R-Truth Reveals WWE Release After 17 Years with Company and Loss to John Cena at SNME

Ron Killings, better known by his ring name R-Truth, announced on Sunday that he has been released by WWE following a 17-year tenure with the company.

R-Truth recently competed against WWE Champion John Cena in a losing effort at Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24. His final match in WWE was a loss to JC Matteo on the May 28 episode of SmackDown.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported that the decision to release R-Truth was met with "shock and disbelief" from other WWE Superstars:

Sapp also clarified that the veteran wasn't outright released, but his current deal wasn't extended before its expiration.

R-Truth spent the latter part of his WWE career as a comedic act, using his skills on the mic to set himself apart from other wrestlers and bring levity to the show. During his recent rivalry with Cena, he called the 17-time world champion his "childhood hero" despite being five years older than him.

R-Truth originally performed in WWE from 1999 to 2001 under the name K-Kwik and was a two-time Hardcore Champion. He then performed for NWA/TNA and became the first and only African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He returned to WWE in 2008 under his current moniker.

During the early part of his comeback, R-Truth was a top contender in both the singles and tag team divisions. He was a two-time United States Champion and a two-time Tag Team Champion alongside Kofi Kingston and The Miz. More recently, he became the face of the now-defunct 24/7 Championship and won the title a record 54 times.

At 53 years old, R-Truth still has enough passion left for the business to be an asset to any company if he chooses to continue his wrestling career. He's a respected mind who can bring a ton of knowledge to any locker room, so it will be interesting to see where he lands next.