Austin Theory Reveals Why His Character Had To Evolve

As Ecclesiastes says, "to everything, there is a season," and the season of the "goofball" is over for Austin Theory.

"I can't take selfies forever and be a goofball," the new United States Champion told "BT Sports." After failing to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase Austin Theory has become far more aggressive.

"I'd say it's as wild as it has been for everybody else. You go from being so used to something to a quick switch, and pretty much that quick switch changes everything, but for a good way, I feel like," he said. "It was a chance ... to evolve and go to that next level ... it's like finding that next chapter and what's going to get me to becoming a World Champion, and I think we are on the right track."

Theory has had his fair share of critics since being named as Vince McMahon's protege on the main roster but now feels people are "seeing the work ethic" that he has put in throughout the years to reach this stage at the young age of 25 years old. 

"They're seeing that I've been working at this since I was 12 years old, looking for every single way to get to the top. Whether it was a bodybuilding show trying to get noticed by WWE, working my way through the independent circuit," he said. "Just that climb of all of that and that grind of knowing that you can see it when nobody else does ... I'd seen it, I didn't see the detail, I didn't see the Money in the Bank, I didn't see the two-time United States Champion, but I knew I'd be here, and I knew I'd be great."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "BT Sports" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.