When United States Champion Austin Theory faces John Cena this weekend at WrestleMania 39, he’ll be facing someone who he grew up idolizing.
Theory recently spoke to TMZ Sports about what it means to square off against the 16-time world champion on the “grandest stage of them all.”
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On facing John Cena at WrestleMania 39: “Yeah, the whole story here is pretty wild. Being eight years old and knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of John Cena, and that is be a WWE superstar. That was the first time I [saw] wrestling, and I was inspired. I went straight to the TV, and I’d watch John Cena every single week, and he was somebody that gave me that motivation and that inspiration in the gym. And I started in the gym at a very young age at 12 to work to get myself to the WWE. And now, like you’ve said it, it’s me and John Cena at WrestleMania 39 for the United States Championship.”
On his face-to-face with Cena on RAW: “We did have a moment, we did have a face to face on Monday Night Raw. He had a lot of things to say to me. In that moment it’s very cool that I was out there with John Cena, but I’m in a different place now. Because a lot of people are saying that I’m the next John Cena, and with all the work that I put in ever since I was a kid to this day. And all the shows that I’m doing all the time, I’m away from home. I don’t want to hear that. I want to be the first Austin Theory, and I want people to see that I don’t want to be a rip-off of anybody. And at WrestleMania, I’m going to show everybody just how different Austin Theory is.”
