Before the show closed this week, they confirmed a few things for the December 15th episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX. Roman Reigns will be back on the blue brand next week, so that will be a big draw. Only time will tell if he answers CM Punk’s call-out from this week.
Fans will also see Grayson Waller face off against an unnamed NXT Superstar in the 1st round of the United States Championship tournament. It was said that Shawn Michaels will hand-pick that Superstar. Also, Kevin Owens will battle Austin Theory in another 1st round match.
Kevin Owens has a broken hand, which they mentioned on commentary. That should add another layer to his match, because it nixes his infamous KO punch.
We will have to see who comes out on top when SmackDown goes live on FOX next week. For more updates, keep checking back with SE Scoops.
December 15th, 2023 WWE SmackDown Card
Roman Reigns returns to SmackDown
Kevin Owens vs Austin Theory – 1st Round United States Title Tournament Match
Grayson Waller vs NXT Superstar – 1st Round United States Title Tournament Match
What are you looking forward to most on SmackDown next week? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
WWE United States Champion Austin Theory is set to face John Cena at WrestleMania 39. The clash is nothing less than a dream match for the fans. Theory has been arguably compared with Cena for a long time now. Austin Theory even revealed that he grew up idolizing Cena. He’s been also very vocal about wanting a dream match with the Cenation Leader. Finally, they will collide inside the ring.
On Monday night’s RAW, the 16-time WWE Champion made a huge return as the Boston crowd welcomed him with a massive ovation. He was engaged in a heated promo battle with Theory, who challenged him to a title match at WrestleMania 39.
Though Cena initially turned down Theory’s challenge, he agreed after the crowd urged him to accept it. To some, John Cena roasted Austin Theory, saying nobody in the crowd cared about the US Champion and his matches.
Now, WWE veteran Jim Cornette has weighed in on Austin Theory confronting John Cena on RAW and who he thinks should win at WrestleMania 39.
Jim Cornette believes Austin Theory must beat John Cena
On the latest edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, the former wrestling manager commented on John Cena’s promo and stated that he could see it being the former WWE Champion’s way of motivating Austin Theory.
“Unless that this complete dressing down by Cena motivates Theory to change something, to do something that is demonstrably visible to the fans he’s going to come out and lay him out physically or he’s going to change his attitude in a way that he’s got a killer instinct or he suddenly does something even Cena remarks on, ‘that’s what I was looking for’ or something like that, I can see that,” said Cornette.
Jim Cornette added that Theory has to beat John Cena to live up to his words:
“If they start this way it would be a big swerve then or unexpected if Theory does win the match, which I still think would be possible without people setting the seats on fire and it’ll probably help Theory. But if they’re not gonna do anything like that between now and WrestleMania, I don’t know. They’ve got to, because they just left this guy flatter than a f**king turd in a punch bowl,” he added.
If Theory manages to defeat Cena, it will certainly be a huge milestone boost the youngster’s career. Only time will what the future holds for the Theory.
Independent wrestlers Hale Collins and Vik Dalishus are accusing WWE of infringing on their copyright for the term “The Now.” WWE uses this for United States Champion Austin Theory.
According to a report by The Hudson Valley Post, the two wrestlers wrestled on the indie circuit as The Now. Vik Dalishus has claimed they have sent cease and desist orders to the company on the use of the term as they trademarked the name in 2006.
The Claim
Dalishustalked to the media outlet about WWE’s alleged infringement of their trademark.
“My initial reaction was shock, because of the fact that we have had it copyrighted since 2006, and there’s many people in WWE who know Hale and I, know our names, and know we own it.”
Dalishus noted that WWE acknowledged one of the letters they sent and claimed they would look into it, but the company has continued to use the nickname on television.
Dalishus continued, “Our next step is a lawsuit for trademark infringement and creating confusion in the marketplace.”
We have sent two Cease and Desist letters to the @wwe and @_Theory1 continues to be referred to as “The Now” by @WWEGraves on commentary, as well as our logo displayed on The Theory Characters ring worn gear & creating confusion in the marketplace. Its pretty simple. #theNOWpic.twitter.com/TlxThxlx19
WWE SmackDown commentator Wade Barrett hasn’t wrestled in years, but the Englishman is ready to don his trunks one more time with the right opponent.
Barrett debuted on WWE TV in early 2010 and after winning the first season of the original NXT, would form The Nexus with his fellow ‘rookies.’
After a run with The Corre and winning the 2015 King of the Ring, Barett would part ways with WWE, before returning as a commentator in August 2020.
One More Match
At 42 years old, Barrett isn’t a fresh face in WWE but still remains in great shape, meaning one final match is a possibility.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Barrett named reigning WWE United States Champion Austin Theory as someone he’d consider wrestling.
“In terms of his personality, his confidence on the mic, his smarts behind the scenes and of course his athletic ability, he’s a guy who could really go to the top.
“That’s the kind of person I would certainly be looking at if it was to be a youngster I’d step in the ring with.”
Wade Barrett.
