Tag: r-truth

R-Truth credits Vince McMahon for John Cena childhood hero narrative 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

R-Truth credited Vince McMahon for his promo and gimmick citing John Cena is his childhood idol. 

Truth revealed on the Six Feet Under Podcast that his promo declaring Cena as his childhood hero was written by McMahon. 

“That was a Vince write. Vince wrote that. And the first time I did the promo and said I grew up watching Cena. You know, I would sit there and watch him do his Saturday morning, you know what I’m saying, challenges. And people bought it. They bit hard. He grew up watching John Cena and John Cena is his childhood hero. They went with it, you know what I’m saying. They (the fans) did.”

Truth initially asked Cena if he could imitate his signature look with the jorts, and he ideated the Ron Cena t-shirt. 

“I called John and asked him, could I use his shorts. John suggested I do the moves. He said, you should do everything. This shirt, Ron Cena, was John’s idea. He said, I think you do the shirt the same way I do mine. And you put your face there. I was like, I said, you serious? He was like, yeah, we’re brothers, right? I said. That is genius. Like he’s so smart. He was smart with the whole thing with it, man. And I just ran with it. It works, right?”

Last year, during Cena’s heel turn, Truth made an effort to confront his ways. He also took on the Ron Cena persona, imitating Cena’s signature attire and claiming to be his brother. 

When Truth returned a week later from being released in 2025, he targeted Cena at Money in the Bank which ultimately led to their showdown at SNME in May. 

The Undertaker was ‘genuinely moved’ by support for R-Truth after WWE release in 2025

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The Undertaker addressed the overwhelming reaction to R-Truth’s WWE release in 2025. 

During his appearance on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, R-Truth’s WWE exit in 2025 was discussed. Truth revealed how his colleagues, production and camera crew had a united front backstage to speak up on his behalf, and how appreciative he is of their gesture. 

“Like, my peers at work, the ring crew, the camera crew, the crew in the truck, every part of that machine that makes it work spoke up, again, for me. We always ask, are we worthy? And it brings such joy it almost makes me wanna cry, because it’s like, to feel that kind of love is like, I want everybody to feel that at some point.”

The Undertaker stated that the backstage reaction to his release demonstrated the impact he had on the locker room, and had high praise for the wrestling veteran. 

“You know what that says? It says you did it right. Because in our industry, to have your colleagues put themselves out there where they could (be) in a position where they could be reprimanded. It could come back a little bit. That means you touched a lot of people’s lives.”

“And what you’ve done, you’ve done it the right way man. It was incredible. For an old salty guy like me who’s been around and seen so much, I was genuinely moved, to like ‘Dang, this guy has made an impression in people’s lives.’ And when you can do that with your colleagues and the people that surround us, our production, like you said the production crew. That just says a whole lot about the human being right there.”

“And if nothing else ever great happened in your career, having that, having your fan base go to bat for you, and your colleagues. Good on you brother, that’s awesome.”

R-Truth announced his WWE release on June 1, 2025 ending his 17 year run with the company. However, the fans clamored for his return which led to his comeback at Money in the Bank a week later. 

On the March 20 edition of SmackDown this year, Truth and Damian Priest defeated The MFTs to become the WWE Tag Team Champions. 

R-Truth pulled from WWE SmackDown, new match set

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Update —

After initially announcing a tag match for the show, WWE has said that R-Truth is not medically cleared for SmackDown tonight. Damian Priest will now face Tama Tonga one-on-one.

A Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints match has also been added.

**********

A pair of tag matches have been added to the WWE SmackDown lineup for tonight.

WWE revealed this afternoon that Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss will face off against Michin & B-Fab on SmackDown. Along with that, there will be a non-title bout pitting WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest & R-Truth against Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga.

Last Friday, Flair & Bliss teamed with Rhea Ripley against the three members of Fatal Influence. The babyfaces lost after the returning Jade Cargill got involved, with Cargill, Michin & B-Fab then beating down Ripley, Flair & Bliss.

Talla Tonga defeated Priest in a singles match last week after Priest was distracted by saving Truth from an attack by Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa. Royce Keys then stepped in to help Priest and Truth, which led to Keys defeating Tama Tonga later in the night.

Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina is the venue for tonight’s show. Here’s the updated card:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, May 15) —

  • Gunther decides whether to join SmackDown roster to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
  • United States Champion Trick Williams returns to the University of South Carolina for a homecoming celebration
  • Jade Cargill addresses her attack on WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley
  • Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Michin & B-Fab
  • Damian Priest vs. Tama Tonga
  • Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

WWE fan backlash altered creative plans before, so is Pat McAfee next? | Opinion

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Pat McAfee’s involvement in Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes’ feud for WWE WrestleMania 42 has stirred much debate among fans and the wider wrestling community.

His sudden addition to the storyline and siding with Orton has questioned narrative relevance. Fans and wrestlers alike have expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. However, WWE is yet to proceed in the creative direction amid growing concerns. 

This isn’t the first time fans have pushed back on creative decisions or forced WWE to alter the direction of feuds. Over the years, several moments have provoked protests from fans, both online and at arenas.

Here’s a few notable instances when it happened: 

Daniel Bryan’s ‘Yes Movement’ implodes in 2014 

In 2013 to 2014, Bryan had become a fan favorite. Arenas erupted with ‘Yes’ chants every time he appeared. 

So, it came as no surprise when his absence from the 2014 Royal Rumble sparked an uproar. When Rey Mysterio entered as the 30th entrant, the crowd reacted with heavy boos despite him being a face. 

It became worse when Batista won the Rumble to secure his spot at WrestleMania XXX against Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, the backlash was so severe that it forced WWE to add Bryan into the fold. 

Bryan was then given the ultimate hero’s challenge to earn his spot in the WrestleMania main event. He had to defeat Triple H earlier in the night with the stipulation that if he lost, he would not be added to the main event. Bryan not only defeated Triple H, but also won the WWE World Title later that night. 

CM Punk chants taking over arenas after WWE walkout 

CM Punk’s 2014 departure triggered one of the most ruthless crowd protests in WWE history. 

While 2014 seemed to peak with fans unhappiness on WWE’s creative booking surrounding Bryan, Punk’s exit worsened it — although his situation intensified the overall sentiment among fans. 

Punk walked out of WWE in January 2014 due to creative differences and lack of respect among other reasons. A few months later in June, he was fired by WWE on his wedding day.

The dissatisfaction of his absence in the ring led arenas to chant for Punk at almost every WWE event for years. Even if major stars were featured on the card or competing in the ring, his name would still be heard from the crowd.  

Punk was viewed as a representative of the fanbase. His departure sparked a rare moment in wrestling history which created sustained pressure on how deeply audiences were invested in his presence. 

Punk eventually returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 to a thunderous reaction at the Allstate Arena. 

John Cena hatred at ECW One Night Stand 2006  

At ECW One Night Stand, Cena walked into one of the most hostile wrestling crowds in history. 

ECW was revived in 2006 after being purchased by WWE a few years earlier. To promote the merger WWE produced ECW’s second edition of their One Night Stand pay-per-view. But it turned out to be more chaotic as WWE stars were featured on the match card which drew strong negative reactions from hardcore ECW fans. 

The main event featured Rob Van Dam against Cena for his WWE Championship. The reaction was brutal and the atmosphere at Hammerstein Ballroom was intense. The champ walked out to boos, obscene gestures and jeers. 

This event featured the viral ‘If Cena wins, we riot’ poster along with explicit laden chants directed at him.

Edge’s interference in the match did not go in vain. After the referee was knocked out, Paul Heyman took over and counted the pinfall which made RVD the new WWE Champion that night. 

Given that Cena was positioned as WWE’s babyface at the time, this moment remains a notable example of fan reactions determining the crowning of a new champion. 

#WeWantCody taking over social media 

Cody Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble and chose to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania that year to ‘finish his story’.

Despite facing off in the WrestleMania 39 main event, Rhodes was still on a mission – to win the undisputed WWE Championship. 

On the February 2, 2024, edition of SmackDown, The Rock returned and confronted his cousin. For quite a while, it was marked a blockbuster match by many for Rock to battle Reigns at WrestleMania.

