Austin Theory Recalls Meeting John Cena At The WWE Performance Center

Austin Theory has opened up on how John Cena influenced his WWE career, recalling how he waited three hours to speak with him at the WWE Performance Center.

Theory grew up as a huge fan of Cena and the 24-year-old has revealed the first time he met the WWE icon turned Hollywood star.

Speaking to the WWE After The Bell Podcast, Theory said: "It's crazy because Cena and Randy, that was the feud I would watch. It was Randy and Cena or Cena and Edge. I just talked to Edge this past Monday. It's one of those things where you have to take a second and breathe.

"I remember the first time I met Cena, there was an altercation on the internet where I did a promo for EVOLVE and called him out and said he should pass the torch. The next day or next week, he posted my picture and there was a lot of stuff going on. I was like, 'Wow, he knows who I am.'

"When I got signed to WWE, we were at the Performance Center one day and we were leaving. We got told we needed to stay because there was going to be a meeting. We're sitting there and were told John Cena was coming in. He came in and talked to us for about an hour. Then he specifically said, 'I have nothing going on today. If anyone wants to talk individually and privately, we can.' I thought that was cool.

"I remember waiting because each person, they tried to keep it at a certain time, but he would talk to everyone for a while. I remember waiting for three hours to talk to him. There was only a few of us. There were a lot of people leaving and I noticed that. The one person that was the face for WWE for so long and you have nothing to ask him? I remember waiting there, going in, and I was so nervous. 

"First thing he said was, 'How are you, what can I help you with?' I didn't even remember what to ask him. I had to tell him he was such a motivation for me in my life. I think when I say it people are like, 'Oh, okay, you were a John Cena fan.' It's a little deeper than that because as a kid, when you watch anything, you're super influenced by it. Whatever someone's attitude and personality is and the decisions they make, it's very influential.

"For me, it helped me a lot because in middle school, I was picked on a lot and a lot of it was because I watched wrestling. I knew if I could make it to Monday or Friday, I would be good and I could escape. It goes back to when I see a ring, it gives me a calm feeling because it's been my getaway from everything. Watching Cena has been that pull away from real life. I can get away and escape. That's the deep story of that."

H/T Fightful