WWE: Does R-Truth's Face Turn Mean His Character Will Now Lose His Edge?

R-Truth, the WWE Superstar who spent much of 2011 talking to people who were not there, and believing that he was the victim of a company-wide conspiracy, has now turned the corner.  

He’s enjoying a newly minted face turn, and has returned to the loveable, fun, R-Truth that fans came to know and love.

Yeah.  He’s dancing again.  Hmm.

It should be noted that the above “hmm” marks the first time I have ever included a sound effect in any column I have ever written.  Truth be told, I did it for effect.

I hope it set the tone for you.

Honestly, it’s the sound I have made over the last two weeks when watching Truth on WWE programming.  While I understand, and have recognized, the company’s desire to turn him babyface once again, I am still left with one nagging feeling that I cannot seem to get over.

We’ve been here before.

The R-Truth of old was that same, fun loving, jive-talking Superstar with a devil-may-care attitude, that fans all over the world connected with.  He was energetic, had some flash in the ring, and was pretty entertaining on the mic.  He was also a guy that fans could relate to, which had always been a great element of his character.

Truth does not look like the stereotypical pro wrestler.  Yes, he’s in fantastic shape, and yes, he’s very athletic, but his easygoing demeanor and sense of humor has always made him very relatable in a very real way.

He just comes off as a regular guy who’s having a blast at work.

All of those qualities, combined with an historically underrated ring ability, made R-Truth a WWE Superstar who fans latched onto, and supported, in every way.  But, then, suddenly, and without warning, Truth became boring.  And, not just boring.

R-Truth became “oh, crap, not this again, I’m going to the kitchen for some chips,” kind of boring.  

It was not his fault, necessarily.  His gimmick, in which he danced, rapped, made the crowd pop, worked for a long time, but it was painfully repetitive.

Truth had reached that place that the New Age Outlaws had eventually reached, the one in which “Oh, you didn’t know?”  was received with more jeers than cheers.

He was entertaining, no doubt.  But when he became stale, that was the end of that.  Fans have a notoriously short attention span, and it became very clear very quickly, that Truth had worn out his welcome as the smiling, dancing babyface.

A change was needed.  And, brother, did he get it.

The second that relaxed smile contorted into a wide-eyed, twisted look of desperation, Truth became a fresh updated version of his boring character.  He was reborn, and it could not have come at a better time.

John Cena’s much-debated run as the top guy in WWE was coming under fire from many fans as it never had before.  The fact that he rarely ever lost, in addition to his character’s inevitable invincibility when it came to nearly every match he worked, had some fans screaming for his head on a stake.

Enter a newly heeled R-Truth, who seemed to echo the thoughts of many WWE faithful who felt that perhaps John was just the top man because someone behind the scenes chose him to be, not because he had earned it or deserved it.

Truth’s delivery may have been comical at times, but his message that WWE could find no fault with Cena, and pushed him to the moon while holding down Superstars like himself, was not all that far-fetched in the minds of some fans.

Despite whether his character truly had a point, the fact is, Truth had never been more over in his career.  A later association with the Miz only cemented him as a rising heel in the company, as the Awesome Truth laid waste to anyone that got in their way.

They were a perfect fit, and the perfect vehicle for Truth to be the mentally unstable, yet vicious character, who was capable of snapping at any moment.

The bottom line here of course, is that R-Truth received the treatment that many others in WWE have received over the years.  His character was altered, he then heeled out as a result, and got over in a big way.  He found his niche, and it made him relevant, and valuable, in the eyes of fans.

But, we now come back to the R-Truth who is currently dancing his way back down the ramp, and saying “what’s up?” in order to make the crowd pop.

Again.

It’s not that he’s been turned face once again.  I really do not have that much of a problem with that part of it.  

After all, Chris Jericho did just return to WWE, and Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, and the Miz, are all considered some of the top heels, so that side of the equation does not have the room it once had. There’s also the fact that Truth does a fine job of playing the protagonist.

For me, it’s the way it is currently being handled.  When he first showed signs of the turn, I thought it was great, that he was taking his heel character, and tweaking it just enough for fans to still be entertained, yet forget that 10 minutes ago he was bad-mouthing them at every turn.

But, when the dancing, and the rapping returns, as it inevitably could, I believe there is also the danger of the boredom returning as well.

Is Truth bringing the stale back?

I could be jumping the gun on this, it’s entirely possible, but what sparked the interest in Truth, and cause him to rise in popularity, may become watered down in order for him to begin pleasing the masses as much as possible.

Maybe it’s the fact that he is arguably a much better heel than babyface.  Or, maybe it’s because this most recent turn is still so fresh, that we have yet to see how it will all play out.  

But, I for one can just hear the conversations among fans as Truth does his dance, and screams “what’s up?” at the top of his lungs.

“Dude, are we back to this again?  Seriously?  Hmm.  I’m going back to the kitchen for some chips.”