The Rock shook hands and embraced Rhodes who gestured for him to proceed in his confrontation indicating that he was stepping down from his Mania match.

Fans were baffled and instantly expressed discontent at the next few events and online. Almost instantly, #WeWantCody began trending worldwide on social media. 

This forced WWE to adjust plans and re-align Rhodes in his coveted spot in the WrestleMania 40 main event. 

It steered the rivalry into Rock and Reigns uniting against Rhodes. And eventually led to Seth Rollins backing Rhodes for having a common enemy in The Bloodline. 

R-Truth’s 2025 Money in the Bank return  

On June 1, 2025, R-Truth announced on social media that he was released from WWE, ending his 17-year association with the company. It instantly received a jarring reaction online and on the following editions of Raw and SmackDown. 

At Money in the Bank, Cena teamed up with Logan Paul against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. During the bout, Paul hit a moonsault on Uso through the announcer’s table while Cena and Rhodes were in the ring. With the referee distracted, Cena grabbed the WWE title belt and hit Rhodes with it. A hooded figure jumped into the ring and attacked Cena and later revealed himself – it was R-Truth. 

Everyone at the Intuit Dome were on their feet, rooting and embracing the return of their beloved star. And it all transpired within a week. 

Later, reports revealed that the overwhelming backlash forced Nick Khan to step in and renegotiate Truth’s WWE contract for a return. 

Final Thoughts

These examples prove the influential role fans play in WWE storytelling. While creative decisions lie in the hands of the promotion, sustained negative reactions and protests can detour the original plans. WWE history has shown a consistent pattern of altering feuds and storylines based on fans pushing back. It also proves that audiences are not just reacting to it but also actively shaping it.

This trend could be reflected in the ongoing discussions on McAfee’s integration in Rhodes and Orton’s WrestleMania 42 clash. The growing retaliation could sway WWE’s creative booking.

New Tag Team Champions crowned on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Damian Priest & R-Truth are the new WWE Tag Team Champions.

The unlikely duo won the titles on Friday thanks to copious interference between the Wyatt Sicks and the MFTs, who continue to feud over Bray Wyatt’s lantern. The finish of the match had the MFTs brawl with the Wyatts backstage as Uncle Howdy went to attack Solo Sikoa. JC Mateo broke up the brawl but walked into R-Truth’s side kick and was pinned soon after with the AA.

Truth & Priest’s title victory is their first as a team. This would be Priest’s third reign with the title while this is the first time Truth has held the WWE Tag Team title.

The duo became number one contenders two weeks ago when Priest found out that Truth put them in a gauntlet match to determine the MFTs next challengers. Although Los Garza dominated that match, Priest and R-Truth came out last and emerged as the winners. When the two teams bickered on last week’s show, they faced off in a match that saw Priest & Truth pick up the victory.

Title match added to updated WWE SmackDown lineup

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga are set to defend their WWE Tag Team Championship on the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown.

Earlier this month, Damian Priest and R-Truth won the Tag Team turmoil match to crown themselves the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team titles.

With already a star-studded March 20 SmackDown scheduled, General Manager Nick Aldis recently announced that Sikoa and Tonga will now defend their titles against the number one contenders Priest and R-Truth.

The upcoming blue brand episode will also feature a Women’s Tag Team titles match between Nia Jax & Lash Legend against The Bella Twins.

WWE SmackDown updated lineup | March 20, 2026

The upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown is scheduled to take place on March 20, 2026, from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

  • Men’s Tag Team titles: Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga defend against Damian Priest & R-Truth
  • Women’s Tag Team titles: Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against The Bella Twins
  • Randy Orton will appear
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll
  • Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom

Two new number one contenders crowned on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The number one contenders for both the WWE and Women’s Tag Team titles were determined on SmackDown.

After Giulia & Kiana James and Alexa Bliss & Charlotte both came out on Friday to confront new champions the Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend), Nick Aldis arrived and made an impromptu number one contender’s match between the first two teams. Flair and Bliss emerged victorious after Flair hit the natural selection on Giulia, giving them the next shot against Jax and Legend.

The Irresistible Forces defeated Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY on last week’s SmackDown to win the titles for the first time as a team. During their celebration backstage, they announced that they would have an additional celebration on this week’s show.

