Top WWE name wanted to cash in on Roman Reigns; claims he didn't want to cross paths with Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have been WWE's cornerstones for over a decade, and they have carried brands on their backs when needed. Meanwhile, Austin Theory recently got candid about his failed Money in the Bank cash-in in 2022 and explained why he wanted to go after the Original Tribal Chief instead of The Visionary.
A few years ago, WWE was in a difficult position as Roman Reigns held two world titles. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins won the United States Championship and tried to elevate the title as a workhorse champion on Monday Night RAW. However, the reign ended when Austin Theory won the title at Survivor Series 2022.
In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT, Theory stated there was never a plan in place when he won his previous titles or the Money in the Bank briefcase. The SmackDown star became Mr. MITB at the titular PLE in 2022 but had a failed cash-in against then-US Champion Seth Rollins before the Survivor Series event.
Austin revealed that he wanted to cash in on Roman Reigns instead of The Architect, as he would've looked cool even in defeat compared to what transpired.
"I don't feel like there's ever a plan. To be honest with you, the only thing that I kind of knew that was going to be if you know a match you're going to have at a pay-per-view. Even when I had the US Title the first time [shrugs], Money in the Bank [shrugs], second time US Title [shrugs], you know, it's just kind of seeing what rolls," Theory said.
He added:
"And then at the same time, too, with the briefcase, I was in such a tough spot because [of] Roman Reigns, the position he was in, and where they were going with him. I would have loved to cash in on Roman, even if it was a failed attempt; I think that would have been cool because I would have never cashed in on the United States Championship." [H/T: CVV]
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Austin Theory never crossed paths with Roman Reigns after his failed cash-in against Seth Rollins
Austin Theory's momentum abruptly ended when Vince McMahon stepped down and left WWE. Meanwhile, Triple H's regime pushed Seth Rollins as the second biggest name in the company during Cody Rhodes' injury-related hiatus.
However, Theory's dream of squaring off against Roman Reigns never came to fruition. The two had segments on Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown when the 27-year-old was Mr. Money in the Bank.
Unfortunately, The Unproven One was kept away from the OTC after Theory's failed cash-in against The Visionary. The two went on separate journeys, and Austin Theory hasn't crossed paths with Reigns since 2022.