WWE veteran R-Truth spoke with Scott Fishman from TV Insider about various topics, including the duration of his current contract with the company.
Truth said, “I signed a four-year deal with a three-year option. Again, that’s one of the things with the wrestling business. You’re going to have people that speculate and insinuate and throw things out there, but don’t know the back behind the story and the truth of it. It’s the same as Unreal. People are not going to know the exact truth of it, but you’re still going to have people on the outside going to give their truth, version, or take on it. Nick and myself had talks. I also had talks with Hunter [Paul “Triple H” Levesque]. Everything led me to being back at Money in the Bank. When I came back to Money in the Bank, that was a show of power, a show of humanity, a show of reading the room, listening, appreciation, and gratitude. There are so many things that came out of that moment and led from the phone call with Nick. It was all like a dream to me. It was surreal. I’m going through it, going through it, going through it to where I’m at right now.”
On his eventual retirement:
“Definitely. Watching Cena’s end game gave me ideas about mine. I want to articulate mine creatively. Again, one of the greatest of all-time to ever do this. I learned a lot from him in the ring and out of it, one hill at a time. A lot of things I’ve said I learned from Cena. I learned from his retirement that I want mine to go. We’re all on a ride. The ride stops at some point. And it was great seeing him have some control and go, “I want to get off right now.” That’s what I want to do. I signed a four-year deal with a three-year option. The cutting of my hair was symbolizing a new beginning of the beginning. A lot of people thought they knew why I cut my hair. They didn’t know why I cut my hair. Nobody knew, but me. I talked to Hunter. I wanted to cut it way before then. I asked Hunter, “Can I do it now? Can I do it now?” I had the right moment. I had the right eye. I had the world compelled. The world was watching me. Tupac, “All Eyez on Me.” It was the right time to set the pace for a new beginning. By ending one, there is going to be a new one.”
On who he would want to face in his last match:
“The Miz. I have a story with The Miz. I have an outside-the-ring story with The Miz. I have a relatable story with The Miz. The history. I remember when he first came here from The Real World. He is so underrated. The things I could do with him. I will have that with The Miz.”
On his initial thoughts on WWE: Unreal:
“I know everyone has different takes and different views on it. My thought, like everything else, was like cool. I wasn’t pro Unreal or anti-Unreal. I wasn’t against it or for it. I think it shows how much the business is growing, adapting, and excelling into things we’ve never seen before. That’s a good thing. We have to adapt. It’s about trying new and different things, whether it’s inside or outside the box. I’m just here to play the hand.”
On being emotional in the new season:
“I think it was good. Yes, people see the hero in me, but it’s also good to see that I’m human. I’m human just like everybody else. I bleed. I hurt. I cry. I have doubts. I forget who I am. I’m just like each and every person out there. I think a lot of them related that to the R-Truth character too. They could see and sense that. It’s what got them behind me and cheering me because I was that underdog inside of them. To visually see that outside of the wrestling ring, it will be captivating to people. I don’t mind that. I want to be transparent for people because life is not always going to be up. You’re going to have down times. I think it was a good way to show people it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel. A lot of people tell me that seeing me made them feel a certain way. I made them feel a certain way when or because of. They got to see me at one of my most transparent moments, most vulnerable moments in my life. I’m okay with that.”
On the season ‘setting the record straight’ about his release and return:
“How is it for me to set the record straight? It doesn’t give me the yay or woo. I’m a happy go lucky guy, dawg. It’s good for them. It’s cool. It’s alright. I have no emotion from it. I’m glad they can be at ease now. I’m glad they can have, I guess, closure. I never looked that deeply into it. One thing I learned from Cena was I go for the now. I go from the point I am at now. A lot of times me going back prevents me from going forward, so I look at what we have here.”