For the men, Damian Priest and R-Truth emerged as the new number one contenders for the titles, winning a Tag Team Turmoil match. The Motor City Machine Guns were first eliminated by Fraxiom, who then were eliminated by Los Garza. The Wyatt Sicks were in next, but shockingly lost after Tama Tonga interrupted the match, allowing Berto to roll up Dexter Lumis for the win. Finally Priest & Truth entered and scored the victory over Los Garza to become the new number one contenders, earning a future title match against the MFTs.

R-Truth says WWE non-renewal ‘felt like a firing’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When he got the call that his WWE contract wasn’t being renewed last year, R-Truth felt like he was being fired.

Truth’s contract saga is one of the main stories in the new season of “WWE: Unreal.” In June 2025, he was informed that his contract was not being renewed after a 17-year run with the company. But Truth ended up staying with WWE after fan outcry over his departure led to him being brought back under a new long-term deal.

The “Unreal” episode covering the situation includes Paul “Triple H” Levesque saying that Truth was never actually fired. Levesque claims that, when WWE decided not to renew, they did so with the hope that it would bring Truth back to the table after a breakdown in negotiations.

Truth responded to those comments during an interview on The Breakfast Club this week. Because WWE was telling him not to come to work, Truth viewed it as being released.

“Let me ask you this then, I got the call, right? I got my agent working on this end with their agent. I’m going to stay out of that, right? Let them handle that thing,” Truth said. “I get a call from this side saying we’re not going to renew your contract or however it was. ‘So do I come to work? It’s Sunday. Next Sunday my contract would be ending. So do I come to work?’ [They said], ‘No, don’t come to work.’ Oh, okay, ‘Am I done now?’ ‘Yes.’ There was no flight, no calendar. What do you call that? I don’t know if it’s all the same or if it’s different…

“It felt like a firing to me. And that’s when I paused, took that moment. I couldn’t figure out how I felt. It was sudden. We were in negotiations. So I thought, so I was told. It was a negotiation. So it was like, never for once did I feel bitter, jaded, or anger. I was just at loss for feelings, at loss for words, at loss for emotion.”

Truth said this was the first time he had an agent negotiating for him, so he was more removed from the contract process than he had been in past deals. Because he had been with WWE for so long, he felt like he owed the fans a “thank you” — which is why he sent out the tweet saying that he had been released.

After all this, Truth feels like he’s more popular than he’s ever been. He appreciates that, with the new contract he signed, WWE is helping him promote his music career. He released a new country/hip-hop album — titled “The White Album” — in 2025.

‘WWE: Unreal’ delves into R-Truth re-signing, return & creative disagreements

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

The second episode of the second season of WWE: Unreal on Netflix delved deep into the R-Truth saga from 2025 and a bit further than the preview clip released on Monday.

The episode went into the longtime friendship between Truth and Brian “Road Dogg” James who is a lead member of the WWE creative team. One point, a creative meeting was shown leading into Truth’s match with John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event where James relayed that Truth wanted to shave his head for the match.

Paul “HHH” Levesque was shown questioning the rationale in the meeting, saying that it didn’t make any sense. James got upset and said, “This is why I am scared to pitch anything. Everything is just horrible and the sh*ts,” adding that he couldn’t wait for Cena to beat Truth so they could move past it.

“It hurts my heart. Let’s move on.”

“Sometimes, his personal feelings can skew his creative feelings over what is right for business,” Levesque told the camera later.

Two days after Truth’s surprise return at Money in the Bank, Truth is shown asking Levesque if he could “become his brother” and asked if he could shave it, Levesque said he was fine with it. Truth later joked he was going bald.

**********

The episode went into the Truth contract situation where he said he learned he wasn’t being renewed as he was taking his daughter to dance class which led to his tweet. He then let James know who put out his own tweet, later admitting the move did make perfect business sense due to his age but didn’t agree with it.

Levesque then gave the quote released in the preview clip Monday where he said Truth was never fired and was always under contract.

“He immediately went out on social and said he was fired — which, he was never fired, contrary to prior belief. He was never not under contract with us,” Levesque claimed.

