Austin Theory hasn’t been seen on Raw since June 8th, being removed from TV around the
same time as the Performance Center’s outbreak of COVID-19.
Like the other wrestlers who were suddenly missing from Raw and Smackdown - like Apollo
Crews and Natalaya - it was assumed Theory was also off for virus related reasons to
self isolate.
But since then, everyone has steadily returned to TV.
Theory, however, remains nowhere to be seen.
Theory’s Monday Night Messiah leader Seth Rollins told Sporting News Austin was taking
time off for “personal reasons”.
Dave Meltzer contradicted this on Twitter, revealing Theory had actually been quietly
suspended by the company.
And according to a new report from Meltzer, why now know why.
“There’s an allegation against him and then he disappeared.
It’s not an injury or anything like that.
[WWE] may go and say he had a car accident.
I think that Seth Rollins said that – he used some term like ‘personal reason’
and he’ll be back so I presume that it’s a [Velveteen Dream] type of story.”
WWE have yet to make an official statement on Theory.
But that’s not the only controversy they have to deal with.
Because, sometimes, wrestling fans are dicks.
WWE’s Thunderdome has been widely praised since its launch on last week’s Smackdown
- where dystopian futures now feel relatively normal.
It also appears to have been behind a ratings boost for Smackdown, where it got its best
viewership since the post-WrestleMania episode.
But it’s not been without its controversies.
On Smackdown, this fan was caught on camera sleeping and Reddit user Carbonskilthread
revealed when he was part of the test, his feed was kept live during the production meeting
- where the producers said they would kick and ban anyone from the Thunderdome stream
if they were wearing other wrestling merchandise, specifically AEW shirts.
Then at Summerslam itself, several webcams were changed to static images that read “Fire
Velveteen Dream” in response to WWE saying they’d investigated the allegations made
against the NXT star and found nothing, despite the accusers coming forward and saying they
weren’t contacted about the investigation.
The Thunderdome cast member behind the Fire Velveteen Dream sign, has now revealed on
Twitter they got banned for it.
And this behaviour only escalade on last night’s Raw, with one participant changing their picture
to Chris Benoit, and another playing a video of a Klu Klux Klan rally during the main event
tag match.
Given the swift action taken against the Velveteen Dream sign, it’s likely these fans will
get banned from The Thunderdome too.
Quick, WWE commentary team, interrupt it by claiming a day old event is only just happening.
Breaking News! Roman Reigns made his shock return yesterday at SummerSlam.
WWE confirmed that Reigns will be taking on Braun Strowman and Champion The Fiend for
the Bluenerversal title at Sunday’s Payback - and according to WrestlingNews.co, he’s
likely going to win.
The site claims that Reigns was supposed to win the title at WrestleMania, but those plans
were changed when he went home at the start of the pandemic.
“Now, the plan is for Reigns to take the title from Wyatt.
The word going around backstage… was that the title change may happen as soon as next
Sunday.”
And the rest of the Payback card took shape on last night’s Raw.
Because it had to.
As it’s the only show that can build to it.
Here’s my review… in about 5 minutes.
Drew McIntyre opened the show pointing out he beat the guy who was in the Greatest Wrestling
Match Ever with a wrestling move, ergo, he’s now the greatest wrestler.
I’m sure that’s the end of that, I’ll just walk casually up the ramp and pose with
my back to the entra-it’s a Randy attack from outta nowhere.
Orton punted him twice in the head, which McIntyre stumbled away from after the break.
HBK would’ve just kiped up.
The kids these days don’t know how to work.
Breaking News: The Big Dog is Back.
After Nia Jax called Shayna Baszler an ‘Addams Family Reject’ backstage.
*click click* Shayna came out for a fight against Bayley - which, as was this entire
episode’s theme because they had an entire pay-per-view card to set up, was more angle
than match.
We got all our clean finishes at SummerSlam, I’m satisfied for a bit.
Nia attacked Baszler for the DQ, they brawled for a bit, which suddenly turned into them
both staring at Bayley and Sasha Banks, which was clunky af - that’s how the kids say
it, right ‘A F’?
The Payback tag team title match between them was announced later on.
Kevin Owens welcomed the returning, eyepatch-wearing Aleister Black to the KO Show, following reports
that Vince McMahon wanted to give him a gimmick change.
Which turned out to be… make Aleister even more emo.
He’s now scared of steel steps, and a heel - faking that his eye was hurting so he could
Black Mass KO.
But beggars can’t be choosers.
This is an actual story for Aleister, and a feud with Owens will likely create some
great in-ring work.
Akira Tozawa won the 24/7 title back off Shelton Benjamin in a three way with R-Truth.
Then Randy Orton explained why he punted Drew so much.
He always delivers on his promises, beating up Edge, Christian and Flair - but he didn’t
do that to Drew.
