When AEW released the full bracket for the TNT championship tournament, one thing immediately stood out: Cody Rhodes was the top babyface, and he was most certainly getting past Shawn Spears in the opening round.
It’s an easy conclusion to draw for two reasons. First, Spears has been a non-factor on Dynamite for much of the show’s existence. Second, Cody has clear issues with two potential future opponents in the tournament (Darby Allin and Lance Archer).
So yeah, Shawn Spears had no chance to beat Cody in their first round match. Jake Roberts tried his best at the outset of the show to convince you that Cody would slip up and lose due to having Lance Archer on his mind, but let’s be real, it was never going to happen.
It was far from a squash, though, because this was the main event match of the night. It even looked like Spears might win by countout after tossing Cody through a table:
It has broken down tonight as #TheChairman @Perfec10n delivers a painful C4 to the outside and through a table to @CodyRhodes!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) April 9, 2020
Watch #AEWDynamite NOW on @TNTDrama 8e/7c #AEWonTNT @AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/uzOSWbp92y
Spears then ate two consecutive finishers from Cody but actually kicked out, so AEW booked him strongly in defeat.
Cody went on to beat Spears with a figure four pin fall, and moves on to the next round, where he’ll face either Darby Allin or Sammy Guevara.
My best guess is that the two week era of Shawn Spears as a main event wrestler on Dynamite has come to an end, so I hope his fans enjoyed it while it lasted.
Get complete Dynamite results and coverage here.