It’s validated by me. This is only the beginning.”
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