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AEW Double or Nothing 2020: 5 stars who could join the Casino Ladder Match

By Bruce Lee Hazelwood

Chuck Taylor, Trent? and Orange Cassidy on Episode 178 of Being the Elite. Photo: Matt Jackson/BTE/Twitter
Chuck Taylor, Trent? and Orange Cassidy on Episode 178 of Being the Elite. Photo: Matt Jackson/BTE/Twitter /
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3. Shawn Spears

Though unsuccessful in his attempt to win the TNT Championship, Spears’ mere inclusion in the tournament (probably) indicates management sees him as an upper-mid-carder at worst. I guess when you’re paired with the legendary Tully Blanchard, that should be your floor.

Then again, it’s been a weird eight months or so for Spears, and the legend manager/current wrestler combo receiving the big push is Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Lance Archer.

Spears, like anyone in the match, gains more notoriety just by being involved in the match (similar to his spike in popularity after his first appearance as entrant 10 in the Royal Rumble match). He’s also a ring veteran (or in Cody’s terms, a “very good hand”) who can help keep the match on track when Allin inevitably leaps off of a 30-foot ladder.

Spears winning the contract would also help in his quest to fulfill his mission since the beginning of AEW: to become a champion. In AEW, he’s gone from middling single wrestler to searching for a tag team partner to losing in the TNT Championship Tournament. Each was a path for Spears to become a champion in AEW though he failed in all three.

This represents his fourth, and potentially final, path to a championship (outside of an unlikely winning streak based on his historical and current booking).

With the added benefit of Blanchard and his promo abilities, Spears can make the turn from an arrogant and somewhat comical heel to a legitimate threat with a newfound confidence (not arrogance). This confidence manifests in a more physical and devastating in-ring style, capped off with his C4 running Death Valley Driver finisher.

A feud with a World Champion Cody and Spears with the contract culminating in a World Championship match is enticing. Add in Cody’s comments and it adds a further layer of intrigue. You just know Blanchard would highlight those words in a promo to encourage Spears and try to turn the fans against Cody.

If we are going to see anything of Spears as more than a mid-card gatekeeper, then this might be the last opportunity. Let’s see what happens.

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