WWE’s Quick Rehire of R-Truth Creates Slippery Slope for Future Releases

WWE may have pleased fans by bringing R-Truth back at Money in the Bank, but the company could be setting itself up for a much bigger problem going forward—one it can’t control with a surprise return.

Triple H casually dismissed the situation with a smile and the line, “It’s all part of the show, man.” But according to Dave Meltzer, WWE only reversed course after serious online heat and internal backlash forced their hand.

During the June 8, 2025 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer made it clear that fan outrage online—paired with locker room pressure—led to the sudden return of Ron Killings just days after his WWE exit was made public. That decision, he says, might come back to haunt the company.

“It sets a weird precedent. If somebody they like gets cut, fans may think they can just get them back by making noise. It’s not usually how this works, but this time, they did bring him back—and really fast.”

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Meltzer clarified that the move wasn’t some elaborate work. WWE genuinely let him go, saw the reaction, and made a late change to include him in the main event finish.

“It wasn’t a work… but you see what happened. They saw the internet going nuts, and they made the call.”

That decision now opens the door for future campaigns where fans rally behind released talent—thinking volume alone might get someone rehired. Meltzer says that isn’t normal practice, and it could create more trouble than WWE realizes.

Behind the scenes, Meltzer added that key members of the WWE locker room were furious over the release, and their support may have played an even bigger role in reversing the decision.

“There were people—key people—in the company who were not happy that he was let go. That played a part in this. I think that, more than anything, probably played the biggest part. Because they can hear what the fans are saying, and yeah, that matters. But when talent that matters is going, ‘Why did you do this?’… you’ve got to smooth that out.”

That unrest forced WWE to rewrite the main event of Money in the Bank, where R-Truth—now using his real name Ron Killings—returned by spearing John Cena and setting up Cody Rhodes to steal the win. What was supposed to be a major storyline moment for Cody became secondary to a last-minute redemption arc for Truth.

“The focus of this show was originally Cody Rhodes pins John Cena… Instead, the focus is they brought back R-Truth. Did they work everyone? That became the story. Cody pinning Cena? Nobody’s talking about it.”

What started as damage control may have become a slippery slope. If online campaigns now start driving booking and contract decisions, WWE could be forced to chase approval instead of leading the narrative. WWE got its viral moment—but it may have handed over more power than it realized in the process.

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