Just as teased by the storyline developments of the past few weeks, Austin Theory was kicked out of Zelina Vega’s mid-card heel stable on this week’s Monday Night Raw . However, it appears that he quickly found himself a new faction to join, as the red brand newcomer seemingly joined forces with Seth Rollins on that very same episode.
As recapped by Cageside Seats , Theory’s expulsion from Vega’s faction was set up during an interview segment with the returning Kevin Owens, as the manager denied any rumors of friction within her group. This led to a tag team match between Owens and Apollo Crews and Andrade and Angel Garza, with the babyface duo picking up the win after Theory accidentally hit Garza while trying to interfere. After the match, Theory was beaten down by both Andrade and Garza, marking his exit from the stable.
During the very next match on Raw , which featured Aleister Black taking on Murphy in singles action, Black picked up the win by disqualification after Theory made a surprise run-in and attacked the former NXT Champion. With Rollins giving instructions, Murphy and Theory then teamed up to give Black a post-match beatdown. Rollins then “[sized] up” the Atlanta native, giving him a hug and seemingly welcoming him to his stable, which also includes Murphy and the currently inactive Authors of Pain.
WOW.
@AndradeCienWWE & @AngelGarzaWwe have just DECIMATED @austintheory1 … and @Zelina_VegaWWE seems to approve. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/oF9xHGC6qZ
— WWE (@WWE) May 19, 2020
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , it was suggested last week that Theory would be expelled from Vega’s stable in order to write him off Monday Night Raw and send him back to NXT, considering he was originally called up to the main roster as a temporary replacement for the then-injured Andrade. It was also noted that WWE officials wanted the 22-year-old to spend more time on the black-and-gold brand so he could further hone his skills and come closer to reaching his potential as a future main-roster standout.
With Theory apparently aligning with Rollins to become his newest lackey, WrestlingNews.co speculated that this could be Raw executive director Paul Heyman’s way of keeping the youngster on the main roster and giving him something to do on television. However, the outlet added that his team-up with the “Monday Night Messiah” could also prove to be the catalyst for another storyline development.
According to WrestlingNews.co , Murphy has recently appeared “conflicted on the idea of doing Rollins’ bidding.” This, as explained, could point to a babyface turn for the Australian grappler as Theory effectively takes his place in the former world champion’s faction.