Theory didn't wind up facing John Cena at WWE SummerSlam this year, but he's hopeful that the match will still happen.
For months, fans were buzzing about a potential clash between Theory and Cena, given the similarities between the two and the young star's rapid rise. However, SummerSlam came and went without Cena's in-ring return, though he interacted with Theory when he returned to Raw for his 20th anniversary celebration in June.
In an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Theory noted that he's "pretty confident" that a match with Cena could happen at WrestleMania. He made it clear that this opportunity would mean a lot to him because Cena shaped his journey as a wrestler.
"To have that moment with him, the person that -- I had to put in my own work -- but somebody that got me to the dance mentally, it takes the words out of my mouth to think of that actually happening," Theory said.
Theory was quickly positioned as a breakout star upon his return to Raw in 2021; he became Vince McMahon's on-screen protégé, and he competed in several high-profile matches. He also captured the WWE United States Championship and won the Money in the Bank Briefcase.
Many fans have predicted that he could be the face of the company someday, and he continues to lean on Cena's influence as he continues his ascension. In the interview, he described a meaningful lesson the former champion taught him.
"It's so weird to meet somebody and pretty much have to explain to them, 'I modeled my whole life after you.' It's one of those things as a kid getting bullied, my dad not being in my life a lot. Cena, I could watch him and just escape. It was the connection to his personality. That's something I learned from him. He told me, 'Don't ever think people go out there and want people to connect to their performance. Nobody will connect to your performance unless they connect to your personality. I started thinking, even with that process through NXT to finally being drafted to Raw officially, it was a time to figure stuff out. How can I connect to them with my personality? This is a world in WWE where everybody can kill it in the ring. Everyone can go hard in the ring. So what's going to set you aside from killing it in the ring? I learned that from him," Theory said.
Theory recently discussed his failed Money in the Bank cash-in at WWE SummerSlam. You can check out his comments here.
