John Cena has always maintained a positive perspective on Austin Theory’s character trajectory in WWE.
During WrestleMania 39, the two superstars faced off in a high-stakes United States Championship match. Despite entering the bout as the underdog, Theory managed to secure a victory over the veteran.
Appearing on Logan Paul’s *ImPaulsive* podcast, Theory recently reflected on growing up with Cena as his idol and the mentorship the legend provided before their big match. At the time, Theory was portraying a cocky, obnoxious heel, while Cena was the quintessential babyface.
Before their championship clash, Cena and Theory shared meals and training sessions. During these moments, the 17-time World Champion encouraged Theory to lean into his authenticity. “I just remember him telling me, ‘You’re not a bad guy. I want you to be you,’” Theory recalled. “I told him, ‘Man, I’m this obnoxious, over-the-top, cocky heel,’ and he responded, ‘I feel like that’s not going to last too long. You have to be yourself.’”
Theory also revealed that following their match, Cena went as far as speaking with Vince McMahon on his behalf. “After the match, I remember Cena telling me, ‘Hey, I went and talked to Vince. I told him you aren’t a bad guy, so hopefully that helps you become a good guy,’” Theory shared.
Despite Cena’s efforts to push a face turn, Theory maintained his heel persona, eventually transitioning from a singles competitor to a tag team partner for Grayson Waller before joining The Vision.
Austin Theory Reflects on Professional Advice from John Cena
Continuing his discussion with Logan Paul, Theory praised Cena’s professionalism and shared specific details regarding their WrestleMania encounter.
“One of my favorite things was doing the match at WrestleMania. I knew the finish, like biting his ear and everything. I remember he asked me, ‘Do you know who Evander Holyfield is?’ I said yes, and he said, ‘We’ll do something like that tonight.’ I thought, ‘All right, cool,’” Theory noted.
While Cena provided tactical guidance throughout the match, one piece of wisdom left a lasting impression on Theory. “The thing that stuck with me most was when he said, ‘Just remember, every show we do is a live event. This is the biggest show we have, yet we treat it like a live event,’” Theory concluded.
Shounak Chakraborty
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025. Shounak takes particular interest in soccer, closely following top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal. Beyond sports, he enjoys fiction writing, photography, gaming, and cinema.
