7 Great Wrestling Heel Runs That Ended Prematurely
4. R-Truth (2011)
When he initially returned to WWE in 2008 rapping and dancing, R-Truth was almost immediately written off as an undercard act. Aside from a three week reign as United States champion, he didn't do anything of note in his first three years back with the company.
Then, on the 18 April 2011 edition of Raw, Truth lost his opportunity to contend for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules - and subsequently went off on his former friend, John Morrison. While the turn seemingly came out of nowhere, it was the unpredictability that made it so glorious. It incorporated shades of the heel run he had in TNA years earlier, and, at long last, he felt relevant in WWE.
It didn't take long at all for Truth to solidify himself as Raw's top heel once he took out Morrison, Rey Mysterio, and ultimately John Cena. Although he fell short in his pursuit of the WWE Championship at Capitol Punishment, he remained a fixture toward the top of the card alongside The Miz - and even headlined 2011's Survivor Series event with Cena and The Rock.
Unfortunately, a Wellness Policy suspension kept Truth off programming for a month, and upon his return, he was transitioned back into a babyface role. Officials apparently felt WWE could make more money off him with "Little Jimmy" merchandise, but regrettably, he became a joke from that point forward. He never recovered.