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John Cena's star power has helped put many WWE stars on the map when feuding with the 16-time world champion on RAW or SmackDown. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and CM Punk can vouch for The Cenation Leader, who played a significant role in their ascent to the top of the company.
The same can't be said for Austin Theory, whose career has hit a stumbling block after feuding with Cena. He was given the golden opportunity to work with the WWE legend at WrestleMania 39, but their United States title match was uninspiring.
Austin Theory successfully defended the US title against Cena at 'Mania. Usually, such a huge win over talent as big as Cena leads to big things, but that hasn't occurred for the young upstart.
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Instead, Theory has tagged with Grayson Waller in a team that, although entertaining, has failed to connect with fans. He's arguably the least over of the duo, and a split looks inevitable.
During Theory's rivalry with Cena, the latter exposed the former Money in the Bank winner's weaknesses. He gave a damning verdict of the young star's lack of connection with fans during a promo on WWE RAW.
"I didn't say no (to a match at 'Mania) because I gave up, I said no to save your a*s, you're not ready... They see what I see, you are full of cr*p." (From 9:20)
John Cena later clarified his tirade at Theory and why he was harsh on the former WWE Tag Team Champion. He wanted him to understand what makes a star in the pro wrestling business and to do so immediately, not in the long term.
Whether Austin Theory took Cena's advice on board remains to be seen because of the lack of opportunities he's since been handed. A singles run on SmackDown following a split from Waller would be the best course of action for him.
John Cena was similarly in a difficult situation at the start of his WWE career on SmackDown
When John Cena made his SmackDown debut in June 2002, he interrupted Kurt Angle. The Olympic Gold Medalist asked Cena what made him think he could face the best in the business.
John Cena slapped Angle, and the two locked horns in a memorable debut for The Prototype, who'd become one of the biggest stars in company history.
However, Cena struggled to get over during the early stages of his career on SmackDown. This nearly led to his dismissal until he dug deep and found a unique gimmick that set him on his way to the top of the WWE.
The two-time Royal Rumble winner started rapping and connected with fans with his put-downs of rivals on the mic. This was the turning point in his career and something Austin Theory should take inspiration from.
If Theory can find something that makes him stand out, he could re-ignite his career. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle on SmackDown at the moment, but his in-ring ability makes him a talent that Triple H should still hope to shine in the future.
