WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi has always been outspoken, and in a recent episode of his Rikishi Fatu Off The Top podcast, he opened up about R-Truth’s long career in WWE—praising the veteran’s contributions while calling out elements of the past creative direction that he strongly disliked.
While reflecting on R-Truth’s surprise release and return, Rikishi shared admiration for Truth’s ability to still “hang with the best” and called him an “OG in the industry” who has always carried himself with professionalism. However, Rikishi didn’t hold back when discussing the kind of promos WWE gave him early on.
“Everybody thought that, okay, Ron Killings, the way they built him, certain promos, I didn’t agree,” Rikishi admitted. “Certain promos that they had him shoot, right, as if, like, you know, he was a Black guy that didn’t understand, right? That was this. There was that—for me, I hated that.”
Rikishi criticized the creative team behind those scripts, saying that the promos were steeped in stereotypes and didn’t reflect the talent or intelligence of the performer behind them. “That was the type of promo that, you know, that whoever creative has—that was the best they had to write for,” he added.
Despite this, Rikishi commended R-Truth—real name Ron Killings—for making the most out of every opportunity. “But guess what? Ronnie did it with a smile. Ronnie… he understands the game,” he said. “The most realist thing to him was that bag [money], getting that every week. And so, 17 plus years, a career run like that… Truth, you the winner, man, you the winner.”
He also gave props to John Cena, who reportedly lobbied for Truth to have a marquee match before his departure. “Big shout out to John Cena for going to bat for Truth,” Rikishi said. “That’s just a sign of OG—respect to the next OG.”
R-Truth remains one of the longest-tenured and most beloved WWE Superstars, known for his comedic timing, charisma, and in-ring longevity. His recent return only solidified how deeply respected he is within the company and by the fans.
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(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