Theory has certainly proven himself since his return to WWE’s main roster in 2021, and is in his second reign as U.S. Champion.
Though not confirmed, it is believed Theory will face John Cena at next month’s WrestleMania 39, with the former World Champion returning on next week’s Raw.
Comparisons
Like Theory, Barrett was once a youngster who was pushed to the very top of WWE, as the Englishman was headlining Pay-Per-Views mere months into his career.
In the interview, Barrett acknowledged the similarities between himself and the reigning U.S. Champion.
“In terms of being easy to detest, early in my career a lot of people probably really hated me, too, when I was with Nexus… so I have some admiration for that – that impresses me even more about him.
Wade Barrett.
Barrett was moved to SmackDown last year as part of commentary reshuffles across all three brands and is filling in for Pat McAfee, who is working on ESPN’s College Game Day.
WWE stacked the deck in storyline against Austin Theory when he put his United States Title on the line against Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest, and Montez Ford in an Elimination Chamber Match at the themed PLE on Saturday night.
The match opened with Rollins and Gargano. Theory was the third star in only to be beaten down by Rollins and Gargano. Priest was the fourth star in which he hit a front senton to Gargano over the top rope. Rollins with falcon arrow to Priest for 2. Reed came in as the fifth star and Ford was the last to enter.
Ford climbed the fence to the top and jumped off to take everyone out. Reed was eliminated after taking everyone’s finisher. Gargano did a hurricanrana to Rollins off the top of a pod. Gargano was eliminated by Priest with the razor’s edge. Priest was sent packing after Rollins and Ford did an overcastle/powerbomb double team move. Ford was eliminated by Theory after Ford took the stomp by Rollins. Moments later, Logan Paul came out after Ford was taken to the back by medical and hit a stomp to Rollins allowing Theory to hit his finisher for the win.
WWE held qualifying matches for the competitors in the match. Reed defeated Dolph Ziggler, Gargano defeated Baron Corbin, Rollins defeated Chad Gable, Priest pinned Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford pinned Elias to advance.
Theory is reportedly slated to wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania 39 in April.
What are your thoughts on Theory retaining the United States Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Fans eager to see a new United States Champion crowned at WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 may be in for a disappointing night in Montreal.
WWE Elimination Chamber will be the promotion’s next stop on the road to WrestleMania 39, and the first Montreal PLE since Breaking Point 2009.
The show will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against Sami Zayn.
United States Championship
For the first time in history, the WWE U.S. Title will be decided inside an Elimination Chamber match.
Current and two-time champion Austin Theory will defend against Seth Rollins, Johnny Gargano, Montez Ford, Damian Priest and Bronson Reed.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Theory has filmed content for WWE that is due to air in March and is holding the U.S. Title in the footage, making a title change unlikely.
Meltzer said that while the footage does not rule out a title change entirely, the line-up in the chamber does not suggest a title change will happen. He adds:
“Gargano and Ford are unlikely to win unless the plan is to split up the Street Profits, which has been talked about but unless they have a major plan for Ford there is no reason to do so. Reed is a longshot but they could and probably will try to portray him in a manner to become a bigger star. Priest could win at this stage and would probably be the favorite aside from Theory.”
WrestleMania 39
Theory may be leaving the Elimination Chamber as United States Champion, but there will be no rest for the wicked.
Current plans for WrestleMania will see Theory face John Cena, in a match that was teased throughout 2022.
Meltzer noted in his report that Cena Vs. Theory does not need the United States title, though it was John’s first title he won in 2004.
Austin Theory believes that the Money In The Bank briefcase was an “anchor” for him.
The current WWE United States Champion recently took part in an interview with Busted Open Radio and discussed his run with the briefcase. Theory explained why he felt like it was an “anchor” for him during that time.
“I think the briefcase is where it got a lot of controversy,” Austin Theory said. “Basically, it just kind of was getting to the point if you were looking at it from like a widescale of ‘where’s this going,’ you look at Roman Reigns, he’s pretty much immortal right now.
“So, I think, for me, in a sense of, I need to be way more built up to look even possible to beat Roman Reigns. The briefcase was just kind of an anchor on me.“
Theory won the briefcase at last year’s Money In The Bank premium live event. Rather than cash-in on Roman Reigns for one of the World Titles, Theory instead opted to cash-in on Seth Rollins for the United States Title during a November episode of RAW.
However, Theory was unsuccessful in the cash-in, but would still eventually go on to win the title later that month at Survivor Series. Now, Theory is gearing up to defend his United States Title inside of the Elimination Chamber later this month.
Austin Theory didn’t know that Vince McMahon would be wrestling at WrestleMania 38 until last-second.
McMahon had an impromptu match with Pat McAfee at WrestleMania shortly after McAfee defeated Theory in a match of their own. McMahon picked up a quick win over the already exhausted announcer, which was a surprise to many.
However, even though Theory was involved in the angle, he didn’t know about it until the last second, as he explained during an recent interview with Busted Open Radio.
