Austin Theory

[1.0] "The only thing he had of substance was that he had a good look but ever since he buzzed his hair he looks like a default wrestler on 2k and I'm not even joking. His in ring ability is basic as hell and it's shown time after time. His promos are hit or miss but largely miss. Overall, ever since that John Cena promo it's hard to look the same at him since he said nothing but the truth. It's clear that Vince wanted this dude as the future but the way it seems, he'll be lucky to be in the company by the end of the year. It's not looking good for him at all."

[9.0] "As far as I am concerned, Austin Theory has tremendously improved his move-set, his presentation, & with that, has put himself in a great position as a member of The Vision. His physique & presence make him look like a million dollars. I am always impressed when I see Austin Theory on RAW & am always looking forward to see more of his wrestling."

[4.0] "Remember when this guy beat John Cena at WrestleMania? Let that sink in... While he can wrestle, in the sense of being able to do the moves, he still lacks in every other facet in professional wrestling. Even as an in ring talent, he's not special aside from 1 or 2 moves he does, doesn't have the capability to tell stories in the ring or lead a match. On the mic, he offers nothing, just another generic guy. His tag team with Grayson Waller sucked, just dragged Waller down and held him back while no one was benefiting from this duo. I will admit I had some form of interest in him when he regained his US title in 2023 and thought he might of had potential, but it all fell flat after the Cena win and not a single person cared for him after his biggest victory. Oh, and I sincerely don't want to see this guy apart of "The Vision, " which I also don't want to be subjected to watch that faction in general."

[4.0] "Just one of those people that I've always found pretty skippable. Not a bad wrestler or anything but I don't think I've ever felt any sort of emotion watching his matches or segments. I will say, he has a very fun sell of the Stunner."

[4.0] "Not bad but not good he's just kinda there you know.. I used to like him a bit and idk why tbh, he's an okay wrestler overall I'd say, I'm sure he will gets more attention from the company in the future, then we will see."

[1.0] "His promos are boring and without passion. His in ring work is ok. He looks like the generic template for a CAW in a video game. He has almost nothing needed to be successful in wrestling except his physique which is why Vince had a bonerino for him. His biggest claim to fame is overselling the Stunner. WOOOOPPPEEEE! Oh and cashing in his money in the bank briefcase for a fucking mid card title. That makes him, in kayfabe, the dumbest fucking person on the planet in that moment. Outside of kayfabe it has all but killed the aura of that concept. He doesn't have it."

[7.0] "Wtf did this guy do to piss off Triple H so bad? Like seriously this guy fell off so unimaginably hard. I keep telling myself "oh, he's only 27, there's still time left." But when I actually take a look at everything Triple Nose has done to bury him, it all points towards him getting future endeavored. Despite once being touted as "the next John Cena, " he's currently living proof that we're well past the days of relatively "young" stars holding big titles, and that 35 is the bare minimum to even be CONSIDERED for one. Not only does he get booked to lose 99% of his matches, he also looks like a dumbass in the process since he's the only person to cash in on a midcard title, NOT TO MENTION HE FAILED. What I would've done is have Theory cash in on the NXT title successfully since there was no way in hell he was ever beating Roman. Now he's been stuck in a nothing tag team with Waller for almost 2 years now, and if I see one more TEASED FACE TURN from Theory without him ACTUALLY DOING IT, I may find myself with a broken TV. I'm convinced that he could do well as a face if he tried, because he's been getting some loud reactions on Main Event lately, a place where he shouldn't even be to begin with. He's easily one of the more athletic people on the roster right now and deserves so much better."

[7.0] "Has the potential to be a top heel in this industry, whether its with TKO or not. Great look, good worker, young, underrated athleticism, & has the charisma to generate heat better than his fellow wrestlers. Reminds me of a young Randy, but Im sure many ppl will disagree with that comparison. Excited to see what Austin has to offer when booked properly"

[5.0] "There's something there.... He has a good look a and is very athletic. But the problem is that they never seem to find the perfect thing for him. They either do too much with him and overpush him, like having him win MITB. Or drag him down by having him and Waller as a tag team and not pull the trigger on a face turn when the crowd wanted to see it. Theory is more a victim of booking than anything, as I find him quiet enjoyable in most aspects. I hope they can do something with him in the future as he's still young and has a long way ahead of him."

