R-Truth announces WWE departure: The Miz reacts

The WWE star known as R-Truth shocked the pro wrestling world over the weekend when he announced he was set to depart the company after nearly 20 total years with the brand.

Among R-Truth’s many accomplishments in the ring include being a longtime tag-team partner of the superstar known as The Miz. The two achieved tag-team gold at WrestleMania 40 when they won the RAW Tag Team Championships in a six-pack ladder match.

The bond between the team, billed as Awesome Truth, captured the hearts and minds of the wrestling audience, which is why reaction to R-Truth’s announcement was strong.

Fox News Digital asked The Miz about his reaction to the revelation in a recent interview ahead of his appearance at The American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament next month.

“Obviously, I was in a tag team with R-Truth, so it’s always sad to see something like that happen,” he said. “But I think Truth will bounce on his feet. He’s a hell of a talented superstar.”

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The Miz, whose real name is Mike Mizanin, also had a post on Sunday.

“Forming Awesome Truth with you was one of the best runs of my career,” he wrote on X. “No one made me laugh harder. Your energy, heart, and smile lit up every room…and every arena. You’re not one of a kind, you’re one in a lifetime. Love you, Truth. Keep shining.”

R-Truth, whose real name is Ron Killings, recently came off a brief rivalry with John Cena amid the legendary WWE star’s farewell tour. He congratulated Cena for his title defense against Randy Orton at the post-Backlash press conference. However, he irked Cena enough that Cena put R-Truth through a table that separates wrestlers from the media.

It kicked off a weekslong rivalry that eventually saw Cena put an end to R-Truth, who had been billed as one of Cena’s “childhood heroes.” R-Truth then lost to JC Mateo on “Friday Night SmackDown.”

He initially joined WWE in 1999 and debuted as “K-Kwik” with “Road Dogg” Jesse James. He was there from 1999 to 2001, when he was released for the first time. He spent time with Total Nonstop Action wrestling before he made his way back to WWE in 2008.

He returned as R-Truth and had been a highly favored competitor in the ring and on the mic as well.

R-Truth was a United States champion, hardcore champion and world tag-team champion two times each. He held the short-lived 24/7 Championship a record 54 times. In 2004, Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him 18th on the list of top 500 wrestlers in the business.

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