“The egg started everything. I just heard, ‘Mr. McMahon wants to film this segment with an egg.’ I heard about it, it was him arriving with the egg and the story was somebody stole the egg. Literally, that day they were like, ‘You stole the egg.’ ‘I stole the egg, alright.’
“We filmed the segment with Vince and I was super nervous for that. ‘I stole the egg? $100 million egg? Alright.’ I’m trying to figure all this out and it’s my first thing with Vince. It was almost like anytime we filmed anything, it felt so fast. We’d do it and that would be it. Onto the next one.
“Especially, WrestleMania was interesting because we had no idea if we were going to have Vince in the match until like the night before. I remember that day showing up, I met Stone Cold for the first time. ‘Hey, how’s it going, Austin, nice to meet you.’ ‘Hey, nice to meet you, I’ll be seeing you later tonight.’
“He got on the golf cart and kept driving. ‘What is going on?’ I got to Gorilla, he told me the business, that’s it. Went out there and he gave me that look.“
Of course, since Vince McMahon’s departure from the creative side of the company, Austin Theory is no longer featured as prominently as he once was for a potential World Title run. He does, however, currently reign as the United States Champion.
Austin Theory did not appear at Friday’s Raw-brand live event from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but wrestling fans can rest assured he’s not been bit by the injury bug.
Theory was set to defend the Unites States Championship against Seth Rollins in the Steel Cage main event. Finn Balor filled in for Theory, but Rollins got the victory. Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch both got involved in the match, which made for an interesting dynamic.
Shortly before the show, the building announced he would not be present. This is somewhat unusual, since typically it’s WWE that lets fans know about late changes like this (card subject to change).
A winter storm led to travel issues for a lot of WWE (and AEW) performers last week. Multiple stars were unable to make their scheduled dates, which led to rewrites and last-minute substations at TV and live events. It’s still unclear why Theory missed the Toronto Holiday Tour event, but we can thankfully rule out an injury.
Theory Says He’ll Be at Raw
Theory’s situation was addressed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Dave Meltzer, there’s no injury and there are no disciplinary ‘problems’ that would have prevented him from being there.
Ruling out those possibilities, Meltzer speculated there may have been a problem with Theory crossing the Canadian border, but that’s just a .. theory.
The good news is that Theory is healthy and says he’ll be at tonight’s WWE Raw from Nashville. He’s scheduled to defend the US title against Rollins and has a warning for The Architect. In a tweet sent out on Sunday, Theory says Rollins will truly know his place in the WWE when he puts him in the past.
John Cena is set to wrestle for the first time this year at the December 30 edition of SmackDown.
The longtime star-turned-Hollywood actor will tag with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. John Cena has not wrestled since his SummerSlam main event loss against Reigns last year. In that time, Cena has been focusing on film and TV work, including the popular HBO series Peacemaker.
As per the Wrestling Observer, several angles for John Cena at next year’s WrestleMania could be implemented in next week’s match. Despite interest in seeing the 16-time World Champion perform at the Show of Shows, it’s not yet definite he will be able to. The former face of the company is very busy with other commitments at the moment but it’s believed he will manage to make the Mania event.
Due to his show business commitments, John Cena will be unavailable for much of February and March. This could make building his WrestleMania angle troublesome.
Who Did Vince McMahon Want Cena To Face At WrestleMania?
Before his retirement earlier this year, Vince McMahon was apparently keen on John Cena facing Austin Theory next year. Seeds for a feud were seemingly planted at Cena’s 20th Anniversary celebrations on RAW earlier this year. Theory was in his first run as US Champion at the time. The rising star cut an aggressive promo on “The Doctor of Thuganomics”.
Since then, Theory has lost the US Title, won and failed to cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase, and regained the US Championship. The title’s long been synonymous with John Cena due to both his early years in the WWE midcard and his acclaimed 2015 title run. Therefore, a US Title bout between the two could work as a passing of the torch-type angle.
Vince McMahon reportedly considered Theory the next John Cena-level star. However, Cena has been inserted into the Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn/Roman Reigns angle. With this in mind, a Theory feud coming soon doesn’t look as likely as it did earlier this year.
Mia Yim posted a photograph with United States Champion Austin Theory earlier today. Austin was holding Mia up in the photo and it spawned a bizarre reaction from the Twitter mob that drove Yim off the social media platform.
For some reason, a bunch of fans equated a photograph taken during a WWE photo shoot as Mia not respecting her marriage with AEW star Keith Lee. The absurd reaction is the latest example of fans not knowing how to interact with public figures on social media.
The fact how people made Mia Yim deactivated her Twitter over the picture with Austin Theory is ridiculous. Do people seriously think that just because she's married she's not allowed to take photos with her friends that are men? pic.twitter.com/hfx05ZNt5Q
Mia Yim sent out a final post this morning before deleting her Twitter account.
“Ok, block button ready to go. Apparently I can’t take pics or get excited about seeing people I haven’t seen in a while. I love my husband and only have eyes for him. Apologies for any disrespect. Men and women can be friends without it being sexual.”
the last tweet before mia yim deactivated.. some of you are so weird and unnecessary, she never needed to apologize. i really hope she’s okay. ? pic.twitter.com/c5fCBO5zHj
Mia Yim returned to the company on the November 7th edition of RAW as The OC’s answer to their “Rhea Ripley problem”.
