AEW News Roundup - Reactions to 'WWE Dynamite' botch, Andrade wants Charlotte to join him in top faction, Vince McMahon thought superstar bluffed about Tony Khan's offer (1st July 2021)

#1 Tully Blanchard comments on Shawn Spears' AEW struggles, The Pinnacle's bright future

Shawn Spears was one of the first former WWE stars to be signed by AEW back in 2019, and he was initially earmarked to be a significant player.

However, the former Tye Dillenger has not lived up to all the lofty expectations thus far in AEW, but is he to blame for the sluggish start?

During a recent AdFreeShows.com interview, Shawn Spears' manager Tully Blanchard was asked whether his client was missing something big that might have stunted his rise.

Tully Blanchard revealed that he'd had deep discussions with "The Chairman" Shawn Spears regarding his complete act, and the veteran admitted to not having the correct answer.

Batter Up….#TheChairman #ThePinnacle 🏔#AEWDynamite #AEW @AEW @AEWonTNT pic.twitter.com/iukTmvoxJF

— “The Chairman” Shawn Spears ™️ (@ShawnSpears) June 30, 2021

The former Four Horsemen member said that he was pretty unfamiliar with the current trends in professional wrestling as he spent several years away from the business until he decided to work for Tony Khan's company.

"He and I have had that discussion a number of times. It is a lot of me not having the answer because I was out of the business for 30 years, and now I'm starting to get back in the flow of things. The things that make people heels and babyfaces, or in between, really doesn't change that much, because people's emotions, and the things that you go after," said Blanchard.

The wrestling legend praised Spears' quickness, size, and athletic capabilities and encouraged the 40-year-old wrestler to push the boundaries in the ring. Tully recalled that he wasn't as agile as Spears in his prime, and he advised the former NXT star to be patient.

"Athletically, Shawn is phenomenal. He is big. He is tall. He is quick. I told him a couple of months ago, 'Dude, I couldn't jump over the top rope. I couldn't do this. I couldn't do that. You need to show your abilities that you can do that stuff, and then if the situation arises like back in my career, people knew I could wrestle, but I chose to be a bad guy. That usually ticked off people even more. If people can grab a hold of you in that vein, I think it will push you up the ladder some,'" he continued.

The Pinnacle's formation on AEW TV has given Shawn Spears a brilliant vehicle to rehabilitate his character. Tully Blanchard, who is also a Pinnacle member, revealed his high hopes about the faction's future.

.@the_MJF steals the victory with the help of @ShawnSpears pic.twitter.com/vduHsPKw9S

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 1, 2021

The former NWA stalwart noted that Pinnacle is getting stronger as a unit with each passing week on AEW programming, and Tully was glad about the balanced team composition.

MJF has also won over Tully Blanchard as the veteran tipped the Pinnacle leader to have a long-lasting run as the company's top guy. The WWE Hall of Famer said that his Pinnacle stablemates should consider themselves fortunate that AEW came into existence at a crucial time, and now it's up to the talent to hit it out of the park.

"I think that The Pinnacle is rising and doing well. I think that's helping Shawn. I know FTR is a fabulous tag team. There's something in me that I can't just say they're the best, but they're real close to the best. I do say that with my tongue in my cheek. MJF is one of the more promising young guys that's going to be a top talent for a long, long time. These guys are all very fortunate that AEW started." H/t WrestlingNews.co

The Pinnacle seems like it's here to stay in AEW, and all the faction members, Spears included, would be hoping to come out of the alliance with a lot of momentum in Tony Khan's promotion.