By nature, professional wrestling, much like any other form of live entertainment, can be a shark tank. Fame, fortune, and ego can often have a nasty side to them. Of course, there are dozens of episodes of the Dark Side of The Ring series based on some of the bleaker aspects of the business. There was competition for the top spot and the massive money that went along with that so there were rivalries behind the scenes because of that dynamic. That was the case more often in a previous era than it is today because of how much the brand of the WWE is the overall selling point more than individual stars. It goes without saying that there are positives and negatives to that philosophy, but the point is, the current generation usually knows that they can make more money working together than trying to undercut each other in the booking meetings.
Don’t get me wrong, pro wrestling will always be political, but the days of “that don’t work for me, brother” when ego, not the goal of drawing the most money, happen exponentially less often now than they did thirty years ago.
That being said, even through the political landmine that the industry can be at times, there are certain performers that were universally beloved for their talent and genuine nature backstage. Terry Funk, Bobby Hennan, Rickey Steamboat, Bobby Eaton, and Big E are just a few of the names that you never hear anyone say anything negative about, a reflection of their real-life character.
That’s why it was legitimately shocking to hear the news that Ron Killings, who has worked under the WWE banner for the past 17 years, was abruptly released from his WWE contract just a few days ago. Besides the fact that R-Truth is unanimously praised for his ability in the ring and his real-life good nature, it was very surprising because he was still currently featured on WWE programming, working a spotlighted match against John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main event a few weeks ago, and a match against Jeff Cobb on Smackdown.
At 53, Killings was obviously at the latter stages of his in-ring career, but the guy stays in great shape, he can still go in the ring, and he’s legitimately one of the most over performers on the roster. It can’t be understated how valuable a performer like Killings is because he can do anything that he’s asked to do. If you need an over baby face to warm up the crowd during the dark match prior to the live broadcast, Killings can work the audience up for the television show. If you need a comedy segment to pace the overall show, we know that it has been a Killings specialty for several years. It should be noted that there’s a major difference between attempted comedy in wrestling, there are a laundry list of Vince Russo failures in that category, and entertaining comedy in the sport. Killings has been on the right side of that equation throughout his WWE tenure. Furthermore, and this really showed how well-rounded Killings is, he worked as a credible heel against John Cena for a pay-per-view main event in 2011.
Again, it can’t be glossed over how important it is to have wrestlers as versatile as R-Truth on the card because while he wasn’t the main event of Wrestlemania every year, he was always going to be an asset based on what the company needed, and that’s where the true depth is to the roster. William Regal is another prime example of this, which is why he has such an extended tenure with the organization.
Was R-Truth going to wrestle for another 10 years? No, but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have been kept under contract for another decade, especially given the level of his skills and how it could’ve been used in different areas even after he concluded his time as an in-ring competitor.
That’s why the release of Ron Killings might be more of a statement about the direction of the WWE under the TKO banner than anything else.
There are countless examples of how corporate suites just don’t understand the nature of the very unique genre of professional wrestling, the vast majority of the WCW ownership under Turner was an example of that. You simply can’t run a sports entertainment venture as if the wrestlers are just interchangeable and anyone with a pair of boots will fit the mold. Hopefully, that’s not the tact that TKO is going to take, but the release of Ron Killings might be an indication that says otherwise.
Last week, I penned an article about the shift of Wrestlemania 42 from the previously announced New Orleans back to Las Vegas again because sin city offered more money than Burbon Street to host the event for the second year in a row. As mentioned, since Wrestlemania is a travel audience, the destination is almost moot, but if the corporation leans in to the concept of snatching every dollar they can rather than serve the audience, it’s possible that they could be some backlash from the audience.
Management was framed as the villains for years, which is why there was the initial demand for the alternative that became AEW, and it took several years for that notion to change, with Triple H being seen as the baby face leader of the organization after the disgraceful exit of Vince McMahon a few years ago.
Granted, given the type of deviant behavior that Vince was accused of and the millions of dollars that he paid to keep several affairs quiet, there’s no doubt that he shouldn’t be the head of the WWE. It might sound like an overly dramatic statement, but if even a portion of the allegations of the current lawsuit are true, it wouldn’t be a safe environment for female employees if Vince was still the boss. That being said, Vince always got the match in the ring because he knew how important it was to deliver on what was advertised. That credibility is what made the WWE such a massive entertainment brand, because it wasn’t the local indy show where the aging legend that was booked might no-show the event.
TKO taking the bigger money from Las Vegas despite New Orleans being announced wasn’t something that Vince McMahon would’ve done. Furthermore, even with McMahon gone, if WWE wasn’t owned by TKO, it’s possible that Ron Killings wouldn’t have been cut from his deal. The reason being is that regardless of some very ruthless business practices, including the release of a few dozen talent during the pandemic in the midst of record-setting profits to pad the profit margin for the next conference call with stockholders, there was still the concept of how the old guard took care of certain guys that earned it.
Vince kept guys like Captain Lou, Arnold Skaaland, Gorilla Monsoon, and others within the company because of their loyalty to Vince St. before the national expansion. There were also others that were quietly kept on the payroll as a sign of respect.
Under the TKO banner, should the talent be leery that their job could be in jeopardy when they reach a certain age? Clearly, R-Truth doesn’t need a favor job, he’s talented enough to still wrestle of television, work with younger talent, or be a great representative for the organization from a PR prospective. That’s why his release is such a stark statement about the WWE with TKO as the boss. Despite all those qualities that legitimately give a reason why R-Truth should still have a job, he was released anyway.
It was obvious that a corporate entity that wasn’t based in the history of the business was going to take the WWE brand in a different direction, but it could have an overall negative impact on the organization in the future if every decision that it makes is strictly based on the dollars and cents of the situation. Aspects like lock room morale, mentorship, and the overall positive atmosphere around the company are intangibles that could eventually have a domino effect on the product.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
