WWE is in the business of making stars. Stars draw in fans and revenue. Past generations included figures like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the recently retired John Cena among others. WWE needs to find the next big faces. While the company has found some in the likes of Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair, the men’s division lags in many ways. One person who has seen multiple opportunities to get over as a top name is Austin Theory. This latest run in the top story on WWE Monday Night Raw is the next step in the Austin Theory’s “top guy experiment” and it may be his last.
It has been said and written many times; Austin Theory checks many of the boxes that WWE looks for when developing stars. He’s 28 years old with nearly a decade of in-ring action. He’s 6’1 and 220 pounds. Plus, he’s a good looking man by all intents and purposes. Austin Theory has “it,” yet he doesn’t have “it” at the same time.
Austin Theory comes with baggage
For all the positive things about Austin Theory, there’s a lot about him that cannot be ignored. Anytime he comes up online, the conversation shifts to the Speaking Out inclusion that saw him get removed from television back in 2020. He would eventually come back to television in multiple ways, but a large contingent of wrestling watchers will continue to remind anyone who listens about those allegations. They will follow him for the rest of his career.
Then there’s the other side of the equation. WWE has tried to push Austin Theory multiple times and it has not worked out well. It made sense why the company tried to put him in the position as a future top name, but the fans have consistently rejected nearly everything he’s done. The segment with Roman Reigns lives rent free in the minds of many, and did major harm to Theory’s viability as a top star.
There have been times when Austin Theory started to get over with fans. When he was in The Way with Dexter Lumis, Indi Hartwell, Johnny Gargano, and Candice LeRae they were one of the best acts in WWE NXT. Theory wasn’t pushed to the forefront. Instead, he played a comedic role that worked and had potential to get him over as a babyface. That situation almost came to the forefront again when he was paired with Grayson Waller. But WWE dropped the split angle that was coming and Theory’s injury gave the company the chance to do so.
Fast forward to today’s storyline and Austin Theory is now involved in an angle that includes the top names on WWE Raw and in the company. He and Bronson Reed picked up a win over CM Punk and Rey Mysterio on the December 22 edition of the show. That’s a big win. Perhaps the biggest for Theory since defeating John Cena at WrestleMania 39. Will this moment translate into something more? Will it translate to the fans caring about a performer who has been run down by the WWE in so many different ways? The verdict is still out but things do not look good. Austin Theory has to get over with this run, or he may not last within WWE much longer.