What to do with Austin Theory moving forward

[ChitownKnight]

So it’s clear that he’s going to end up being a Cena/Orton/Roman/Seth type Main Eventer. I think winning the US title multiple times, beating Rollins, Edge and Lashley are good moves but I don’t think he’s ready to beat Cena at Wrestlemania yet in one of his last matches. I hope they don’t strap a world title on him this year. I think guys like Sami, Gunther, and LA knight deserve a turn before Theory. I think the best time to strap him up would be either late 2024 or early 2025. He’s got all the tools to be a success but I feel like he’s missing a certain something. Maybe he should do some oddball tag team like Bryan?

[…Yeah!]

With all the comparisons, I feel like he’s in his John Cena pre-Thuganomics phase, but I don’t really think he has it to ever really get past that.

Like…dude gets treated as bad, if not worse than Baron Corbin, with one of the worst Money in the Bank reigns ever, and he apparently gets a rare Cena match at WrestleMania? Doesn’t make sense to me.

[fw91]

Feb 22, 2023 23:07:27 GMT -5 ChitownKnight said:

So it’s clear that he’s going to end up being a Cena/Orton/Roman/Seth type Main Eventer. I think winning the US title multiple times, beating Rollins, Edge and Lashley are good moves but I don’t think he’s ready to beat Cena at Wrestlemania yet in one of his last matches. I hope they don’t strap a world title on him this year. I think guys like Sami, Gunther, and LA knight deserve a turn before Theory. I think the best time to strap him up would be either late 2024 or early 2025. He’s got all the tools to be a success but I feel like he’s missing a certain something. Maybe he should do some oddball tag team like Bryan?

Am I the only one who sees a GUNTHER world title reign going not so great? Like I feel like in between his meat slapping, there's not a lot there that the audience is going to be invested in long term.

[Starshine]

Feb 22, 2023 23:26:56 GMT -5 …Yeah! said:

With all the comparisons, I feel like he’s in his John Cena pre-Thuganomics phase, but I don’t really think he has it to ever really get past that.

Like…dude gets treated as bad, if not worse than Baron Corbin, with one of the worst Money in the Bank reigns ever, and he apparently gets a rare Cena match at WrestleMania? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Well Corbin got to retire Angle, so it's not the craziest comp in that regard either.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

Either actually push him by giving him clean wins and expanding on his character or take the title of him and try something else. This middle ground isn't working for me.

[4real]

Put him back with The Way and make him dumb again.

That’s the only time I’ve liked his character. This super serious midcard champ stuff isn’t working for me.

[Rudy Gobert Weather Machine]

Austin Theory Presents Cosmos segment

[Rudy Gobert Weather Machine]

[looking at a picture of himself 6 months ago] he's the past..but wait...that's me...me's the past...nah..nah...I ain't the past...that ain't me...I'm The Now..look at me right now...take a picture..lemme SEE..yeah,..but see time's crazy cause check this...[takes off glasses]...now he's the past...

[Chiral]

ASMR podcast

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Absolutely nothing.

[Chiral]

I just realized his inevitable talk show segment is probably gonna be called Austin's Theory

[Big DSR Energy]

Put him in a bowler hat.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

Put him in Schism.

[Legion]

They've decided he's a hot, young face of the company type and will keep trying with him until they find what clicks.

As they should.

WWE needs a new generation of stars instead of the same old faces who have been there for 10-15 years already.

Theory was called up too quickly as Vince's last projct, and that's going to hurt him as the 'old man stink' of Vince will take a while to wash off. But it will eventually, and he'll find what works for him eventually.

[Mozenrath]

Feb 23, 2023 2:41:19 GMT -5 Chiral said:

I just realized his inevitable talk show segment is probably gonna be called Austin's Theory

They somehow miss that obvious direction and instead call it The Theory Query, and Rock finally returns with the promise he gets to call someone queer in a promo again.

[schma]

Give him the honk-a-meter. Yes, that's for the IC title but he's not the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Push R Truth]

So it’s clear that he’s going to end up being a Cena/Orton/Roman/Seth type Main Eventer

[canceled4truth]

World champ by 2025. I'm A-Town Down baby

[fg]

Feb 23, 2023 1:44:06 GMT -5 4real said:

Put him back with The Way and make him dumb again.

That’s the only time I’ve liked his character. This super serious midcard champ stuff isn’t working for me.

I agree. I love seeing heels act dumb.

[thecrusherwi]

Feb 22, 2023 23:52:12 GMT -5 "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik said:

Either actually push him by giving him clean wins and expanding on his character or take the title of him and try something else. This middle ground isn't working for me.

This is a problem I've had with WWE ever since Cena's initial mega-push backfired on them. They do this all the time. They still want to push a guy who's unpopular, so they do it in such a weak way that they think the audience won't notice they're still pushing him and they'll relent with their backlash. It ruined face Cena and it ruined face Reigns. I'm sure there are other examples.

If you want to push a guy, then flippin push him - crowd be damned. If you just power through and present the guy as a legitimate winner, the crowd might eventually just give up and accept it, which happened with Roman now and the Bloodline in many ways.