Shawn Spears breaks silence after heartbreaking WWE betrayal

The Culling's Shawn Spears has broken his silence after what happened this past Tuesday on NXT. Spears was part of a heartbreaking WWE betrayal that led to a shocking title change.

On Night 1 of NXT Gold Rush, Tatum Paxley defended the NXT Women's Championship against Jacy Jayne. Paxley had Spears, Niko Vance and Izzi Dame at ringside, while Jayne was backed up by Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid.

Toward the end of the match, Spears and Vance blocked the referee's view from the ring. Dame then kicked Paxley on the back of the head, allowing Jayne to hit the Rolling Encore elbow to become a two-time NXT Women's Champion.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Shawn Spears has delivered his first message since The Culling's betrayal of Tatum Paxley. Spears appeared to be proud of what they did, which still needs some explanation, something that Paxley asked on social media afterward.

"We feel so much lighter," Spears tweeted.

It was a massive move for The Culling, so it will be interesting to see how they explain their actions. Tatum Paxley is expected to search for answers as well, so fans should tune in next week for Night 2 of NXT Gold Rush.

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Cody Rhodes gives big shout-out to Shawn Spears

Speaking on The Babyfaces podcast back in July, Cody Rhodes acknowledged the contributions of Shawn Spears to his career. Rhodes regretted not having Spears in the ring during his celebration at WrestleMania 40.

"He does not get enough credit, from me, for how special he is. He is the only person that I regret I didn't have in the ring after WrestleMania. I saw him that day, we took a picture together, and he was just like he always was. He knew what this day was. He knew it was big. I wouldn't be where I'm at without Shawn Spears. He’s a blessing to the business and I’m so glad to see him in NXT," Rhodes said. [H/T Bloody Slam]

Spears was in the same OVW class as Rhodes, forming a bond that went through the WWE main roster, AEW and back to WWE.

Edited by JP David