The 33-year-old was interviewed following her return on RAW Talk and said it was good to be back after a year away. She was released in November 2021 after a brief main roster run as “Reckoning” in the failed RETRIBUTION faction.
Oh my gosh, it feels so good to be back. It took me a year to try and find myself but now I’m ready. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to kick some ass and get my retribution. But the boys are waiting on me so I’ll see ya later.
There is no heat between WWE United States Champion Austin Theory and Mustafa Ali despite a scary botch during their title match on this week’s Raw.
During the match, Ali attempted a top rope Frankensteiner on the U.S. Champion, which did not go as planned.
Instead, both men fell awkwardly in the corner of the ring but were able to carry on and finish the match.
The Update
This botch on Monday Night Raw happened because Theory did not hold onto Ali the proper way, Fightful Select reports.
The idea was for Theory to block the attempted Frankensteiner and lift Ali up into a powerbomb.
Ali would have blocked that attempt and leveled Theory with a Hurricanrana before going into the next spot for the match.
It was Mustafa Ali who called for the referee to check on them both, while both men called an audible for the match to end early with the satellite DDT.
Backstage
After the match, the situation was discussed behind the scenes, and Austin Theory was said to be incredibly apologetic for what happened.
Fightful adds that there is no heat between the two, with this unfortunate incident being chalked up to an accident that could have happened to anyone.
Theory has been feuding with Seth Rollins in recent weeks and failed to dethrone the then-United States Champion when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.
Theory’s attempted cash-in marked the first time the contract had been cashed in on a championship that wasn’t a World title.
Many fans felt that this year’s Money in the Bank cash-in was a misstep as Austin Theory decided to go for the United States Title instead of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Also, Theory came up short in his attempt. This was after he had been losing matches on television, a change from how he had been booked by Vince McMahon when he was still in control of creative before he resigned and Triple H took over.
In an interview with City News Ottawa, Theory talked about the crutch that became the Money in the Bank contract and his new main-roster character.
The Change
“The cocky, arrogant, douchy persona just really gets under people’s skin, and it did its purpose. And having the Money in the Bank contract and the way that character was, there’s a little bit of a ceiling there just because when you look at Roman Reigns being so unstoppable and everything.”
Theory thinks he can become the guy to dethrone Roman Reigns and could only do that with his current character.
“Whoever is going to beat Roman Reigns, it’s gotta be someone that is really going to beat Roman Reigns and not just by some luck, and I think the chapter that Austin Theory is headed now is setting him up to build to being that qualifier to stand toe to toe with Roman Reigns.”
WWE United States Champion Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory in a triple threat match was booked at Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series premium live event.
The match featured Lashley catching Rollins, who attempted a spring board move, and hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Theory went for a dive, but Lashley caught him with a powerbomb for 2.
Theory hit a rolling blockbuster to Lashley, who would eventually put him in the hurt lock. Seth with a frog splash to Lashley, who had been pushed backwards, for a near fall. The finish saw Lashley spear Rollins and Theory pinned Rollins for the win.
Two weeks ago on Monday Night Raw, Theory cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, attempting to capture the United States Championship after Lashley had destroyed Rollins, but Rollins retained the title thanks to Lashley attacking Theory as well and costing him the title bout.
This past week on the show, Theory said losing the championship match was the best thing that has happened to him because he was no longer the kid that he had been and vowed to win the title at this premium live event. Theory scored a win over Mustafa Ali and called out Lashley, which led to a brawl.
Theory shovied Ali into Lashley backstage in the gorilla position. Ali became mad and shoved Lashley, leading Lashley to lay out Ali on the entranceway stage.
Seth Rollins will be defending the United States Championship against Austin Theory and Bobby Lashley tonight at WWE Survivor Series WarGames in a Triple Threat match.
WWE Survivor Series 2022 Preview
Rollins captured the US Title from Bobby Lashley after Brock Lesnar attacked the All Mighty. Austin Theory attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on Seth for the US Title on a recent episode of Raw but Lashley broke it up.
Bobby got Theory in the Hurt Lock before rolling him back in the ring. Rollins capitalized on the attack with a Stomp to retain the title and add a failed cash-in attempt to Theory’s resume. Theory responded with a brutal attack on the United States Champion and posed with the title. Seth claimed that Theory made the biggest mistake of his life this past Monday on Raw.
Austin Theory was a guest on WWE’s The Bump earlier today ahead of Survivor Series tonight in Boston. Theory vowed to walk out of the TD Garden as the new United Sates Champion.
I’m not running from anything. Tonight, I step into the ring with two former World Champions. You know who is not a World Champion in that match? Austin Theory.
But you know who is going to beat two former World Champions tonight? And become a two-time United States Champion. What?! Austin Theory.
