Austin Theory took part in WWE matches that were filmed for a later episode of Raw. In the main event of WWE Raw on December 15, Logan Paul was involved in a shocking incident with a hooded and masked man during his match against Rey Mysterio. As Paul Heyman distracted the referee, the masked man delivered The Stomp to Mysterio. Logan Paul immediately capitalised, hitting a Superstar Splash from the top rope to pin Mysterio and secure the victory.
Raw takes a dark turn as Austin Theory appears and Bron Breakker strikes
After the match, the mysterious hooded man remained on the ring apron, watching Logan Paul in a strange manner. CM Punk then made his way to the ring, prompting the masked man to disappear into the crowd through the aisle. It was later revealed that the hooded figure was Austin Theory, who appeared with a shorter haircut and a beard.
As Punk shouted at Theory from a distance, The Vision’s Bron Breakker stormed into the ring and took Punk down with a devastating Spear. Breakker then issued a stern warning to Punk, saying:
“You ever talk about my family like that again, you will never stand on two feet ever again.”
Post-Raw developments hint at Austin Theory’s shift to The Vision
Although there was no official confirmation on Raw regarding Austin Theory joining The Vision, subsequent developments strongly suggested that this was the case. The 28-year-old, a former United States and Tag Team Champion, last competed in July 2025, when he lost to El Grande Americano on Main Event. Theory had been sidelined for several months while recovering from an undisclosed injury.
Meanwhile, his former tag team partner Grayson Waller has aligned himself with The New Day.
Austin Theory’s growing role highlights WWE’s focus on the next generation
Given The Vision’s mission to spotlight WWE’s future stars, Theory’s inclusion makes sense due to his age and long-term potential as a main-event player. WWE also taped the December 22 episode of Raw in advance ahead of the Christmas holiday period.
During that episode, Austin Theory teamed up with Bron Breakker against World Champion CM Punk and WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. The reported outcome was:
“Bronson Reed and Austin Theory defeated CM Punk and Rey Mysterio when Theory pinned Mysterio. The show ended with Bron Breakker standing on Punk’s head.”
Austin Theory’s evolving persona on Raw
Additionally, a photograph surfaced from Raw showing Theory alongside The Vision’s representative, WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, who was present at the event. The image clearly shows Theory sporting a new, shorter haircut and a redesigned wrestling outfit, signalling a fresh chapter in his on-screen character.
