On the November 7th episode of WWE Raw, Austin Theory made the shocking decision to cash in his Money in the Bank contract in an attempt to capture Seth Rollins’ United States Championship. The cash-in came after Rollins had been brutalized by Bobby Lashley, who is still angry after an attack from Brock Lesnar caused him to lose the title to Rollins.
While it looked like an easy victory for Theory, Seth Rollins was able to kick out of his initial pinfall attempt, opening the door for Bobby Lashley to wreak more havoc on the night. With the referee down, Lashley pulled Austin Theory out of the ring and attacked him, applying the Hurt Lock and rendering Theory weakened. In the end, he lost the match to Rollins, adding him to the list of people to unsuccessfully cash in a contract.
Jim Cornette Thinks WWE Made Austin Theory Look Weak With His Failed Cash-In
Speaking on The Jim Cornette Experience, legendary wrestling manager Jim Cornette had harsh words for the booking of Austin Theory last week on WWE Raw. He began with questioning the decision for Austin Theory to cash in his Money in the Bank contract for the United States Championship, and then got into the specifics of the match.
“So there’s 10 minutes left in the show, and here comes Austin Theory with the Money in the Bank briefcase. And we go to break. And when we come back, Seth is still down selling on the floor and a doctor is checking on him. And everything that can be done to human being has been done to this man’s f*cking anatomy in the past five minutes right?
“And that’s when Theory decides to cash in his briefcase for the first time ever. The winner does not cash in the briefcase for the one of the world titles but for the United States title. Okay, maybe it’s personal with him, Theory was the US champion before. So, he then cashes it he tosses Seth Rollins in the ring. And they ring the bell and Theory hits him with a big punch, boom, look good. Cover 1 2 kick out. And then a suplex 1 2 kick out. And then he hits a pedigree, 1 2 kick out.
“And then Rollins backdrops Theory over the top rope and then starts making a comeback on him. He hits a Power Bomb, and a super kick and a forearm to the skull and Theory comes out and hits another. I don’t know what do you call that? He hits whatever he hits where he picks him up like a suplex drops him the back of his head on his knee. And he covered him and Lashley is there and pulls the referee out and beats up Theory and posts him a time or two and puts him into hurt lock and Theory is f*cking pretty much out cold.”
Continuing, Jim Cornette criticized the way the match ending, with Seth Rollins hitting a curb stomp on Austin Theory despite the damage that had been done by Bobby Lashley. In Jim Cornette’s mind, Austin Theory looked incredibly weak for not being able to win after Rollins took such a brutal beating.
“And then Seth is selling and Lashley walks off and the referee starts counting because Theory is gonna get counted out. And at nine Theory suddenly and again, this was I’m sure told to him to do in the finish this way this would be part of a finish that would be relayed exactly. He jumps the f*ck up and rolls back in the ring and Seth Rollins comes alive and hits him with a curb stomp 123. What the f*ck did I just [see]? In so many ways it is like what the f*ck did Theory do?
“And who thought, I don’t understand if he had crawled for that first eight of the nine count toward the ring and tried to make his way in or whatever. But he’s laying there motionless. And then suddenly he f*cking pops up and rolls in and Rollins is alive after all the shit that was done to Rollins, Theory can with three or four different things, but now he came beat him. Then the pop up out of nowhere and the curb stomp 123, the unsuccessful cash-in and even a corpse.
“Theory couldn’t even beat a guy that was on death’s door from being pummeling by one of the biggest stars in the company.”
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.