Latest news with #RTruth
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WWE SmackDown results, highlights (June 20): John Cena stuns CM Punk with wild pipebomb promo
John Cena has been holding out on the world with his heel work after the latest "WWE SmackDown." (Photo by Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images) It's perplexing how, all in the same week, "WWE Raw" can be as massive of a stinker as it was, while "WWE SmackDown" enters Grand Rapids, Michigan, and delivers in spades. Honestly, this week was the perfect example of what it looks like when the company tries to book creatively. Killing(s) the game This chapter in the Ron "R-Truth" Killings saga is fascinating and, quite frankly, pretty unpredictable. Advertisement There was supposed to be what you could only assume would have been a squash match between Aleister Black and Pretty Deadly's Kit Wilson — then Ron Killings attacked Wilson before Black could even enter the ring. Killings put Wilson in the STF and called for his John Cena rematch right then and there, but backstage authorities told him to hold off until main event time. Black was rightfully upset and confronted Killings backstage about him ruining his match before Damian Priest intervened with a motivational pep-talk. I didn't see that coming, but Priest's callbacks to the pair's brief time together in The Judgment Day were welcome. Once we got to the main event, it was surprising to see that the match actually happened. Throughout the night, there was no sight of Cena, and the vibe just felt like he wouldn't appear unless it were something like a video on the tron to tell everyone he wasn't there. But no, they had a match, and Killings got the win when Cena DQ'd himself using his WWE title. The duo essentially just played Cena's hits on each other before the champ tried to take the belt and hit the bricks. Killings followed him down the ramp and got hit with the belt to end the match, and then he just disappeared when CM Punk came out to brawl with Cena. Talk about a way to completely devalue the whole Killings angle. As absurd as it was for Killings to vanish, the end of this "WWE SmackDown" was phenomenal, as Cena got the upper hand on Punk and stole a page out of his playbook. Advertisement The champion reverted to a more classic, vintage version of himself, but in heel fashion, getting cheered and calling back to the classic Punk pipebomb promo that saw Cena driven through a table as it happened. This time, it was Cena's turn, dropping his own pipebomb after planting Punk with an Attitude Adjustment through a table in the ring. I mean, the guy literally name-dropped AEW's Claudio Castagnoli, TNA's Nic Nemeth, and Matt Cardona. This. Was. Excellent. It wasn't as hard-hitting as Punk's promo back in the day, but this was by far the best mic work of Cena's heel run. You just knew these two would recreate magic once they got put back together, and this type of Cena is what his heel run should have consisted of from the beginning. Hopefully, he doesn't go back to the stereotypical trashing of fans' heel work he's been doing after all is said and done between him and Punk. This was just too good, and what we've been waiting for. One strong Knight LA Knight didn't need to explain his recent actions that saw him cost Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed in their Fatal-4-Way King of the Ring matches. But that was how the "Megastar" kicked off this "WWE SmackDown." Advertisement There's a certain edge to this vengeful Knight that's really working, and it was arguably needed after the U.S. title saga. Also, shout out to him for the sick Rage Against the Machine Guerrilla Radio reference. If you know, you know. Knight called out Seth Rollins, and instead received the presence of Paul Heyman. The interaction was brief, but relatively tense, as Heyman threatened Knight to leave the arena by night's end — or else. Ultimately, Knight pointed out the grifter nature of Heyman before challenging him to a match since Rollins didn't come out. That was funny, and I almost wish it happened, as silly as it would have been. But surely, you can guess what happened after that. Breakker and Reed made their way to the ring to attack Knight, but the former U.S. champ stood tall after he got his hands on a steel chair. It was a pleasant surprise to see Knight stand tall against these two. It made him look pretty strong and set up a match later between Knight and Reed. Advertisement In the match, Knight couldn't have made those two look any dumber than he already had. Knight made his entrance, emerging from the announce table area to attack Breakker and Reed from behind for an early advantage. Reed stopped Breakker from the early interference because he wanted him for himself. I love the thought process there, but ultimately, the interference was inevitable after Breakker couldn't keep his cool the second time Knight hit him. So, Knight won by DQ when Breakker speared him. I don't love it, but it was expected, and most importantly, it maintained the aura of Knight looking strong on this "WWE SmackDown." I also never expected a pairing like Knight and Reed to mesh as well as they did. In the end, Breakker and Reed Speared and Tsunami'd him into oblivion, so we'll see if this leads to a brief write-off or something of the sort. 