They addressed the crowd chats and blowback for the decision with Levesque saying, “If there is a desire from the audience to see a performer, I would love to have the performer. It would be silly not to. Then, it becomes if we can get to a place where we can do business together. That’s the business side. No one ever wanted Ron to leave, we just wanted to get to an amicable place.”

Truth said he and Nick Khan “talked for about an hour a day” and that he “patted the wound.” The two made a deal that Bruce Prichard claimed was signed on the day of Money in the Bank when Truth made his surprise return at the end.

The episode detailed who was told what and when which included Khan, Levesque, Prichard, Ed Koskey, Cody Rhodes and Cena. Bobby Roode was told shortly before the match was starting while Pat McAfee was informed but Michael Cole wasn’t in order to get a better surprise reaction. Logan Paul and Jey Uso weren’t told of the run-in, learning about it as it happened.

Levesque was shown talking with Cena and came up with how Truth would dress before he came out which Cena completely agreed with.

James also didn’t know, relaying mixed emotions of happiness that his friend was back but also disappointment that he wasn’t told as a creative team member.

The second season of WWE: Unreal is now available on Netflix with coverage coming on this website throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.

Triple H addresses R-Truth WWE contract ordeal: ‘He was never fired’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

To promote the new season of “WWE: Unreal,” Netflix has released a sneak peek with Paul “Triple H” Levesque addressing R-Truth’s contract saga from 2025.

Season two of the “Unreal” docuseries arrives on Netflix tomorrow (January 20). One of the focal points will be WWE’s controversial decision to not renew Truth’s contract last year, which sparked fan outcry and ultimately led to Truth being brought back without ever having officially departed WWE.

In the “Unreal” clip, Levesque frames WWE’s decision to not renew as one that was made because communication had broken down between the two sides in contract negotiations. Levesque says that, by making the decision they did, WWE was hoping Truth might change his mind and engage them on a new deal. Instead, Truth took to social media and said he was being released.

“We got to a point in Truth’s run where his contract was coming up,” Levesque says in the clip. “When you are dealing with contracts and money and you’re very far apart in the numbers and communication breaks down, it’s very easy for both sides to read into the communications differently. ‘Okay, well, if you’re not going to come to us, then Truth, we’re going to let your contract lapse. Your contract is at the end. We’re not going to renew.’ Knowing that hopefully maybe this will force his hand to say, ‘Well, hold on a second. Can we talk?’ He immediately went out on social and said he was fired — which, he was never fired, contrary to prior belief. He was never not under contract with us.”

Brief comments from Truth and Brian “Road Dogg” James are also included in the clip. Truth says that, when he was informed of WWE’s decision, he felt like he was being released. James — who is good friends with Truth and is his former tag team partner — called WWE’s decision heartbreaking but believes it made perfect business sense considering that Truth is in his 50s.

The outcry from fans, along with Truth receiving significant support from his colleagues, led to WWE reversing course and signing Truth to a new long-term contract. WWE President Nick Khan played a significant role in making the deal happen.

R-Truth reveals length of WWE contract

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After nearly departing WWE in 2025, R-Truth will be sticking around the company for years to come.

Truth’s contract saga is one of the main subjects set to be featured in the soon-to-be-released second season of “WWE: Unreal.” In June of last year, Truth was informed that his WWE contract was not being renewed. However, an outcry from fans and colleagues led to Truth being brought back under a new deal. He told TV Insider that the contract he signed in 2025 is a four-year agreement with options that could factor in.

“I signed a four-year deal with a three-year option,” Truth said before discussing the negotiations he had with WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque prior to his return at Money in the Bank 2025.

“That’s one of the things with the wrestling business. You’re going to have people that speculate and insinuate and throw things out there, but don’t know the back behind the story and the truth of it. It’s the same as ‘Unreal.’ People are not going to know the exact truth of it, but you’re still going to have people on the outside going to give their truth, version, or take on it. Nick and myself had talks. I also had talks with Hunter. Everything led me to being back at Money in the Bank. When I came back to Money in the Bank, that was a show of power, a show of humanity, a show of reading the room, listening, appreciation, and gratitude. There are so many things that came out of that moment and led from the phone call with Nick. It was all like a dream to me. It was surreal. I’m going through it, going through it, going through it to where I’m at right now.”