Bruno Sammartino. Hulk Hogan. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. John Cena. Roman Reigns. Austin Theory?
Earlier this year, it appeared that Theory was destined for greatness, having been personally endorsed by Mr. McMahon and holding the Money in the Bank contract.
On this week’s Raw, a much-more serious Theory defeated Dolph Ziggler and attacked Rollins, signaling that his feud with the latter is far from over.
During After the Bell, Corey Graves, who called on fans to give the story a chance last week, had a huge prediction for WWE’s youngest United States Champion.
“I believe in Austin Theory. I don’t believe he’s ‘that guy’ yet, but in my heart of hearts as a nerd who’s spent way too much time studying the history of this business and watching it and loving it with all my being, I believe Austin Theory is the next megastar [of WWE.] And I think on Monday a lot of people started to believe as well.”
“I believe Austin Theory is the next megastar.”
Corey Graves
Letting things Play Out
After Theory’s failed cash-in attempt, fans were quick to criticize WWE for ‘burying’ the young Superstar and ‘wasting’ the contract.
On his show, Graves noted how fans were quick to jump the gun and called it a problem that exceeds far past just Theory’s situation.
“Let everything play out. Everybody loves to get ahead of themselves and jump on Twitter. ‘Oh this is it! Austin Theory’s done. He’s buried. Why would you do this to the guy?’ Let the story play out. This is WWE. World Wrestling Entertainment [emphasis on entertainment.]
“Let the story play out.”
Corey Graves’ advice to fans.
“There is a story involved. There’s curiosity. There’s drama. There are red herrings. Just like any source of literature. It’s entertainment. So let it play out. What we saw was a whole new chapter for Austin Theory.”
Seth Rollins
Theory has been a main event star in recent weeks but has been working closely with Seth Rollins.
With Roman Reigns missing from Raw on a weekly basis, the reigning U.S. Champion has taken the mantle as WWE’s top Superstar on the red brand.
On his show, Graves explained why Rollins is playing such an important role to elevate Theory.
“Rollins has been one of the mechanisms in this story, that has helped elevate Austin Theory’s stock in the eyes of the viewers. Yes, Rollins was the one who beat him but that was an essential part of the story. What Rollins is doing simultaneously is elevating the United States Championship.”
While no championship rematch has been announced, Rollins and Theory are expected to feud in the coming weeks, including a possible match at Survivor Series WarGames.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career has kept him away from the ring, with his most recent televised match taking place all the way back at Summerslam 2021.
John Cena has faced some of wrestling’s biggest names at WrestleMania, including Bray Wyatt, The Rock, the Big Show, and Shawn Michaels, but who is next for Big Match John?
4 – Austin Theory
Is the long-rumored Cena-Theory match destined to happen at WrestleMania?
To many people, the most obvious choice for WWE, a match between Cena and Theory makes a lot of sense.
It was earlier this year that the two teased a feud, with both men throwing shade at one another on social media.
At the time, fans predicted that a match at Summerslam 2022 was bound to happen, likely for the U.S. Title Theory held earlier this year.
That of course didn’t happen, and while he’s confident the Cena match will come in time, Theory has been on a downward spiral since then, recently failing in his Money in the Bank cash-in attempt.
At just 25 years old, Theory is a star WWE could get a lot out of for years, possibly decades to come, but they need to have that big win.
A match with Cena would be a fantastic mix of generations, and if Theory was to get the win, would set the cocky heel back on track on his road to the main event.
3 – Logan Paul
Logan Paul wowed fans with his gutsy performance against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel 2022.
Fans may love him or hate him, but there’s no denying Logan Paul’s talent in the ring.
In just three matches, Paul has shown that he can hang with full-time WWE Superstars, and he could soon be sharing the ring with John Cena.
Cena’s thriving Hollywood career and Paul consistent YouTube fame would guarantee the match mainstream exposure, something WWE always wants, especially for WrestleMania.
The story would not need to be too complex, and while WWE could go with a heel Paul disrespecting the legend, the feud would also work as face vs. face.
It could be as simple as Paul saying that he wants to prove himself by facing the best, and boom! John Cena storyline, and Paul recently tweeted interest in the match.
The big question however is Paul’s recent injuries, which are expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future, and could force him to miss WrestleMania.
With that said, Cena himself became known for recovering from injuries at a near super-human rate, and if Paul can match that, then this unlikely dream match is a possibility.
2 – Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER
2022 has been the year of the Austrian powerhouse GUNTHER, who could have a war with John Cena.
As anyone who watches SmackDown will know, 2022 has been the year of GUNTHER.
Debuting on the blue brand earlier this year, the Austrian quickly captured the Intercontinental Championship and has held on to it with an iron grip.
Of course, GUNTHER’s rise to prominence has come during Cena’s hiatus from wrestling, but a match between the two would be a spectacle.
The clash of styles alone would make this a potential Match of the Night, and the story would play into Imperium’s quest for respect for wrestling.
This match is more than wishful thinking, however, as like Paul, GUNTHER has also addressed rumors of a match, and is all for facing Big Match John.
