R-Truth ends WWE chapter after 17 years: 'I want to thank WWE for the ride'

After an unprecedented 17 years with WWE, R-Truth, one of the most adored and entertaining talents, asked for his release. Known for his unique blend of comedy and athleticism, R-Truth became a fan favorite with memorable moments who had the audience laughing and invested in his performance.

R-Truth, whose real name is Ron Killings, became most famous for his reigns as the 24/7 Champion, the title he won a giant 53 times. His departure marks the end of an era for a performer who connected deeply with fans. His supporters will miss Truth's iconic "what's up!" chant.

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Veteran wrestler R-Truth announce his release from WWE

R-Truth, despite never capturing the WWE Championship, his impact on the industry and connection with audiences made him a true icon of the wrestling world.

"I'm sorry to inform you all. I just got released from WWE," he said Sunday. "I want to thank WWE for the ride, but MOSTLY I want to thank each and EVERYONE OF YOU who was along for the ride, Thank you for all the love, support, and appreciation you have given me over the years. Thank you."

This is the conclusion of R-Truth’s second WWE run, which dates back to 2008. He made his initial run with WWE from 1999-2001, however, R-Truth became more known from TNA Wrestling from 2002-2007.

R-Truth's character "Little Jimmy" confounded opponents regularly by referencing an imaginary friend, and he honestly played confused many times as well such as when he would promote himself for matches he was not even in. In 2020, he went viral for making Brock Lesnar laugh during a promo and has even made Roman Reigns, Dolph Ziggler, and Randy Orton break their character.

Killings was also recently involved in a storyline with John Cena, who he called his childhood hero, even though he is older than Cena. He faced Cena on the May 24 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, where he had essentially copied Cena's look and entrance to have fun, and lost. R-Truth's last WWE match was on May 30 on SmackDown against JC Mateo.

R-Truth held multiple titles in WWE, including two United States Championships, two Hardcore Championships, and two Tag Team Championships. However, he's most well known for the 24/7 Championship, which he won and lost an astonishing 53 times in various situations including live shows and social media segments.

His release comes after WWE let go of 10 other stars in February and announced more releases in May.

WWE stars speak on R-Truth's release

Several wrestlers shared their sadness with the announcement, including Rhea Ripley, who worked with him during The Judgment Day storyline.

WWE stars like Ricochet, Kelani Jordan, and Pat McAfee expressed their sadness on R-Truth's departure.