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Grayson Waller landed a tough break – literally – when he was drafted onto SmackDown with the final pick in the 2023 WWE Draft, as he was recovering from a broken leg via his match with Carmelo Hayes and, thus, couldn't actually mix it up with his fellow performers in the ring with his fellow main roster members.
Now granted, Waller was able to make it work, as the 33-year-old Sydney native spent years mastering the art of the professional wrestling talk show in the form of The Grayson Waller Effect, a show he brought to SmackDown within weeks of landing on the main roster, but the show drew mixed reviews largely from fans who weren't familiar with the “Arrogant Aussie's” efforts in the ring.
Fortunately, Waller's leg healed, and he was afforded a chance to introduce himself to the WW Universe in a major way at Money in the Bank by stepping in the ring opposite John Cena to go one-on-one on the microphone and ultimately living to tell the tale.
Sitting down for an interview with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Waller explained how it felt to stand opposite the leader of “CeNation” and why he wasn't going to get embarrassed like Austin Theory before him.
“The weird thing is, I felt like I have been there before, because I put a lot of work into what I do. I work very very hard. If you don't think I haven't thought about what I would say to John Cena if I stood across from him, I've thought about that many times,” Grayson Waller said via Fightful. “It's very funny. Myself and Carmelo Hayes a few weeks before talked about it. ‘If you're ever in there with Cena and he came at you.' We've all seen before that Cena goes in on people. He doesn't hold back. He's going to tell you what he thinks. I love that about him. He's the measuring stick on the microphone, and he tests people. You see what he did with (Austin) Theory earlier in the year. He was testing Theory, the way he talked to him and put it on him. I've thought about that moment so many times. When I went out there, I felt completely comfortable. I've thought about being across from you, your music is not going to scare me, you standing here is not going to scare me. This is where I belong. That's the attitude I bring into these things, and that's why I look so comfortable. I work hard. Nights like that are easy for me. They are the nights I get to enjoy.”
Did Waller accomplish his goal? Widely speaking, the answer to that question is probably yes, but what did Waller think of his efforts? Well, Helwani asked that very question and was met with an answer that was very on-brand for the “Arrogant Aussie.”
Grayson Waller is proud of his efforts versus John Cena at Money in the Bank.
Discussing his actual performance at Money in the Bank, Grayson Waller noted that, in his opinion, he was able to prove who he was and silence some of the doubters who felt he'd solely become a talk show host.
“I guess so. I don't think I'm happy with anything I do. I think I showed a lot of people who I was,” Waller said. “I know online people were complaining, ‘Oh, he's a talk show host now.' People didn't know I was hurt. ‘What's he even doing, he doesn't belong there.' All of a sudden, everyone switches because fans are so easy to change. Now it's, ‘Wow, he's so good.' Get off the bandwagon, I don't need you on my side. I think I proved myself, not only to people online, but people backstage. No one knew John was there. I'm walking around all day, and people are like, ‘why is he here? The SmackDown crew flew home yesterday.' ‘Just hanging out.' Obviously, there was someone hiding in the halls of the O2 Arena.”
Did Waller “swim” against Cena at Money in the Bank, or did he instead fall victim to the “Champ” just like Theory before him, who arguably still hasn't recovered from his promo battle before WrestleMania 39 to this day? Based on the opportunities Waller has been afforded since, including wrestling Edge in a real barnburner at Maddison Square Garden and then transitioning into a digital-only – at least so far – feud with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, it's safe to say the “Arrogant Aussie” has a fan in the booking department.