The 53-year-old Truth told TV Insider that he wants to be a “beacon of light” for WWE and help guide the younger wrestlers on the roster. Whenever he decides to retire, Truth would like The Miz to be his final opponent given the history they have together as tag team partners and rivals.

“The Miz,” Truth responded when asked who he’d like to face in his last match. “I have a story with The Miz. I have an outside-the-ring story with The Miz. I have a relatable story with The Miz. The history. I remember when he first came here from The Real World. He is so underrated. The things I could do with him. I will have that with The Miz.”

Season two of the “WWE: Unreal” docuseries arrives on Netflix next Tuesday (January 20).

R-Truth said he felt ‘numb’ following 2025 WWE release

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

R-Truth has revealed his emotions following his brief departure from WWE in 2025, a situation that sparked widespread fan backlash and led to his return. It is now set to be featured on Netflix’s WWE Unreal’s second season. Appearing in an interview with Stephen A Smith while promoting WWE Unreal, Truth opened up about his feelings.

“It was numb, Steve. Sometimes we lose and forget who we are. There are people my age and older, their time ain’t up,” Truth continued. “I think father time, each individual has its own time when it’s time, and we have time to make something happen within that time.”

“I think everything that happened happened at the right time for me, because as we saw, man, I’m more popular and valuable than I’ve ever been in my life and my career. Over hundreds of millions of people showed and told me that.”

Truth faced John Cena at the May 24, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, following which, he publicly announced that his WWE contract was expiring and the promotion opted to not renew it. This led to a heavy backlash from the fans. However, just a week later, at Money in the Bank 2025, R-Truth returned sporting a much more serious gimmick and helped Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes defeat the duo of Cena and Logan Paul.

JNPO: June 2025 wrestling year in review – Mr. Punk heads to Saudi Arabia

Posted on by Josh Nason

On a new Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, the best pro wrestling year in review podcast series from here to there continues with a stop in June 2025 and returning guest Kate Elizabeth of Fightful.

June featured another WWE trip to Saudi Arabia but this time with a new passenger: CM Punk. We talk about the controversy in his first visit, his apology when he arrived, and all the hubbub around it.

The month also featured R-Truth’s run in WWE coming to an end…for about a week. Remember this story? We do.

Josh and Kate also talk AEW Grand Slam Mexico, all the happenings in NXTNAAA, Japan, and the rest of the pro wrestling world.

If it was important in June, we talk about it here.

Click here to listen for free or stream on either Spotify or Apple Podcasts (currently processing), also for free.

Past episodes:

Daily Update: R-Truth, Jay White, Mickie James

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the  Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up on the site:

  • In depth with the changes in ratings, are pro wrestling and MMA being undercounted, are they less popular than we thought, how the changes have happened, streaming, how this relates to baseball, football, and other entertainment shows.
  • John Cena’s last matches, and the surprises in current WWE booking plans for now until December.
  • A look at Crown Jewel and WrestleDream, the cards, how the shows look and the current interest level in them.
  • Favorites in the betting in all the major future matches
  • A look at The Smashing Machine, the heyday of Mark Kerr, the box office and what we’ve learned, comparisons with Iron Claw, the performances by Dwayne Johnson Emily Blunt and Ryan Bader and the Pride Grand Prix in 2000 with Sakuraba vs. Gracie and key what ifs that people don’t talk about
  • All In Texas attendance and how much the state will be paying AEW based on the deal, plus original plans for that week and three shows that were once thought and talked about but didn’t happen with two international promotions.
  • Full coverage of UFC 320, what’s next for the winners, the business side of things and match-by-match.
  • The most complete and detailed look at the ratings for all the major shows as well as comparisons with last year, segment-by-segment notes, demos and more.
  • Expectations of when a major milestone in history of buildings that house wrestling will be reached and when 1 million fans in one specific building attending wrestling in a year is expected
  • King of Pro Wrestling thoughts
  • New Japan’s last major show looked at
  • 40th anniversary of a landmark tag team event taking place
  • Hulk Hogan’s widow looking at medical malpractice suit
  • Death of the former Sabrina
  • Dave Bautista makes surprising revelation
  • Mistico vs. Bandido in Xalapa
  • Renee Dupree talks the old WWE locker room
  • Bound for Glory notes
  • Lots of injury and contract updates
  • The story of Ultimo Dragon’s ten belts and Mercedes Mone beating that record
  • Sting’s son has his first match
  • Advance tickets sales for the WWE & AEW shows over the next two months
  • The strange secret suspension of  Conor McGregor
  • More on the White House show
  • MMA fight of the year on the Dana White Contenders Series
  • Has the WWE boom period ended or is it ending?
  • The WWE product right now
  • Jimmy Jacobs talks differences in backstage at WWE and TNA

