9 Wrestlers Who Fell Off HARD In 2025

9. R-Truth

WWE Raw R-Truth Ron Killings
WWE

On June 1, to intense fan and peer backlash, R-Truth announced on X that WWE would not be renewing his contract.

This was the first time that the relationship between Triple H and his new, massive audience felt strained. Nick Khan, the merciless corporate shark of a WWE President, actually folded. He was instrumental in bringing back R-Truth after his WWE release, but R-Truth didn’t want to play R-Truth anymore: he wanted to be Ron Killings. He wanted to go on a run as a serious player tired of playing a clown.

A vengeful, all-business Killings returned at Money In The Bank, on June 7, as the major headline emerging from the PLE. On the September 19 edition of SmackDown, back under the dimwitted guise of R-Truth, he attempted to charge his smartphone using a toaster. A whopping 104 days passed by between Ron Killings asking you to take him seriously and R-Truth nearly electrocuting himself to death.

There’s something really sad about Killings using his leverage, a real good-on-ya moment, only to receive almost nothing in the way of promotional support and revert to his old caricature of a self. This was bad in a way the wrestling landscape hasn’t really reckoned with - a creative disgrace the longer you think about it. Truth, for one night, was the most talked-about wrestler on the planet. And then Triple H fumbled.

The story told at Money In The Bank was a self-own on WWE’s part. The promotion essentially said that they’d made a massive mistake and was pressured into correcting it.

WWE never likes doing that, ever, which probably explains why, instead of committing to the idea, they behaved like none of it had actually happened and made you forget.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!