"Never felt like I was brought up" - Theory discusses his initial run on WWE's main roster
WWE Superstar Theory has discussed his initial run on the main roster, saying that he didn't feel that he left NXT.
After spending some time on the black and gold brand, the current Mr. Money In The Bank began appearing on RAW in April 2020 during the pandemic. He first aligned himself with Andrade, Angel Garza, and Zelina Vega. He later became one of Seth Rollins' disciples before his time on the main roster was inexplicably cut short.
That time WWE randomly added Austin Theory to the Andrade faction https://t.co/5P7TPZr0Go
In a recent interview with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, the former United States Champion revealed that he never felt that he left the developmental brand for the main roster:
"Basically, I never felt like I was brought up. I was still always under NXT contract. Somebody had got injured at the time and they were looking for somebody to fill in for a tag team. I live in Orlando, I was right there. Started doing some things, did some stuff with Seth Rollins, and then it was one of those things where it was like, ‘This isn’t really going to stay a thing, so we’re trying to figure out how to do everything,’ and then it was like, ‘Theory’s still with NXT'... I don’t ever think I was on the main roster because at the same time I was at the Performance Center and it didn’t really feel like the main roster. It was just different days, different people." (h/t Fightful)
After spending another year in NXT, he reappeared on RAW in October 2021 defeating Jeff Hardy in his re-debut.
Theory comments on showcasing his personality as a member of The Way
Austin Theory Discusses His Time On Raw In 2020, Showcasing His Personality As A Member Of The Way dlvr.it/STfnfj
Upon his return to NXT, Theory became part of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae's faction - The Way. The trio, along with Indi Hartwell, became one of the most endearing acts on the brand.
During the same interview, the 24-year-old discussed how the alliance came to be, and the fact that he was initially just supposed to be Gargano's bodyguard:
"I remember the idea for me was just to be a bodyguard behind Johnny Gargano and same thing for Indi. Just to be a bodyguard behind Candice, lead them to victory, and them help us along the way. But it kind of turned into this natural family vibe where I was like the goofy son, and Johnny’s the dad, and then Candice is like the angry mom and Indi’s the romantic sister that’s in love with Dexter," - said Theory.
The Way helped the former United States Champion in bringing out his personality. Since the group's disbandment, he has become Vince McMahon's on-screen protege and has been touted as a future world champion.