It seems like Austin Theory might be Vince McMahon's next "chosen one" wrestler in WWE. Most fans think this is a great sign because if McMahon likes a wrestler, they are more like to have a wonderful career in wrestling. This 76-year old boss rarely makes any appearances on WWE programming these days and he recently went on to have one-on-one segments with Theory two weeks in a row. If that had happened two decades ago, it wouldn't have been a huge deal but it's a completely different thing today.
There's no doubt WWE is very high on Austin, and because Vince also really likes him (enough to not fire him after he stole the $100 million Cleopatra's Egg), he might end up becoming a main-event star in a few short years. That's assuming everything goes right for him.
Austin Theory Could Thrive As Vince McMahon's Protege
Many fans were really surprised when Austin Theory was drafted to Raw during Night 1 of the WWE Draft, this year. They couldn't understand the reason behind choosing him over former NXT Champions or more experienced wrestlers. A probable reason could be that WWE saw a ton of potential in this young wrestler.
While Theory is great at many things, which makes him better than many other wrestlers, there's no doubt that he is still green. But having him become McMahon's protege could allow this wrestler to achieve greater success in WWE. During his second interaction with McMahon on television, the Chairman of WWE taught Austin a couple of things. This was a cool segment and right when Austin thought he finally understood what Vince was trying to make him understand, he got slapped (because he failed to expect the unexpected). People enjoyed this segment quite a lot.
If Vince continues to work closely with Theory on television, it'll also build his characters a lot faster. After all, learning directly from Vince must make someone really good in wrestling. In the last few years, McMahon has rarely appeared on WWE television. And most people probably can't even remember the last time he had a one on one segment with a wrestler.
Austin Theory Has Everything One Needs To Succeed
While having a segment with McMahon is quite an achievement in itself, it doesn't automatically guarantee success. Several wrestlers have had segments with the WWE boss (Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, for instance) but they haven't been used as main event wrestlers in years. Owens even headbutted Vince once and later frogsplashed him, but he hasn't really done much on the main roster since.
Austin has come a long way since signing with WWE in 2019. People knew he had potential, but he still needed some experience before he could join the main roster. Back in 2019, Theory was called up to Raw when it was way too early. There weren't even many storylines for him at that time, and he was sent back to NXT. There he joined The Way stable, which was led by Johnny Gargano.
Now, people see Austin very differently. He's become better at many things, and his selfie gimmick is getting over as well. In theory (no pun intended), Austin has everything a wrestler needs to succeed in WWE. He has the looks, charisma, talent, and everything else people expect from a main eventer. The only concern fans have is that it's very hard to keep Vince McMahon pleased. One week, he'd favor a wrestler and suddenly, he could release them. This has happened with several young prospects over the years. Even those who were heavily pushed from the beginning were later turned into jobbers. A lot of them never overcame this status.
Being Vince McMahon's "Chosen One" Is Usually A Good Thing
All signs currently indicate that Austin Theory is indeed Vince's next chosen one in WWE, similar to how Drew McIntyre was at one point. Though fans certainly hope Theory doesn't get booked as McIntyre did during his first run in WWE. At that time, McIntyre also wasn't really as good as Theory is, right now.
While Austin hasn't done anything significant on the main roster yet, he's been well protected so far. Considering this, fans wouldn't really be too surprised if WWE gives him a push they gave to Randy Orton in 2003 when he was younger. Orton became a consistent main eventer in WWE, and Theory also has the potential to do the same.