Theory is in possession of the WWE’s Money in the Bank briefcase, which means there's a good chance he'll be winning the WWE’s top titles sometime in the next year. It’s even possible he could win big as early as SummerSlam, if not one of the other upcoming major events where Roman Reigns will defend his undisputed titles. There are many fans who feel a certain kind of way about that, but I personally believe this cash-in could be the best one the WWE’s had in a long time.
Money in the Bank cash-ins are always memorable, but it feels as though the WWE really has something special on the way for Theory. It might just be what he needs to launch himself as a bonafide main event superstar, and ultimately inject some more life into the WWE. Let’s talk things out below, and get into the reasons why Theory’s eventual cash-in might be one that fans remember for a long time.
Theory Is The Most Polarizing Star The WWE Has Right Now
I don’t think it’s any secret at this point that some of the wrestling world is pretty lukewarm on Theory. While there’s no denying he has skills as an in-ring talent, and he’s pretty handy on the mic, he’s still pretty green to the WWE world at large. And yet, it would appear as if the top brass handed him the keys to the kingdom and an easy road to the championship with his latest Money in the Bank win, which tends to create problems for athletes.
Wrestling fans might have a short memory on occasion, but there was definitely a time when Roman Reigns was given the same stamp of approval by the WWE long-before audiencea were ready to accept him as “Head of the Table.” Peacock Premium subscribers may or may not find tons of evidence for it in past matches due to post-event editing, but live crowds weren’t all that hyped about Reigns in the early days. He got almost nuclear heat from fans when he first ascended to the main event scene, and it took a long time for that to change.
In the end, though, Roman Reigns won over the crowd, and it’s hard to argue against the WWE's choice to thrust him into the spotlight when they did. I think the fact that Theory is still so polarizing gives him the opportunity to rise in the same way Reigns did, and launch what could ultimately become a very marquee-worthy career. In fairness, I personally believe Theory is ready for a major title run, even if that’s an opinion other wrestling fans don’t share.
A Cash-in On Roman Reigns’ Undisputed Championship Would Be Absolute Insanity
When Austin Theory appeared on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown to tease a cash-in following Brock Lesnar’s match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, he even mentioned during the Raw appearance it’d be bigger than Seth Rollins' cash-in during WrestleMania 31, and he’s not necessarily wrong in stating that. Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania victory will go down in WWE history as an all-time great moment for pro wrestling, but on paper, a Theory win would be much more epic.
After all, Rollins only defeated Reigns and Lesnar for one title. It only makes sense that defeating the same two men for both the WWE and Universal titles would technically be better, even if he does it at SummerSlam and not WrestleMania. The crowd went absolutely nuts for Rollins' cash-in, and I think they’d do the same for Theory, even those who are more on the fence about him.
The thing I like about Theory is that he has this type of heat similar to what The Miz had in his early years. It's been a while since we've had a run where someone deemed "undeserving" held the title (outside of Reigns' naysayers) and I think a return to that would reinvigorate some passion in the fandom. That'd be especially true if he ends up holding the two biggest titles and then somehow would also defeat Bobby Lashley for the United States championship in one night. It's a big prediction, and would be a bold move for the WWE if it happened, but I’m not against it in the slightest.
Would Theory winning the undisputed title signal the start of a whole new era of the WWE? I'm not sure, but in an era that’s seen giant bruisers like Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns battling time and time again, we’re past due for some chaos even if fans like the matchup. By giving Theory the title win through some undeserved heel fashion, it could make the title more vulnerable in that the most protected superstars in the company aren’t holding it indefinitely for another year.
Pushing Theory Provides A Shake Up The WWE Desperately Needs
Roman Reigns captured the Universal Championship back in August of 2020, and if he retains it through SummerSlam, he’d likely be holding the title without dropping it for more than two full years. That’s a long time for any champion to hang onto one of the WWE’s most prestigious titles, especially since Reigns is spending more and more time away from televised shows. Things feel even worse for the main title picture now that he has the WWE Championship as well, since two of the WWE’s biggest titles are off-limits more often than not. Reigns has even been removed from events he was originally scheduled to compete at, which is disappointing.
Should Roman Reigns lose his title to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, it'd only create an incrementally better scenario. Lesnar holding the titles as a part-timer could presumably lead to the same situation as Reigns, which would mean the championships would be kept out of play until another major pay-per-view. Lesnar and Reigns have both dominated the major title scene for some time, so it’s understandable that not everyone in the fan community is thrilled at the prospect of either keeping possession of either title.
Theory might be the new “chosen one’ by WWE, but he’s also the freshest face we’ve seen get a shot at main event status in some time. Most everyone in the upper echelon is a well-established icon at this point who will ultimately end up in the WWE Hall of Fame, generally speaking. So with its Theory experiment, the WWE may turn things enjoyably on their head. On the flip side, it could backfire completely, causing the company to move on after sweeping things under the metaphorical rug. At this stage, I’m ready to see them roll the dice and let an up-and-coming superstar achieve the highest honors. Of course, I’m wholly assuming his cash-in will be successful, while ignoring the very real possibility that he’ll cash-in and lose the match. Even so, I’d prefer to see him take that kinda risk and throw fate to the wind in order to mix things up in the WWE.
SummerSlam will stream on PPV and Peacock on Saturday, July 30th. If Theory doesn’t cash in his briefcase there, it’s possible we’ll see it at one of the other upcoming events, so be sure to keep that streaming subscription active.