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Thursday Update

WWE

  • R-Truth told CBS Sports that he thinks it would have been a selfish move to continue going by Ron Killings instead of returning to his R-Truth character:
    • It went where it was supposed to go. Ron Killings created R-Truth. Those hundreds of millions of fans who spoke and up-roared. They wanted R-Truth back. Ron Killings was the rebellious one who spoke up for R-Truth.
    • Ron Killings has been around for years, but people had never come together in lockstep like that. They did that for R-Truth. You feel me?. I wanted Ron Killings to go where he was supposed to go. He made a statement; he had eyes on him. When John Cena came back, R-Truth came back. Ron Killings was the cavalry.
    • I think [Ron Killings] was a selfish-type deal, more of a selfish move. I had more than 100 million views that wanted R-Truth. If numbers are real, that was the power of numbers.
  • Bleacher Report and the New York Post also have interviews with Truth.
  • In the Bleacher Report interview, Truth was asked who he thinks can be the next John Cena in WWE:
    • Man, there’s a lot of guys. NXT is full of talent, man. Trick [Williams] is there, Carmelo [Hayes] is up here now, they got Je’Von [Evans], there’s so much talent there, man. I don’t want to, like, put no names or specific things on people, I like to just watch and let everything blossom and bloom. There’s a lot of things that a lot of people still have to pay attention to and see, as far as characters go, a lot of people still coming into their characters. But there’s gonna be guys, you’ll see another almost like Cena, you’ll see another almost like everybody else. But I don’t like to put no names on anybody, there’s a lot of them that you need to keep your eyes on.
  • Chelsea Green told Woman’s World magazine that she and Matt Cardona want to have children one day, but plans to do so are paused at the moment:
    • We put it on pause when I was asked to come back to WWE. This was an opportunity we both knew we could not turn down. If I turn it down, I’m going to end up having kids and resent the family life.
    • So here I am. I’m 34. I’m dying for babies. My husband wants babies… but duty calls. I’m making money. I’m living my dream. But hey, you never know. In a couple months, if it happens, God willing, it happens. I’ll just have to take my babies on the road with me!
  • Omos has partnered with cologne company Zaharoff to produce his own fragrance named “IBERE.”
  • New Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey posted today:
    • Two years ago today, I walked into WWE not knowing what to expect. Now I can’t imagine my life without it.
    • The memories, the friendships, the lessons — all of it has meant so much, more than I can put into words. Just so grateful
  • The Miz appeared on Kittle Things with Claire & George Kittle.
  • Peter Rosenberg was a guest on Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
  • Rhea Ripley reacted to photos from throughout her career on a new episode of WWE Break It Down.

