Report: Update On WWE Plans For Austin Theory's Next United States Title Defence
Austin Theory's next WWE US Title defence will be against either Rey Mysterio or Santos Escobar - but when will it take place?
Jul 25, 2023
Current WWE United States Champion Austin Theory is set to defend his title against the winner of a tournament - the finals of which take place on this week's upcoming episode of SmackDown. Rey Mysterio will face ally and fellow LWO member Santos Escobar to determine Theory's number one contender.
According to F4W Online, the eventual title match is scheduled for the SmackDown prior to SummerSlam rather than the premium live event itself, due to the full nature of the card.
Theory has been United States Champion since last November's Survivor Series: WarGames, where he won a triple threat match against Bobby Lashley and previous champion Seth Rollins. He has held the title for upwards of 230 days at the time of writing, defeating the likes of Sheamus, Jey Uso, Edge, and even John Cena at this year's WrestleMania.
Insider Twitter user Better Wrestling Experience has speculated that WWE are considering pushing a babyface Latino champion on TV - which could spell the end of Theory's reign very shortly, with his potential opponents being Mysterio or Escobar. It's also worth noting that Theory and Escobar recently clashed at a live event in Mexico, and that WWE sometimes use house shows to test possible future feuds.
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