WWE Star Believes They May Dethrone Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns has been a seemingly unbeatable force in WWE over the past couple of years, and while a Money in the Bank briefcase seemed like the perfect opportunity to put an end to his championship reign, for Austin Theory it wasn't meant to be. No longer guaranteed a title shot with his status as "Mr. Money in the Bank" gone, Theory told CityNews Ottawa that whoever ends up defeating Reigns has to be someone that will truly beat him and "not just by some luck." "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," he said.
The days of Theory taking selfies appear to be behind him, and he believes that "the cocky, arrogant, douchy persona just really gets under people's skin and it did its purpose." That version of him did lead to a Money in the Bank victory, but that still had limitations. "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," he said.
Ultimately, that was the storyline reason why Theory attempted to cash in on the United States Championship, as his previous attempts to dethrone "The Tribal Chief" saw him stopped by The Bloodline and even Tyson Fury at Clash At The Castle. But since losing his golden opportunity, he has completely changed to be far more serious and aggressive, which allows fans to view him differently.
Theory captured the United States Championship for the second time in his career at Survivor Series: WarGames, with Triple H pointing out that it silences any critics about his future. With a stronger character and gold back around his waist, this could end up being the platform that springboards him into contention to fulfill his belief of defeating Roman Reigns.