But he’ll have someone else to get through before he rights that wrong, as this was when
the pre-announced full main roster debut of Keith Lee happened.
This is how you call-up NXT stars.
Not in a feud with Dolph Ziggler, but straight into the WWE Championship scene against the
biggest heel in the company right now.
And Lee grabbed those brass rings and did some pull ups on them - cutting a great promo
in his sexy, yet powerful whispering way.
A-pex Predator.
And Randy must be on board, because he actually worked hard in their match later on - bumping
around for Lee in standing release belly-to-bellies and even letting Keith catch his punch.
It’s a shame they changed his music and covered up his physique with a very and baggy
shorts - which seem like classic Vince McMahon tinkering - but let’s pick our battles.
Everything else, including the commentary team, made Lee look awesome.
McIntyre caused the DQ by attacking Randy, which makes sense after the angle earlier.
It also helped set up Lee vs Orton at Payback - yes, I can’t believe that’s happening,
please let Lee win - and meant nobody had to lose here, which I find perfectly acceptable
for a TV match.
The missed a trick by just having Lee disappear on the DQ though.
McIntyre should’ve turned around to Lee tensely staring at his title.
You’ll totally see this coming, though, Randy hit a third punt from outta rage on
Drew backstage.
Caruso alert!
McIntyre might have a skull fracture and is being taken to a local medical facility.
Giving Keith Lee a revenge angle going into his Payback match with Orton.
Breaking News: The Big Dog is Back.
The Street Profits vs Angel Garza and Andrade is inexplicably still going on.
Garza lost to Montez Ford because Ivar distracted him, picking up Demi Burnett with a turkey
leg And the poisoning angle carried through the
IIconics and Zelina Vega taking on the Riott Squad.
Yes, that’s definitely how I remember the Riott Squad, with all my favourite members,
Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, *mumble mumble* Their six woman tag was all about making Bianca
BelAir look good, which it did.
MVP is still trying to recruit Cedric Alexander.
He should probably be focusing on the Hurt Business winning stuff instead.
Straight out of the Vince McMahon playbook, Apollo Crews beat Bobby Lashley in an arm
wrestling contest, adjudicated by Mark Henry, to build their US title match at Payback - which
made Crews come off like a bit of a dick by stamping on Bobby’s foot to win.
Presumably remembering they had far more success in Raw Underground - unfortunately not renamed
as Raw Thunderground now, the Hurt Business showed up for the first time since declaring
they run that joint a month ago, where Bobby beat up Dolph Ziggler (I think, because throwing
your opponent off the stage area seems to count as a victory), and then another guy
too.
It’s an awkward tonal shift from sports entertainment arm wrestling.
Lashley was shown still beating people up later on, including Cedric, which prompted
a brawl with the Viking Raiders.
This is nonsense.
Mickie James laid out Natalya and Lana in the ring.
Sasha Banks took on Asuka in a SummerSlam rematch but this time, with Lumberjacks!
Come on, it’s 2020.
It’s LumberPeople.
Again, this was more angle than match - with Shayna attacking Bayley to build the tag title
match, while Banks tapped inside to the Asuka Lock.
Breaking News: The Big Dog is Back.
And the main event saw Rey and Dominic Mysterio have a fiery tag against Seth Rollins and
Buddy for five minutes - even hitting a double 619, the 1238 quick maths - but being robbed
yet again of actual revenge, when Meh-tribution turned up and laid them out.
Seth and Buddy were untouched on the top of the ramp, teasing they could be behind the
faction, but, frustratingly, not a single person came out to help the Mysterios - despite
the entire locker room saying just last week they won’t stand for these invasions any
more.
That was this week’s Raw in about 5 minutes.
What did you think of the show, and Keith Lee’s debut?
Let me know in the comments down below because I’ll be replying to people FROM OUTTA NOWHERE
SAYING BREAKING NEWS: THE BIG DOG IS BACK.
The Street Profits, Garza and Andrade, IIconics and Riott Squad vortex should not be continuing
post-SummerSlam, and we got very little wrestling because they needed so many angles to set
up Payback.
If you didn’t like this show, I can see why.
But sometimes you get blinded by one thing that makes you so happy, you find yourself
being a lot more forgiving.
Keith Lee debuted in a hell of a way, and he’s fighting Orton on Pay-per-view this
Sunday.
This week’s Raw, for me, is a 4 out of 5 Cor.
Did Roman Reigns turned heel at SummerSlam?
Click the video on the right to find out my take!
And click the video below that for our narrative telephone game Calling Spots on partsFUNknown,
where Vince McMahon fights for titles on hoverboards.
Also, go over and give Brian Zane’s Wrestling With Wregret channel a subscribe on YouTube,
because he’s bloody excellent and you should watch everything he does.
I’ve been Oli Davis, your QuizzleMania champion, and vanquisher of the FTF movement, Jam that
Jam.