Austin Theory blows his WWE Money in the Bank cash-in vs. Seth Rollins
Theory #Theory
In WWE, a Money in the Bank cash-in is about the easiest way to win a championship. Since coming into existence in 2005, 80.95 percent of male cash-in attempts have been successful, with just John Cena, Damien Sandow, Baron Corbin, and Braun Strowman serving as the only men in the promotion’s history to lose in their cash-in attempts.
Fortunately, or not, depending on your preference, fans can now add Austin Theory to that losing effort, as the “Youngest United States Champion” decided to take another shot as his former strap and cash-in on Seth Rollins after he was thoroughly beaten up by Bobby Lashley before he could accept an open challenge.
*spoiler alert* it did not go well.
Making the first time in WWE history that someone cashed in on the US Title, Theory tried to take care of Rollins early on, but before he could secure the W, who but Lashley re-emerged to put the hurt on his former challenger; getting Theory in a Hurtlock that turned his face bright red and knocked him thoroughly unconscious. Though Theory was able to get up and return to the ring before the referee’s 10-count, he was met with a Curb Stomp that closed out the contest with a 1-2-3.
So what gives? Is Theory’s run, which was already severely cooled off when Vince McMahon handed off the book to his son-in-law, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, officially buried like A.J. Styles at the end of the Boneyard Match? Well, after being embarrassed at SummerSlam with a failed cash-in attempt that ended with an F5 from Brock Lesnar and then having a second cash-in attempt thwarted by a well-placed punch from Tyson Fury at Clash at the Castle – not to mention being held off of the Extreme Rules and Crown Jewel cards entirely – it’s clear Theory isn’t a priority under the new regime. In hindsight, maybe Theory should have taken Rollins’ advice and cashed in on Dana Brooke before the 24/7 was thrown in the trash… or at least on Bron Breakker in NXT in a move that could have sent the second-generation Steiner up to the main roster and kept “A-Town” down in developmental in order to rehab his image before jumping back up to the main roster.
Speaking with Byron Saxton after the very weird ending of a show fans in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, will never forget, Lashley was asked why he played such a big tole in Theory’s failed cash-in, to which the “All Mighty” gave a very spirited response.
“Is that what happened?” Lashley asked. “I caused him the loss? Cash? Look, I don’t care about any of this stuff because at the end of the day, my title was stolen from me and from now until I get it back, I’m kicking everybody’s a– that stands in my way. I could care less; I’m not about winning matches right now. I’m just about hurting people and making people pay for what they did to me, because it happened to me, everyone was out there cheering, right? When Seth came in after Brock jumped on me, he came in and cashed it in and he took my title from me and everybody was cool with that. But now I go out there and do what I have to do to be right back on top and now people have a problem with it. Do you know what? I could care less; I’m gonna have fun kicking everybody’s a– until I get my title back.”
Welp, there you go, folks, the transformation is complete: in order to beat Brock Lesnar – or at least try to – Lashley had to become just as big, bad, vicious, and ruthless as “The Beast Incarnate,” and even though he technically lost their match at Crown Jewel via a surprise pin, it’s clear he’s returned to WWE with the same attitude that was present in the ring in Saudi Arabia. Though fighting without fear or worry for the honor of the sport can be effective, as both Rollins and Theory learned during their match, one has to wonder if Lashley is really willing to throw aside everything he’s worked for, everything he stood for when he was the US Champion in order to get the belt back in his possession once more. Based on his interactions at the end of RAW with Rollins, Theory, and especially Mustafa Ali, who took a brutal beal into a shipping container, it’s clear which side of the heel-face coin Lashley falls on at the moment.
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