Austin Theory: I Inspired The Rock, He Came Back To Wrestling After Our SmackDown Segment

Austin Theory reflects on being in the ring with The Rock on SmackDown.

The two stars went toe-to-toe on the microphone on the September 15, 2023 episode of SmackDown, and by the end of the segment, Theory was laying on his back and taking the People’s Elbow from The Rock himself.

Theory remembers the segment a bit differently though, as he believes that The Rock was inspired to come back to wrestling after the SmackDown segment.

“I guess you really have to ask the Rock what that felt like.” Theory said in a recent interview with The West Sport. “He went out there with Austin Theory, and i was out there with Pat McAfee doing my own thing, but The Rock came out because The Rock wants to be popular again. He got 150 million views with Austin Theory, at the time. It’s probably like 200, 300 million now. For me, it was just another day at work but for The Rock, look what it’s done for him. I mean, it promoted him to being with the board of directors at TKO. He’s really inspired by me. He’s done a lot of things and look at him now. There’s a whole bunch of controversy that he stole Cody’s story. Am I responsible for that? I mean, I did inspire The Rock. Austin Theory inspired The Rock. You hear that? We all know it, we all know it.”

Theory was then asked if he was nervous about the segment in the hours leading up to it.

“I was just nervous that Dwayne would feel like he was just so overshadowed by me. I was thinking he would feel that. But, I went out there and made him feel like somebody, I made him feel special and I think that’s what got his feet under him again and now he wants to come back and play WWE superstar. That’s the thing, he wants to play WWE Superstar, Austin Theory lives being a WWE superstar. There was no room for nerves. Rock got to come be a part of Austin Theory Live, on my show, SmackDown — and I put him in his place. I told the whole world, it doesn’t matter what the Rock says. It doesn’t.”

The Rock recently said that he’s going to slap the piss out of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Learn more here.

Triple H recently confirmed that The Rock won’t be at the Elimination Chamber premium live event. Click here to learn more.

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.