Having held the briefcase since July 2, Austin Theory finally saw fit to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase. The former EVOLVE Champion did so against Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins on the latest Monday Night Raw, ultimately falling short when Rollins was aided by Bobby Lashley.
Theory actually made history with his cash-in. He is the first to do so when opting to challenge for a secondary championship. Rollins is the reigning United States Champion, a title that Austin Theory himself has previously held and one that had just been on the line in an open challenge. Bobby Lashley answered that, failing to dethrone ‘The Visionary’.
Austin Theory had previously attempted to cash in on Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, though he ate an F5 from Brock Lesnar for his troubles at SummerSlam. He’d also teased going for Bron Breakker’s NXT Championship, which would’ve marked another Money in the Bank first.
How Does Triple H View Austin Theory?
It’s no secret that Austin Theory was a favourite of ex-WWE boss Vince McMahon. The then-Chairman was so fond of Theory that he began making regular televised appearances, even leading to him accompanying Theory to the ring at WrestleMania 38 vs. Pat McAfee.
When the new WWE regime came to power, Theory’s name was among those presumed to be affected. During his stay in NXT, Austin wasn’t as big a deal as he has been on the main roster previously; whether or not Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was high on him wasn’t clear.
Recent reports hinted that WWE actually had a unique plan in mind for Austin Theory as Mr Money in the Bank, which would have seen him still holding the briefcase on the day of the 2023 namesake premium live event. With just a handful of hours to cash-in, this would have made for an exhilarating show-long storyline.