[9.0] "I love Austin Theory in my opinion he's very underrated he's the complete package he deserves a world championship run in the future I see him having a huge face push in the near future. I'm not a fan of him being a tag team at all he is definitely more suited to be a solo superstar for sure."

[7.0] "This guy has improved tremendously. When he was newer I was certain he'd be cut pretty soon. He's proven me wrong and may have a big face push in his future"

[4.0] "He's someone who "should" be a major player, but he's not. Personally, I've never thought he had the "it" factor to get to the main event level. Despite that, he had Vince backing him when he came to the main roster & was even given a major win against Cena at WrestleMania. But he was not able to turn that into success & he's now in a floundering tag team with Grayson Waller. If he has any chance of proving us wrong & really making it into the main event, I think he needs to get released & then to prove himself in the indies similar to what Drew McIntyre or Cody did. If he remains in WWE, I don't think he'll go anywhere."

[7.0] "He's a good wrestler who sells really well and can put on a good match. He's got the look and is solid on the mic, but a lot of it is still potential that needs to be let loose. It seems like WWE doesn't have much interest in letting him do that at the moment. He's not bad at getting heat as a heel, but he's very charming and likeable in interviews and I think his real-life charisma would come out more on screen as a babyface...despite his actual face being so damn punchable that it genuinely complements his heel work."

[7.0] "HHH burying Austin has to got be some sort of middle finger to Vince or something . Theory's a very solid worker, I compare him to the likes of Jeff Jarrett. One of those guys who you don't appreciate until they're gone. Fantastic bumper, knows how to get heat, he was really finding his footing as a heel before getting shoved into a nothing tag team with Waller and subsequently finding himself in the low card position he's in today. HHH needs to find something better for him to do, can't convince he's not a better heel than most of the mid-card guys they got now."

[6.0] "There's still a wealth of potential waiting to be unlocked, even though his hype has somewhat faded. It feels like he was thrust into the spotlight a bit too soon. While he certainly knows how to deliver captivating matches and powerful promos, what he really needs is another chance at a singles run to solidify his place in the spotlight and truly showcase his talent."

[5.0] "I just don't find him entertaining, I find him boring, the only time I enjoyed him was during his time in The Way in NXT, but he was carried by everyone else in the faction, even by Indi Hartwell, and even by Dexter Lumis when he wasn't in the faction yet. His main roster run has been really boring, whether during Vince booking or Triple H booking"

[3.0] "His team with Grayson Waller is the best he's been, as Waller is a magnetic force of charisma, but Theory does not have it. The only match of his I've seen where I was ever outright enthusiastic towards him was the triple threat with Lashley and Rollins, which came immediately after he looked like the stupidest idiot with the MITB briefcase. Ultimately his legacy at the moment is bombing historically with Cena at Mania, and being the last MITB winner under Vince, which feels emblematic of that period of WWE and his talent. He's a boring worker in the ring, uncharismatic on the mic, and doesn't even have a particularly interesting look."

[8.0] "He's a hilarious all-rounder, a really good in ring, maybe very serious and I swear if he doesn't become a Superstar it'll be a big mess"

[6.0] "I enjoyed him in The Way but everything after that has been a huge dud. I think a lot of the problem is he's just had terrible booking for most of his career."

[8.0] "Austin Theory. What to say about you? Started out well in WWE aligning with Seth Rollins' stable but unfortunately because of WWE's awful creative at the time, the story got shelved, Austin then showcased more of his character in NXT as a part of The Way which was a very enjoyable run, Theory then came back to the main roster and got a push straight to superstardom mainly because of the old Pervert that ran things, and at this point everyone was hating Austin Theory and rightfully so, the guy stole a gold egg and got rewarded with a world title match? I liked the selfie gimmick truth be told, it created some very funny reaction pictures, his first US Title run was absolutely fine in my opinion, some decent to good matches, before dropping the belt to Lashley. And then he won MiTB hours later despite not having to qualify, what a stupid booking decision! In the months that followed more people started to hate on Theory, but weirdly enough this was when I started to come back around to him, something about him just caught my attention and from that point on I've been a big fan! He has an exceptional physique and unfortunately his creative has been piss poor under Triple H, but I still think that his natural charisma, natural love for the business and natural face energy will eventually shine through and hopefully he'll be able to win a world title one day."

