Top champion confirms beef with Michael Cole after his savage commentary on WWE SmackDown

WWE Superstar Austin Theory has admitted to having beef with legendary commentator Michael Cole following the latter's brutal comments on SmackDown.

Theory sat with the commentary team during the first Fatal 4-Way Match in the United States Championship Invitational. It was one of the best matches this week, with four superstars -- Santos Escobar, Butch, Grayson Waller, and AJ Styles -- locking horns in an intense bout.

Each competitor took turns dominating the match, accounting for brilliant spots. This earned them a loud "This is Awesome" chant from WWE fans in the live audience.

At this point, Michael Cole stopped to note that the crowd was showing appreciation for the ongoing match, which never happens in Theory's matches. This stunned the champion, but the SmackDown commentator held his ground.

Michael Cole was roasting Theory on commentary. 💀
#WWE #SmackDown https://t.co/rTQTQexjwa

Following the show, Kayla Braxton asked Theory if he now has beef with Michael Cole for his comments on air. The champion said yes and dismissed the popular commentator's credibility. He was quoted as saying:

"Michael Cole? Yeah, actually, I have got a lot to say. You are a nobody." [1:05 - 1:12]

The match eventually ended with Santos Escobar picking up a big win. The LWO member hailed it as the biggest night of his career, but Theory dismissed his achievement in an interview. He further asserted that several WWE legends, including John Cena, have 'fallen short' in title matches against him.

WWE confirms huge Fatal 4-Way Match for SmackDown next week

The United States Championship Invitational continues NEXT WEEK on #SmackDown! 🇺🇸

@reymysterio
@WWESheamus
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@RealLAKnight

📺 8e/5p on @FS1 https://t.co/z3GsR5sUZA

The second Fatal 4-Way Match will see Sheamus, Rey Mysterio, LA Knight, and Cameron Grimes battle it out to advance in the United States Championship Invitational. The winner will face Santos Escobar in a bid to become the #1 contender for the U.S. Championship.

We could see Austin Theory put his title on the line at SummerSlam 2023. He recently surpassed 200 days as the United States Champion in his second title reign. Theory has recently found new allies in Pretty Deadly on SmackDown, and it will be interesting to see if the newly introduced tag team will continue to help their friend on the blue brand.