Paul Heyman reportedly lobbied to add Austin Theory to his faction, “The Vision,” with a dual purpose in mind: elevating the young star while simultaneously using him to protect the group’s powerhouses. According to the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Heyman viewed Theory as a key piece of the puzzle for the stable that includes Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
Heyman’s Plan: Make A Star, Protect The Monsters
Dave Meltzer reported that Heyman’s desire to bring Theory into the fold was strategic. While being associated with Heyman is a massive rub, the role designed for Theory involved absorbing losses to keep his stablemates strong.
“Paul Heyman had wanted to bring Theory into the Vision, largely to make him a star and to protect Breakker and Reed from having to take pins,” Meltzer wrote. This dynamic would have allowed Breakker and Reed to maintain their aura of dominance while Theory handled the falls in multi-man matches, a common trope in wrestling factions.
Austin Theory Was The Masked Man At Survivor Series
The report also shed light on the mystery person who attacked CM Punk at Survivor Series. While the on-screen reveal has not yet occurred, Meltzer confirmed that Theory was physically the person performing the attack during the event.
“Austin Theory was the guy under the mask,” Meltzer stated. “Theory is believed to be the guy that will be revealed as the mystery attack on CM Punk at Survivor Series.” However, Meltzer noted that in the world of wrestling, the person under the hood is not always the person revealed in the storyline.
Plans Changed Due To Jacob Fatu’s Injury
Theory’s exclusion from the WarGames match itself was reportedly a ripple effect of an injury to Jacob Fatu. The original plans for the road to Survivor Series were significantly altered, forcing WWE to shuffle the deck regarding the main event participants.
“He would have been in this match had Jacob Fatu not gotten hurt, which sped up the Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre feud since they were going to be on this show originally instead of the prior show, which was to be Fatu vs. McIntyre to set up this show with McIntyre winning,” Meltzer explained. “The Fatu injury led to Rhodes moving into the WarGames team, and with him in the match, McIntyre made far more sense than Theory.”
Wild Speculation On Chris Jericho
While Seth Rollins has been a subject of speculation regarding the attacker, Meltzer poured cold water on that idea. Interestingly, he floated a massive wild card possibility if the storyline extends into the new year.
“That doesn’t mean Theory will end up being the guy under the mask when it’s revealed. It probably won’t be Rollins,” Meltzer noted. “If they drag it out until January, it could be Chris Jericho, which immediately gets him into a top position.”
