Eric Bischoff, renowned in the wrestling world for his contributions to WCW, recently shared his thoughts on why WWE should consider taking a top star, Austin Theory, off television.
Bischoff emphasized the importance of removing Theory from programming until the company solidifies a clear direction for him.
Theory’s journey in WWE has been marked by significant pushes, notably culminating in his successful defense of the United States Title against John Cena at WrestleMania 39.
Despite these opportunities, Theory has faced challenges in resonating with viewers. Presently, he is aligned with Grayson Waller on SmackDown.
During an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff delved into why WWE should opt to keep Theory off-screen until they devise a compelling character or gimmick for him.
He stressed the necessity of experimenting with various personas during Theory’s absence from TV to discern the most fitting one for the 26-year-old talent. Bischoff also noted a prevailing reluctance among audiences towards Theory’s current portrayal.
“I’d probably take him off the air until I figured out what I really wanted to do with him, even if it took a couple of months of character work and exploration and trying different things and bring him back. Because the audience is still kind of resisting him just a bit,” Bischoff remarked.
In a recent interview, Austin Theory disclosed a significant alteration to his in-ring repertoire, namely the removal of the Spanish Fly maneuver.
Grayson youβre cooked buddy. Austin Theoryβs coming for you pic.twitter.com/e64mxiEwww
— π¨πππππππ πΊππ΅ π₯ (@KingofIWC) February 27, 2024
Reflecting on his match against Carmelo Hayes on a January episode of WWE SmackDown, which was halted due to a botched landing while executing the Spanish Fly, Theory cited safety concerns as the primary reason for retiring the move.
“So many factors but luckily as we came down, for some reason, I let go to catch myself and I turned my head all the way to the left and when we landed, just the back of his head hit my face pretty hard. When we were laying there, I was fine. I didn’t feel like rocked or you know lost or that feeling of what’s going on. I felt fine but at the same time too you know that’s such a scary moment. Especially when you’re out there and something goes wrong and doesn’t feel right and then seeing the video footage back, myself upside down literally on the top of my head. Wow. Like very grateful for that and that move is retired for Austin Theory.”
As WrestleMania 40 approaches, there have been hints of Theory potentially facing Pat McAfee at the event. The unfolding events in the days ahead will determine the trajectory of Theory’s career.