Should he hold the Intercontinental title that long, there would also be the possibility of John Cena finally winning the gold and becoming a Grand Slam Champion, one of a select few accolades not on his resume.
GUNTHER’s title reign has done wonders to bring prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship, and having the biggest star of the past two decades would certainly add to that.
1 – Randy Orton
It’s been over five years since the two veterans faced off. Will WrestleMania 39 mark the end of one of WWE’s biggest feuds?
All matches so far are never before seen bouts, but what if WWE wants an opponent Cena is VERY familiar with?
Holmes and Moriarty. Batman and The Joker. Some opponents are made for each other. Orton and Cena are such a pair.
Fans may groan at the idea of seeing YET ANOTHER Cena-Orton match, but bear in mind that it’s been five years since their last bout, and close to nine years since their last match at a Premium Live Event.
Cena and Orton are two of WWE’s biggest stars, and a rematch (especially one billed as their final collision) is worthy of WrestleMania.
But there’s another reason why this match makes sense for WrestleMania 39: Time.
As we’ve seen, Cena isn’t around as much these days, and it’s not impossible to think that WrestleMania 39 could be the last time he competes at WWE’s flag-ship show.
There’s also questions that need to be raised about Orton, who’s missed most of 2022 with an injury, and is expected to miss the rest of this year.
If WWE wants one final epic Cena-Orton match, then the window of opportunity is closing, and WrestleMania 39 could be a fitting send-off for one of the biggest feuds in wrestling.
Austin Theory’s attempt to cash in his Money in the Bank contract was frankly ‘bizarre’ according to Elias.
On Raw, Theory made history as the first man to cash in the contract not for a World Championship, as he challenged United States Champion Seth Rollins.
Thanks to an attack by Bobby Lashley, Theory was unsuccessful in cashing in on Rollins, who retained his title after a curb stomp.
Bizarre
WWE’s booking of Theory’s cash-in has received mixed reviews from fans, who have questioned why he’d not challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
Speaking on The Bump, Elias gave his two cents on the matter, and found the events on Raw strange.
“I thought the whole thing was a little bit bizarre. First off, it’s an open challenge. So what are you doing in the first place? Secondly, then he wants to use it on a random Monday Night RAW.
“If I was Austin Theory and I had the Money in the Bank, I would have waited for a way bigger moment, and maybe somebody like Roman Reigns when they were vulnerable. So hey I get it. Seth, he’s resilient, he did it again, he came out on top. But as for Austin Theory, I think the whole thing’s bizarre all around.”
Responding to his loss on social media, Theory said he’ll “never stop” and remained optimistic despite the defeat this week.
Behind the Scenes
Many have questioned if Theory’s loss this week is down to WWE’s change of management backstage.
When Vince McMahon was running WWE, Theory seemed poised to be the company’s next big star.
Since Triple H was appointed Head of Creative and Talent, Theory has suffered a three-month-long losing streak, as well as his failed cash-in attempt.
Theory’s cash-in was produced by Jason Jordan, who produced all segments related to Seth Rollins on this week’s Raw.
Austin Theory made history on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, but not in the way he would have wanted.
After U.S. Champion Seth Rollins issued an open challenge, it appeared that Mustafa Ali was going to answer, before Bobby Lashley assaulted the ex-Retribution leader.
Lashley also assaulted Rollins before a title match could begin, and Theory became the first man to cash-in Money in the Bank, not for a World Championship.
Producing a Cash In
Theory’s cash-in has divided fans, many of whom believe that WWE has wasted the Money in the Bank contract and buried Theory.
Jason Jordan was the one who produced Theory’s failed cash-in attempt, in one of many segments created by the American Alpha alum, according to Fightful.
Jordan was also responsible for all Seth Rollins segments this week, including his in-ring segment with The Judgment Day.
The son of Kurt Angle also produced Rollins’ segment issuing the open challenge, as well as Lashley’s assault on the United States Champion.
Theory’s cash-in attempt wasn’t listed backstage in WWE to avoid spoilers of what was going to happen being leaked.
Welcome to the Club
In failing to cash in successfully, Theory joins a select club of unfortunate WWE Superstars.
In 2007, Mr. Kennedy became the first person to win Money in the Bank and not win a title, but he lost his briefcase to Edge before he could even cash in.
John Cena would be the first person to cash in and not win a title, when he cashed in on WWE Champion CM Punk for Raw’s 1,000th episode in July 2012.
A year later, Damien Sandow would cash in on Cena but lose to the then-World Heavyweight Champion, and Baron Corbin failed to dethrone AJ Styles as WWE Champion in 2017.
In 2018, Braun Strowman’s cash-in attempt against Roman Reigns would be interrupted by a returning Brock Lesnar, and Otis would lose his briefcase to The Miz in 2020.
Austin Theory had an eventful night last night on WWE RAW. The 25-year-old superstar defeated Shelton Benjamin in a singles match on the show, a rare victory for Theory since winning the Money in the Bank ladder match in July.
