Austin Theory felt he ‘was going places’ in WWE during his alliance with Vince McMahon
Austin Theory recently reflected on his WWE main roster run alongside Vince McMahon.
Recently appearing on Logan Paul’s ImPaulsive, Theory reflected on his journey from NXT to the WWE main roster as well as his iconic televised relationship with former boss Vince McMahon. Theory recalled the one specific moment that changed his perspective on his own career.
“So I remember my time in NXT, it was kinda just, I feel like I was there. Then something started to work when I was in the group The Way; I started showing more of my humor, being more funny, showing that. I feel like that’s kind of the tip of it in NXT,” Theory said. “Then when I got to the main roster, I didn’t even realise Vince [McMahon] was pushing me, and behind me, until I remember when I won the US Title and became the youngest US Champ, but at the end of that match, Vince wanted all the heels to come out, hold me up in the ring. Then, as I left the ring, he came out on the stage and held my arm, and I think in that moment I was like ‘Whoa, something’s going on here, we’re going places,‘” he further added.
The former United States Champion also added that he always felt he would do great things in WWE. “I feel like I always knew I would do great things here, just not the detail of them. It’s been a crazy ride, but I guess like anything in life you have the ups and downs, and coming down a little and just reflecting and figuring out where can I be better, what can I do, maybe I need to switch the character and do something else. But that time period specifically, that was the end of 2021 and 2023, but crazy.”
Theory and McMahon remained an on-screen duo for several months until McMahon’s initial retirement in 2022.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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