[7.0] "My hopes and dreams scream Theory should be given the highest point, but intellectually I know he doesn't deserve now. In the beggining of his second run on RAW (2021-2022) he was an absolutely entertaining character. When Vince McMahon hung up his boots and gave up writing scripts, Theory turned into a joke, then became a pale shadow of himself. But even so he managed to make a fun of himself taking part in stupid segments when he was a punching bag for other stars and celebrities. Theory does his job well and conscientiously. On top of that, Austin looks like a million dollars in terms of physics. Austin Theory has a lot advantages explaining why he must hit a big time. They make me believe Austin will shine as the World Champion in WWE one day"

[10.0] "Austin Theory is an easy 10 for me because hes the total package and the future of wrestling. At just 26, hes already achieved so much, but what sets him apart is his incredible potential. His in-ring work is crisp and versatilehe can adapt to any style, whether technical, high-flying, or storytelling-based. On the mic, hes a natural. His confidence and delivery make him one of the best talkers in the business today, and he knows how to draw heat like a true heel. His character work is phenomenal; he balances arrogance and charisma perfectly, making fans love to hate him. He feels authentic, which is rare for someone his age. Plus, his ability to shine in big moments, like his matches with legends and his Money in the Bank cash-in, shows his star power. Austin Theory is everything you want in a modern-day superstarhes only getting better."

[5.0] "A quite boring wrestler. Failing to elicit anything but boredom. Decent in the ring, but not much else. He gets some credit because he is in the early stages of his career. And yet, there is not much to make me think he'll improve any further."

[4.0] "Do you remember when Austin Theory was a thing? That was weird huh. Theory vs Cena rivals Brock vs Goldberg in bad vibes 'mania matches. He is basically what Ospreay's bad faith critics think Will is. Loads of athleticism but none of the actual skills needed to be a good pro wrestler."

[7.0] "Look - 8, In Ring - 6, Mic - 7. At some point you'd think he has to get his shot at the big time. He is above average in every facet, incredibly young, and has a ceiling miles above his head. He is everything you hope to find with a 20 something wrestler."

[4.0] "I think he plays the role of a pro wrestler more than he actually is one. Because every time he's out there as a character, I can't take him seriously, or anything that he does seriously. Whenever he talks on a microphone, I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth, and I don't think he does either honestly. That might change once he figures out who he is and what his character should be, but as of right now what he's selling i'm not buying it. The only things that he has going for him that's getting him the rating hes' getting is that he is in and maintains a tip top shape, he can work/bump/sell in the ring, and he's still young enough to turn it around hopefully."

[4.0] "Theory seems like a lost case for me... haven't dragged my attention at any moment of his career, and even received an undeserving push and prestige during some moments, he was never the future of the company but was treated like that. I don't think he doesn't have talent, I just think he didn't knew how to be interesting so far in his career."

[7.0] "He's still young and i believe he still can be what he's supposed to be. Right now it's hard because he's on TV but he's just.. There. His team with Grayson Waller was good in the beginning but now it just needs to end. He's still a good worker and he has the support to succeed, hope it's going to work out for him;"

[6.0] "I've long felt that Austin Theory had potential and that little extra that could lead him far. Unfortunately, and despite an impressive track record, especially at his age, I feel that since his NXT debut he has never evolved. Both in terms of his skills on the mic and in the ring. His movepool is well used and controlled, but sincerely lacks depth and has nothing exceptional, especially as it's not very wide. His insufferable kid persona suits him well and fits perfectly with his face and mimicry, but lacks the depth to evolve and may do him a disservice. Perhaps a repackaging could help him, and I think his moveset could do with a little more development. However, I don't know if he's capable of evolving further or if he's reached his final level, in which case it would be a shame."

[8.0] "Austin Theory is truly the future of the WWE. He has amazing potential. Great in-ring skills, decent promo skills & amazing charisma. He could really be amazing. 8/10"

[8.0] "People dont give this guy enough credit so Im gonna list some of his achievements. 2X US Champion Tag Team Champion / Beat John Cena at Wrestlemania / Won the Elimination chamber / Won the Money In The Bank ladder match and Beat Edge, Lashley, Rollins, Sheamus, Jey Uso and Damian Priest in the longest US championship reign since Dean Ambrose. Give this guy some the respect he god damn deserves."

[6.0] "Austin theory is in the stage that John Cena was when he was still wrestling in those short tights: and undefined gimmick and a simple moveset but clearly confident and in the right repackage he could actually be something but dude is moving into bust territory, I mean even logan paul had it all figured out in the ring in less than a year"

[6.0] "When you look at Austin Theory's career as a whole, a 6 feels harsh. At one point, the guy was a literal prodigy - appearing on the main roster within a year of signing with WWE at the age of 22? It seemed like nothing was off-limits for him. But within a few months, he was back in NXT, as part of The Way. A year later he gets called up again to the main roster, but I think these abrupt short bursts of story lasting a few months each ultimately hurt Theory's career. A misguided Money in the Bank run, a laughable cash in on the US title that did little to establish him as anything more than someone with squandered potential. Right now he's a tag team champion getting overshadowed by his much more charismatic partner, which is such a crime when you remember that Theory did have a ridiculous amount of mystique and charisma when he was first signed by WWE. I genuinely do hope he evolves beyond a 6 rating, but I imagine the only way to do so is to leave to become a big fish in a smaller pond."

[7.0] "I mean he's not that bad. In ring he's decent and knows what he's doing on the mic. Having said that I don't think he's the future of the WWE main event scene. I enjoy waller more but he does a good job of being annoying. I don't really care about him that much but that is mostly because of booking. Overall (6.5) but i'll round him up to (7)"

[5.0] "As of right now I have to give him a 5. If Vince had stayed, this guy would've been a world champion by now. All his momentum went when Vince left and HHH took over, kind of feels like HHH doesn't know what to do with the guy. Has a fantastic look, good on the mic, in-ring is good, no doubt he'll be a champion in the future but as of right now he really needs to get back on track in regards to fulfilling his potential. I will say this though, he's never going to be on the level of a John Cena. Will never be the "guy" in WWE, I can honestly see him as the next Miz, which isn't a knock at all because Miz is a decent wrestler who is a several time World Champion, but he'll never hit the level of a top main event guy for long periods of time. Would love to be proven wrong though."

[7.0] "He's going to be world champion in a future, he has done pretty well, for being so young, even though he had a meh reign as United States Champion, he can give better, a turn face it's what he needs to be more like a 8 or 9/10 Theory is a young Superstar that needs a turn face because he works better as a face, but without the silly gimmick of the Selfies"

[5.0] "I can't like Austin Theory. I'm not going to blame WWE for trying something with him, it's good to try to create a new star but it was a failure. He is far from being bad in the ring, he is a good wrestler capable of putting on good performances but does not have sufficient charisma to hold a gimmick but a manager could help him. I remain a little curious about its future, maybe there is still hope because I tell myself that it may have been a booking problem until now and that in another story it could work."

[6.0] "He's a good wrestler, but that is just about it when it comes to what he's good at. He is very bland and his mic skills are quite mediocre (check out his promo against John Cena, he got absolutely mopped the floor with when Cena swept him). When he won against John Cena at Wrestlemania last year, that should have been the starting point for something massive right? RIGHT? No, actually his character work got arguably worse and he became much less of a desirable US champion. Although some in the IWC like to make him out to be worse than he is, he certainly isn't "horrible" by any stretches, but still not "great" either. Pairing him up with Grayson Waller, a man who has lots of charisma and mic talent, should do Austin better for the time being."

[5.0] "When he first came to WWE, I heard from people how good he is and how good he is going to be. I really enjoyed the stuff he did with The Way in NXT where he was the dumb muscle jock. Lost interest when he became the selfie taking golden boy. Lost even more interest when he won the US Title. He got to wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania and nobody seemed to care. Turned the US Title into boredom during his reign. Now that he's with Waller... I really have NO interest. Decent wrestler but not enough character development or evolution to make me care. Maybe something can change."

[5.0] "Austin Theory is undoubtedly talented in the ring but being a wrestler is about more than just being good in the ring. You have to be a compelling character and Theory fails abysmally at being compelling. I just do not care at all about him. He's been in good matches but those are mostly because of his opponents."

[5.0] "If "bland" manifested itself into a professional wrestler, I imagine it would be very hard to tell the difference between "bland" and Austin Theory. A totally forgettable United States Championship reign is the highlight of his career so far. Maybe one day he'll elevate above "Miz from ten years ago, but also takes selfies"?"

[7.0] "Austin Theory has top-notch charisma, which is enough to make him a future star in the company. While Vince was running the company, they did give him a massive push, which the audience thought was sloppy and unnecessary considering his awful ass gimmick. While being in the era of Triple H, he has been frequently ignored and pushed aside, sort of a stepping stone at times. He can deliver a good match, a good promo, and sell his ass off to make finishing moves look incredible. A future star just needs a new gimmick and a solo push without random pairings with Grayson Waller."

[8.0] "Theory is a good wrestler and is the future of the company. He has a great physique and looks like a wrestler. He's greatly improved since being called up, and I'm sure he will continue to as he spends more time doing house shows and tv work, etc. He's a great worker in the ring, and is even greater when he's against more experienced veterans. He has been put over by legends and even Vince himself (let's not talk about the golden egg storyline though). His gimmick currently is very vanilla, but I've LOVED his recent work with Grayson Waller. Can't wait to see what the future holds for him in the ring."

[7.0] "Green, somewhat bland, but insanely talented in the ring and clearly in possession of the it factor. I expect to raise Theorys rating in the future. Hes clearly got a strong understanding of how to work a ring, even if he isnt yet at the point where he can lead matches, but for being only 26, hes talented."

[7.0] "Theory has the look, the cockyness, has that star aura and is solid In-ring (a bit boring in my opinion, but can have nice matches), but he lacks so much charisma with his current gimmick as it is the most generic heel character you can imagine. And his mic work is plain bad, looks like he doesn't even try to work in it. He sounds so simple and robotic. The thing is, with a right gimmick like the selfie one, he shows more personality and works a lot better for him. Hell, The Way run makes him look like a different person and was miles better. EDIT: I upgrade him one point after watching his Payback match against Rey Mysterio. Now I know he is inmensely talented, but the gimmick is what it's holding him back."

"Austin theory is def a major contender. Hes going to be something special hes been peaking since his days early in NXT. Would like for him to have another championship run. Interesting to see how triple h will book him now that Vince might be out of the picture. Austin is def generational talent"

[7.0] "Austin has a lot of potential. I'm enjoying his heel work a lot right now, he's a fun charismatic presence who you love to hate. In ring, he's solid. Nothing particularly amazing, but his character work is strong enough to carry him through matches his moveset might not."

[10.0] "He's bringing with potential, that WWE can capitalize on at any given moment, while they ultimately never gave a world title shot and the MITB briefcase was ultimately wasted on him, there is certainly much potential in him to become of the biggest stars in WWE history given he has carried himself in programs with various legends like Cena, Edge and The Rock."

[9.0] "Austin Theory is a diamond in the rough. Anyone who wants to turn a blind eye is only tarnishing the reputation of a very talented individual. His selling is spectacular, he has a diverse repertoire, albeit limited for some reason, and the physicality and charisma of a star. He is very young, and I genuinely hope that he is capitalized upon because he deserves it."

[1.0] "The blandest wrestler currently working in WWE, this guy leaves zero imprint in my memory which is strange cause he's not super terrible, but he's a geek. EDIT: Wrote that in 2021. Somehow he got worse. Every time I check out WWE, I am left having to watch this boring dude wrestle a bland ass match. He doesn't even have his own cool moves, The Ataxia is just Evil Uno's finish, The A-Town Down was just Shawn Spears shitty replacement finisher for the Ushigorishi. This guy has nothing, I don't get why he gets pushed, he is a vacant empty white void of nothingness as a wrestler. His gimmick stinks, his theme song stinks, John Cena sure as hell didn't want to put him over at Mania. He has a nothing factor. WWE is essentially pushing an OVW guy with a fine physique but absolutely devoid of memorable wrestling, promos, or charisma."