Austin Theory reveals the reason behind his recent absence from WWE.
Austin Theory went on a hiatus from WWE television after losing a match against El Grande Americano on an episode of Main Event in July 2025. He stayed on the sidelines until he returned and joined the Vision in December. Reports even noted that the promotion removed him from its internal active roster.
During his recent appearance on The Mark Hoke Show, Austin Theory revealed he was wrestling with a hernia at the time, and the injury worsened after the match on Main Event. He also confirmed that his contract was nearing its end.
“I was actually wrestling with a hernia for a very long time,” Austin Theory revealed. “As gross as it is, I was having to pop it back in after certain matches. Yeah, stuff people don’t know about. They don’t know when somebody goes to the ring, you know, what the damage is. But I was in a good spot, so even when I was hitting a low, I was doing everything that I could to just stay and keep the wheels turning on the car.
“It reached a point where I had a match on Main Event, and it would not go back in. So that night, I went to the emergency room, and it blew my mind, because I was like, ‘Wow, I just had my gear on and went out there, and I wrestled, and now I’m in the ER. And now it’s like, Where does this go now?’ Because now I’m out of the picture.’ My contract was actually coming up,” Austin Theory went on.
Austin Theory says it was a low point in his life
Speaking further, Austin Theory noted that the time he spent away felt like a low point in his life. However, instead of staying down, he decided to pick himself up and work his way back to WWE.
“So, a lot of things were hitting me personally, and that’s one of those things that’s a low point in your life, where you get really rocked,” Austin Theory said. “To me, those points are where you either stay down or you pick yourself up, and you become a version of yourself that’s always been in you, but it takes you to that next level. It helped me reframe my mindset, and coming back, I just knew this is my value, and this is what I need to be doing. And as you see, it’s a clear vision now.”
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