Other Wrestling

  • Jay White – who has been sidelined since March due to injury – returned to social media today after a long absence. He tweeted the following: “Ready?”
  • Bleacher Report asked Kris Statlander if she plans to go after the AEW Women’s Tag Team titles:
    • Absolutely. One of my trainers [Brian Myers] is a former tag team champion, so tag team wrestling, it’s not my bread and butter, but it’s something that I hold so near and dear to my heart.
    • I love love love a really good tag match more than anything in the world. To be able to carry that legacy from my trainer, and being the first woman to hold all three [AEW women’s] titles would be the most insane thing to ever happen.
    • I love being able to do the first of anything, but I also love being able to do anything at all that I have the privilege of doing.
    • We were all there when he ended his losing streak and they won the tag championships. Him and Matt Cardona. All of the students were there when that happened and it was such a really cool moment. It was a really special moment for all of us to be there for that.
  • The Battleground Podcast has an interview with The Young Bucks.
  • Denise Salcedo spoke with Jamie Hayter.
  • Orange Cassidy was a guest on Casuals with Katie Nolan.
  • This week’s AEW Unrestricted podcast is a WrestleDream preview episode.
  • Lio Rush will face off against Leon Cage at an event for Attack! Pro Wrestling in Cardiff on December 12.
  • Mickie James reflected on her induction into the TNA Hall of Fame:
    • Standing on that stage and being welcomed into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame was one of the most humbling and magical moments of my career.
    • Thank you to @ThisIsTNA & @RealJeffJarrett for giving a young Alexis Laree her first real opportunity & to @TNADixie for welcoming me back & helping bring #HardcoreCountry to life
    • Thank you @carlossilva for the incredible honor bestowed upon me & for a beautiful ceremony at such a historic event for the company
    • @THETOMMYDREAMER thank you for believing in me, for fighting for me, and for always seeing the woman and the wrestler I’ve tried to be.  To my sister, my ride-or-die, @REALLiSAMARiE [Victoria/Tara] thank you for inducting me — there’s no one else I’d rather share that moment with. You’ve been my partner in crime through it all, and I love you so much.
    • To the entire Knockouts Division — past, present, and future — you are the heart and soul of this company. You’ve broken barriers, told stories, and made magic every single time you stepped through those ropes. I’m so proud to stand beside you all.
    • And finally, to the fans — you’ve been with me through every high, every low, every reinvention and every return. Your love, your chants, your unwavering support… it means the world. I wouldn’t be here without you
    • This honor isn’t just mine — it’s ours.
  • A bridge located on Highway 8 near Calgary, Alberta, Canada has been named the “Stu Hart Memorial Bridge” in honor of the late Stu Hart. Bret Hart appeared at an official naming ceremony for the bridge and said the following:
    • When I think of the award or the honor of a bridge being named after my father, when I think of my dad, I think (of) someone that’s very strong, solid, sturdy as a rock.
    • In a lot of ways, it’s very symbolic for my father to be honoured with a bridge, because he was a bridge in many ways to so many people and so many things, from wrestling to just his roots in Canada, and his special pride with his wrestling product.

R-Truth: ‘My championship is those hundreds of millions of people’

Posted on by Ian Carey

R-Truth spoke about the support he’s received from the WWE locker room during a recent interview.

Truth was a guest on The Ringer’s Masked Man podcast last week, and was asked about his co-workers publicly supporting him following news that his contract would not be renewed earlier this year. He specifically mentioned Rhea Ripley wearing his shirt on Raw the night after the news broke, and the supportive message Road Dogg tweeted, then deleted, saying he was “heartbroken” by Truth’s release.

Truth said:

“Rhea wearing my shirt. Road Dogg, you know me and Road Dogg are like brothers from a different mother. I got calls. Kevin Owens come from one of his daughter’s.. she was doing a dance recital.”

“The unity, the love, there was just so much in that, it put an ‘S’ on my chest. I always call myself the Sun Tan Superman.”

Truth continued to talk about the support he received from both his co-workers and fans:

“People tell me I’ve helped them get through a certain time in their life. And I may look at it as, or somebody else may perceive it as, ‘Oh, he’s just doing this goofy…he’s just doing this,’ but moments, opportunities that I had, I made the best out of them. And I do that in the ring and in real life.”

“I don’t know if it’s just watching me, growing with me, them feeling something. That was an emotional roller coaster ride that the world had to experience. And there’s more to it than we’re even talking about now.”

“My title, my championship is those hundreds of millions of people. I don’t need no material, I got organic, living flesh proof that the love is the championship.”

Truth returned to WWE a week after announcing his release at the Money in the Bank PLE, taking out John Cena with a spear. He then defeated Cena via DQ on the June 20 SmackDown. He also defeated Aleister Black in two minutes on the July 11 SmackDown. Truth wrestled in triple threat matches against Dominik Mysterio and El Grande Americano at the June 26 and June 27 house shows in Mexico.

Truth’s full appearance on the podcast is available below: