Scott D’Amore Confirms He Tried to Book Ron Killings Before WWE Return at Money in the Bank

Before Ron Killings shocked fans with his return to WWE at Money in the Bank, one major promoter had already reached out to book him elsewhere.

In his latest Uncrowned column, former TNA executive Scott D’Amore confirmed he exchanged texts with Killings—formerly known as R-Truth—shortly before the event. D’Amore, who now promotes Maple Leaf Pro, admitted he was trying to bring Killings in for their July 5 pay-per-view.

“Obviously, I wanted to check if there was a chance that he could be legally cleared to appear at Maple Leaf Pro’s next big pay-per-view on July 5, but mainly we had a great talk about the outpouring of love from not just fans, but also Ronnie’s peers, when news broke he was done with WWE.”

While Killings didn’t spoil his WWE return, D’Amore praised the move to use his real name moving forward—something that could benefit his long-term brand beyond WWE.

“I don’t know for a fact if Ronnie asked WWE to be known as ‘Ron Killings’ — his real name — as part of this new deal, but it is very smart. Because it is his legal name, he can use it for future projects, television shows, other wrestling gigs, signings, whatever. ‘R-Truth’ is WWE IP.”

D’Amore also reflected on the emotional response Killings received after news of his WWE contract situation went public, comparing it to his own departure from TNA earlier this year.

“Like I said to Ronnie, it is like attending your own funeral, and by that I mean you get to hear the things people usually only say when it’s too late.”

Despite being 53, D’Amore believes Killings still has plenty to give—and not just in comedy skits.

“No two performers age the same and, even at 53, Ron has something left in the tank. He has a real top-tier run left in him — in fact, he’s got a few.”

Ron Killings is currently scheduled to face John Cena on the June 20 episode of SmackDown, making his reintroduction into WWE storylines even more surreal given how close he was to possibly working the indie scene again.