Theory was added by WWE Official Adam Pearce as a surprise entrant in the ladder match and went on to win it. Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon had numerous backstage segments with Austin as a way to put his stamp of approval on the up and coming star.
However, things change fast in the wrestling business and Austin Theory has to start over. Vince McMahon resigned in late July and was Theory’s biggest supporter. The 77-year-old introduced Austin as a future WWE Champion at WrestleMania and Theory certainly has some work to do for that to come to fruition.
Seth Rollins issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship last night on RAW. Bobby Lashley beat Mustafa Ali down backstage to prevent him from accepting it and made his way to the ring. The All Mighty opted to attack Seth and put him through the announce table rather than fight for the title.
Austin Theory seized the opportunity to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract on the United States Championship. He connected with the A-Town Down on Rollins and went for the cover but Lashley dragged the referee out of the ring. Bobby got the challenger in the Hurt Lock and Rollins capitalized with the Stomp for the pinfall victory.
Austin Theory took to Twitter following his shocking defeat on last night’s WWE RAW and delivered a message to fans. He vowed to never stop and included a rocket ship emoji to the tweet. The post also had a video of highlights of his main roster career thus far.
Austin Theory’s night on WWE RAW started off great with a singles victory over Shelton Benjamin. However, Theory would join the unfortunate list of superstars with failed Money in the Bank cash-ins at the conclusion of the show.
Seth Rollins had issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship before the show. It appeared that Finn Balor was going to accept it but The OC interrupted. Mia Yim made her return to the company and joined The OC’s fight against Judgment Day.
The Visionary came to the ring at the end of RAW and issued the Open Challenge once again. Mustafa Ali showed up on the jumbotron to and a collective groan could be heard from the crowd. Bobby Lashley attacked Ali and accepted the Open Challenge.
However, the match never happened because Bobby opted to put Rollins through the announce table before the bell. Austin Theory took the opportunity to cash-in his MITB contract on the United States Championship, a mid-card title he’s already held, and it backfired. The 25-year-old hit the A-Town Down but Lashley dragged the referee out of the ring. Lashley attacked Theory and got him in the Hurt Lock. Seth capitalized and hit Theory with the Stomp to retain the title.
Here are three reasons Austin Theory’s failed Money in the Bank cash-in was the right call:
#3. The Crowd Didn’t React to Him
Austin Theory is a tremendous in-ring talent and has a bright future in WWE. However, he will need to find a way to connect with the crowd moving forward. The selfie gimmick has already been done and in a more entertaining fashion by Tyler Breeze.
Theory has one of the best Dropkicks I’ve ever seen but I can’t remember a word he’s said in a promo. The most memorable moment for Austin Theory on the main roster thus far is not his conversations with Vince McMahon, nor his “surprise” Money in the Bank win, it was when Roman Reigns mocked him. The worst reaction a wrestler can get from the crowd is indifference and far too often that was the case for Theory.
“Your daddy’s not here anymore.” – Roman Reigns to Theory
#2. He Never Should Have Won it in the First Place
WWE Money in the Bank 2022 took place at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. It was originally supposed to emanate from Allegiant Stadium but not enough tickets were sold to the event.
The men’s Money in the Bank ladder match closed the show and it ended on a sour note. Omos, Riddle, Seth Rollins, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Sami Zayn, and Drew McIntyre were scheduled to compete in the main event.
However, WWE Official Adam Pearce showed up just before the bell rang and announced that Theory was added as the 8th superstar in the match. Theory had been having conversations with Vince McMahon and fans knew that the 25-year-old was about to be given a moment he hadn’t quite earned yet.
It appeared that Vince McMahon has picked his favorite and was about to shove him down the WWE Universe’s throat once again. However, everything changed on July 22nd. His biggest supporter, Vince McMahon, resigned on Twitter and it has been downhill ever since.
#1. He’s Not Triple H’s Guy
Vince McMahon saw a lot in Austin Theory and was positioning the young superstar to be the future of the company. That still may happen down the line, but Triple H clearly isn’t as high on Theory as the former CEO.
The wins have been few and far between for Theory since the regime change in WWE. Vince appeared to be building towards a potential matchup down the line between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Austin Theory and that doesn’t appear to be on Triple H’s radar at all.
Unfortunately for Austin Theory, the Money in the Bank briefcase quickly became a hindrance. This has become a bit of a trend for WWE, at least with the previous regime. Otis won the MITB contract recently and then lost the briefcase in a “court battle” with The Miz with JBL serving as the judge.
Theory is far more talented than Otis, but who gets more of a reaction? Austin wasn’t ready to win the Money in the Bank contract and was forced into that situation by a CEO that had long since lost his fastball. The product has greatly improved since The Game has gained power and things will likely improve for Theory down the line as well. It is not the end of the line for the 25-year-old, just a much-needed reset.
Do you think Austin Theory should have lost his Money in the Bank cash-in? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
WWE has discussed doing something new with Austin Theory’s Money In The Bank cash-in attempt.
