Austin Theory and John Cena are two of the most popular and successful WWE Superstars in recent history. They have both won multiple championships, headlined major events, and entertained millions of fans around the world. But are they related by blood or by any other means? This article will explore the possible connections between Austin Theory and John Cena, and reveal the truth behind their relationship.
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The Similarities Between Austin Theory and John Cena
One of the reasons why some people might think that Austin Theory and John Cena are related is because of their striking similarities. Both of them are muscular, athletic, charismatic, and confident in their abilities. They also share a passion for bodybuilding, rap music, and WWE. According to WWE.com1, Austin Theory grew up watching WWE and idolizing John Cena, who was his biggest influence and inspiration. He even adopted some of Cena’s signature moves, such as the Attitude Adjustment and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
Another reason why some people might assume that Austin Theory and John Cena are related is because of their career paths. Both of them started their professional wrestling careers in the independent circuit, where they honed their skills and gained recognition. They both signed with WWE in their early 20s, and quickly rose to prominence on the SmackDown brand. They both won the United States Championship as their first major title in WWE, and defended it against various challengers. They both also participated in the Money in the Bank ladder match, which is a match that grants the winner a guaranteed opportunity to challenge for any world championship at any time. Austin Theory won the Money in the Bank match in 2022, while John Cena won it twice, in 2012 and 2014.
The Differences Between Austin Theory and John Cena
Despite their similarities, Austin Theory and John Cena are not related by blood or by any other means. They have different backgrounds, personalities, styles, and goals. They also have different levels of experience, success, and popularity in WWE.
Austin Theory was born on August 2, 1997, in McDonough, Georgia. He is of mixed ethnicity, with his father being African American and his mother being Caucasian. He has three siblings: two brothers and one sister. He attended Ola High School, where he played football and basketball. He also competed in bodybuilding competitions, winning the NPC Georgia Bodybuilding Championship in 2015. He began his professional wrestling training at the age of 18, under the guidance of AR Fox at the WWA4 Wrestling School in Atlanta. He made his debut in 2016, and wrestled for various promotions such as Full Impact Pro (FIP), Evolve, Progress Wrestling, and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He won several championships on the independent scene, including the FIP World Heavyweight Championship, the WWN Championship, and the Evolve Championship. He signed with WWE in 2019, and joined the NXT brand. He later moved to Raw in 2020, where he became a member of Seth Rollins’ faction The Messiah’s Disciples. He then moved back to NXT in 2021, where he aligned himself with Johnny Gargano’s group The Way. He moved to SmackDown in late 2021, where he won the United States Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series. He is currently one of the top stars on SmackDown, and has a net worth of $1 million.
John Cena was born on April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts. He is of Italian descent on his father’s side, and of English and French-Canadian descent on his mother’s side. He has four brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean. He attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he played football and baseball. He then transferred to Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, where he continued to play football. He graduated from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he played NCAA Division III football as a center and team captain. He also earned a degree in exercise physiology. He started his professional wrestling training at the age of 22, under the tutelage of Christopher Daniels at Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) in California. He made his debut in 1999, using the ring name The Prototype. He wrestled for UPW until 2001, when he signed with WWE. He was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE’s developmental territory at the time. He won the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship with Rico Constantino while there. He moved to SmackDown in 2002, where he adopted a rapper persona that gained him popularity among fans. He won his first WWE Championship from JBL at WrestleMania 21 in 2005. He then became a main event star on Raw, where he won several more world titles, including the World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE Championship, and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He also won the United States Championship five times, the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, and the World Tag Team Championship twice. He is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, a two-time Money in the Bank winner, and a one-time Superstar of the Year. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential wrestlers of all time, and has a net worth of $60 million.
The Rivalry Between Austin Theory and John Cena
Austin Theory and John Cena have crossed paths several times in WWE, but their rivalry reached its peak in 2023, when they faced each other for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 39. The feud started in January 2023, when John Cena returned to WWE after a hiatus to pursue his acting career. He announced that he wanted to challenge Austin Theory for the United States Championship at WrestleMania, as a way to honor his legacy and test his skills against the new generation of WWE Superstars. Austin Theory accepted the challenge, but also mocked John Cena for being old, washed up, and irrelevant. He claimed that he was better than John Cena in every way, and that he would prove it at WrestleMania.
The two Superstars engaged in a war of words and actions in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. They traded insults, rap battles, and sneak attacks on SmackDown and on social media. They also tried to one-up each other by defeating each other’s allies and rivals. Austin Theory defeated John Cena’s former tag team partner The Miz on SmackDown, while John Cena defeated Austin Theory’s former mentor Seth Rollins on Raw. They also interfered in each other’s matches, costing each other victories and momentum.
The stage was set for their epic showdown at WrestleMania 39, which took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match was highly anticipated by fans and critics alike, as it pitted one of the greatest legends of WWE against one of the brightest stars of WWE. The match lived up to the hype, as both Superstars gave their best efforts and put on a classic performance. They exchanged moves, counters, near falls, and taunts throughout the match. They also kicked out of each other’s finishers, showing their resilience and determination. However, in the end, it was Austin Theory who emerged victorious, after he took advantage of a referee distraction and hit John Cena with a low blow followed by his A-Town Down finisher. He pinned John Cena for the three count, retaining his United States Championship and scoring the biggest win of his career.
The Aftermath of Austin Theory vs. John Cena
The match between Austin Theory and John Cena was widely praised by fans and critics as one of the best matches of WrestleMania 39 and of 2023. It was also seen as a passing of the torch moment from John Cena to Austin Theory, as Theory proved himself to be worthy of being the new face of WWE. After the match, John Cena showed respect to Austin Theory by shaking his hand and raising his arm in front of the crowd. He then thanked the fans for their support and left the ring, leaving Austin Theory to celebrate with his title.
Austin Theory’s victory over John Cena cemented his status as one of the top Superstars on SmackDown and in WWE. He continued to defend his United States Championship against various challengers, such as Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Ricochet, and Finn Balor. He also formed an alliance with Roman Reigns, who was the Universal Champion at the time. Together, they dominated SmackDown and called themselves The Inevitable Ones.
John Cena’s loss to Austin Theory marked his last match in WWE for a while, as he decided to focus on his acting career again. He starred in several blockbuster movies in 2023 and 2024, such as Fast X, The Suicide Squad 2, Project X-Traction, Vacation Friends 2, and Peacemaker: The Series. He also wrote a best-selling book called Hustle Loyalty Respect: My Life in WWE and Beyond. He occasionally made appearances on WWE shows as a special guest or a host, but did not wrestle again until 2025.
Conclusion
Austin Theory and John Cena are not related by blood or by any other means. They are two different individuals who have different backgrounds, personalities, styles, and goals. They also have different levels of experience, success, and popularity in WWE. However, they do share some similarities, such as their passion for bodybuilding, rap music, and WWE. They also have a history of rivalry, which culminated in a memorable match at WrestleMania 39, where Austin Theory defeated John Cena to retain his United States Championship. The match was seen as a passing of the torch moment from John Cena to Austin Theory, as
