Every 'Next Big Thing' In Wrestling History: Where Are They Now?
15. Austin Theory
It used to be that the Next Big Thing would receive the actual superstar treatment - expensive vignettes, spectacular entrance, an undefeated streak - to signal to fans that the real deal had arrived. Brace yourself.
In the literally backwards world of Vince McMahon’s twilight-years creative, you could tell who he liked by the sheer extent to which he’d embarrass his pet projects onscreen. Austin Theory in late 2021 was pushed as a dumb-sh*t twerp whose mere presence seemed to annoy Vince. He was instantly received as a future WWE Champion as a result (!).
That Vince - so old-looking and unsettling that he appeared to be dead and exhumed through some secret billionaire-funded lab - would go on TV to endorse Theory was quite something. Vince had removed himself from it all because he looked so gross (sorry, because he thought he looked so gross).
Astonishingly, that push didn’t take.
Theory was a factory-produced telegenic WWE top guy with an eerie artificiality, as scripted as scripted gets. Brad Maddox with some movez. He epitomised the idea that WWE often can’t see past a performer’s look to discover there’s nothing of substance within.
He has since settled into his natural role as an obnoxious but not ineffective prelim heel.