Over the summer, Theory won the briefcase at this year’s Money In The Bank after being added to the ladder match as a last-minute entry over Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Omos, Sami Zayn, Riddle, and Madcap Moss.
The Pitch
(WWE)
WrestleVotes revealed that there had been an internal pitch for Theory where he would keep the Money in the Bank briefcase for almost an entire year.
“There is an idea that he is the first guy to wait a full year, like the day of or let’s say, night of Money in the Bank next year,” the person behind the Twitter account stated in an interview with GiveMeSport. “That’s the storyline, like ‘you have to cash this in two and a half hours. You have to cash this in 90 minutes.’ That type of thing. I know that idea is on the table.”
As of this writing, it is unclear whether or not the current plan is for Theory’s cash-in to be successful.
Theory last wrestled on this week’s edition of Raw, defeating Mustafa Ali in singles action. He doesn’t have a match announced for Crown Jewel on November 5th in Saudi Arabia.
Austin Theory was a surprise addition to the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at the Premium Live Event in July and emerged victorious.
The 25-year-old had previously spent months conversing with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon in backstage segments. It seemed like he was destined to be the next big thing in the company but that doesn’t appear to the be the case anymore, at least at the moment.
Since winning the Money in the Bank contract, Theory has been an afterthought on WWE television. He attempted to cash in the MITB contract during the main event of Clash at the Castle but got leveled by boxer Tyson Fury in the front row.
According to his match listing on Pro Fight Database, he hasn’t even won a match at a live event since August 21st when he defeated Dolph Ziggler at Sunday Stunner. Austin Theory has gone 0-15 since picking up a win over the showoff. Theory is scheduled to face Johnny Gargano next week on RAW at the Barclays Center in New York.
Jim Cornette Criticizes WWE’s Booking of Austin Theory
The legendary manager spoke about Theory’s downfall in the company on the latest edition of the Jim Cornette Experience. Jim noted that Austin Theory used to be the chosen one and has all the tools needed to be a star in the industry.
He claimed that Theory is nothing but a “flunky” now and is clinging to the Money in the Bank briefcase to remain relevant. Cornette criticized how WWE talent won’t look at the camera during backstage interviews as well.
Austin Theory, what have they done to my boy?,” said Cornette. “He did a backstage interview and it was more noticeable here because he’s a guy that wants to look at people he’s talking to, and wants to as a cocky heel.
You could tell he’s trying not to look at the camera because they’re still telling, for whatever reason that Vince [McMahon] had in his demented mind, the talent still in a pre-tape backstage with an interview will not look at the camera because Vince didn’t like that.
This guy was going to be the chosen one, he got the Money in the Bank briefcase, he was Vince’s [McMahon] protege. He’s a tremendous worker. He’s got the physical tools, everything. And now just, whatever he did to piss whoever off since Vince has been gone he’s a flunky.
He’s clinging to that Money in the Bank briefcase by a thread and that is the only thing he’s got in his back pocket. And he had that before they started this tear-down project.
Kevin Owens cut what many fans consider one of the best promos of 2022 in WWE during this week’s episode of Raw while calling out Austin Theory for having a bad attitude.
Owens tried to fire up Theory and wanted him to prove he wasn’t like the many promising young stars who have flamed out.
“Prove me wrong. Prove all of these people wrong. You know how to do it? You know how to do it? I’ll tell you. You stop thinking about the moments that were handed to you, and you start making your own moments. You know how to do that? You check your ego at the door, you look at yourself in the mirror, and you realize you’re not as good as you think you are, but you let your passion drive you to get better.
Owens continued, “More importantly, you leave everything you have in this ring every time you step foot in front of these people. That, that’s how you prove me wrong. That’s how you become the future. That’s how you become the face of WWE,” he concluded.
Owens’ strong words didn’t connect with Theory, who flexed his bicep and told him that he’ll never look like the youngest United States Champion in company history. However, while speaking with WWE.com, Theory did a promo listing his accomplishments after the show.
“I’m tired of people trying to downplay my achievements like I haven’t busted my a**,” Theory said. “I’m the future, and the future is right in front of you.”
Austin Theory is the latest star to get his first name back as he was introduced as “Austin Theory” when he made his entrance for a six-man tag team match on WWE Clash at the Castle pre-show.
He teamed with Alpha Academy in a loss to Madcap Moss & The Street Profits where Montez Ford pinned Chad Gable to get the victory.
Since April, he had been going by the name “Theory” after having his first name-dropped. It was reported earlier this week by Pwinsider.com that Theory, real name Austin White, would be returning to using the full name Austin Theory, which comes after Matt Riddle got his first name back on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
PWInsider noted in their report the “shortened names were an edict under the Vince McMahon regime that has now been reversed.” The change comes after Triple H took over as head of WWE creative following McMahon’s resignation.
While speaking with SHAK Wrestling this week, Theory said he didn’t think he needed his first name back because he loves the name Theory and felt Austin was always the throw-on for the name.
Theory is the current holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase after winning it in July and grants him the right to a shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship whenever he wants it.