👑 Uncrowned GEMS of the Night 👑 So, before Sami Zayn and Randy Orton got their hands on each other in the first King of the Ring semifinal match, Cody Rhodes made his entrance only to have his promo completely hijacked by the overkill Jey Uso entrance. To be fair though, Rhodes' pyro is also pretty comically overkill when he isn't wrestling. Advertisement Anyway, Orton embarrassed all of them on the mic before his match, promising Zayn would be champion — but it won't be at SummerSlam after a King of the Ring win. As for Uso, well, he essentially just told Rhodes it can only be one of them who advances. Rhodes and Uso being on this "WWE SmackDown" was completely unnecessary, other than to boost Zayn's promo, stating it was his time as the other three have all already been world champions. What we got out of the match was stellar for a TV pairing, as Orton got the win clean off a brilliant RKO attempt sequence. Despite WWE's abysmal booking finishes to most of the tournaments' Fatal-4-Way matches, the advancing victors have led to some seriously compelling options. It felt like there really could have been something with Zayn's pursuit of a world title by taking out one of his good friends in Rhodes or Uso. However, with Orton winning, now we have to get that long-awaited Rhodes match. This was all-around quality stuff. Before the King of the Ring match, the Queen of the Ring gave us the same degree of greatness. Advertisement First of all, I just want to say how great it is to get a match between Asuka and Alexa Bliss in 2025. And immediately, it scored the Uncrowned Gem of the Night because we stunningly got the first of two clean finishes! Asuka has made it to the finals on the women's side. Incredible, folks. The match was also good, but the booking here was what elevated the semifinal matches. A Charlotte Flair interference felt like a guarantee in Asuka vs. Bliss after the teasing WWE has been doing between her and Bliss. There was one spot where Bliss set up Twisted Bliss but bailed on it to jump down from the top rope and get caught in an armbar before a Rings of Saturn-type submission. Bliss escaped, but that was a weird moment that totally felt like a camera angle used for the patented Triple H interference spot. In the end, Bliss came up short when she did go for Twisted Bliss, falling into Asuka's knees and taking the Empress Impact. Honestly, that finish, and its name, is so goofy, especially for Asuka, but I couldn't be happier to see her booked strong upon her return. She'll face either Jade Cargill or Stephanie Vaquer in the finals. You can't go wrong with either of those matches. ♻️ Recycling of the Night The booking on this "WWE SmackDown" just couldn't be perfect, could it? Advertisement When the Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton feud continued, I audibly uttered some expletives. This couldn't be any dumber. Jax complained, and Stratton came out and just gave her a title match for next week's "WWE SmackDown." It will be a Last Woman Standing match, but who cares, man? I genuinely don't know why this rivalry won't die, and it's hurting Stratton's reign, wasting her time. There was a Naomi cash-in tease, but of course, Jax stopped it. So, that was the only "good" thing about this but it still sucked. 👍FRIDAY NIGHT FIRE👍 1. B-Fab and Michin mentioned needing to talk to "WWE SmackDown" general manager Nick Aldis about the Women's Tag Team titles. Yeah, those still exist, WWE. It's good to see the company is remembering that now that Liv Morgan is injured. Plus, B-Fab rules, so let's give her anything to do, please. Advertisement 2. Flair got the win with the Figure-8 against Chelsea Green in a solid match for what it was. To springboard off our previous bit of fire, Bliss came out to make the save when The Secret Hervice attacked Flair. The foundation is being set for the women's tag team division, but Flair still wasn't ready to accept the aid from her fellow former world champion. They would make for great champions together, so hopefully this goes in that direction. (Bliss's Sister Abigail DDT is still ridiculous in a bad way, though.) 3. The reconciliation between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu (who wore his Raiders jersey backwards) didn't go according to plan for Sikoa. The duo had a good old-fashioned family drama segment, with Sikoa trying to gain sympathy by saying he has no one left and loves Fatu. Fatu said he felt used and questioned Sikoa while the crowd chanted "bulls***." Then, he asked if the U.S. title was the problem, and if so, Sikoa could fight him for it. Instead of accepting, Sikoa went for the Samoan Spike in the middle of Fatu's catchphrase. JC Mateo came out to aid in the assault before Jimmy Uso made the surprise save. As much as I'd prefer to see The Usos reunite, I'm curious to see where this goes, and am glad we have a clear line in the sand now. Everyone played their roles exceptionally. Sikoa will now get a title shot at WWE Night of Champions 2025. That doesn't make a ton of sense, but it is what it is. 👎DOWN & OUT👎 1. Breakker literally barked at Byron Saxton when he approached backstage after the opening segment. Holy hell, WWE has booked him to look like such a mindless bozo enforcer since he joined Rollins and Heyman. Advertisement 2. The video package that recapped Goldberg's return to face off with Gunther was just ridiculous. How can anyone take the match seriously when every Goldberg highlight was from over 25 years ago in WCW? 3. Stamping logos onto tables is so lame. 👑 This "WWE SmackDown" felt every bit of its three hours, but was a great show outside of the waste of time between Jax and Stratton. I give this show a Crown score of: 9/10.👑
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Booker T Makes Bold Prediction Regarding R-Truth's WWE Return
Booker T believes WWE could go all in with R-Truth (Ron Killings) in the coming months. On the latest episode of The Hall of Fame Podcast, NXT commentator Booker T spoke about WWE bringing back R-Truth, who is now going by the name Ron Killings. Booker predicts the company could make a big move by making him the World Heavyweight Champion. Advertisement 'You know what I see? I see Ron Killings winning the World Heavyweight Championship,' Booker T said. 'How crazy would that be? You know what? It would shake up the whole world. It'll be the biggest thing since, you know, perhaps putting the title on Mick Foley, WCW, that night, you know, when everybody changed the channels to watch Mick Foley win… It could be unbelievable.' [H/T: There is a mystery spot in next week's Men's King of the Ring match on RAW. While WWE could put Truth in that spot, it's probably not the most likely choice. READ MORE: Ron Killings Confirms Report That Nick Khan Brought Him Back To WWE What do you make of Booker T's comments? Do you think WWE should put the World Heavyweight Championship on Ron Killings? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post Booker T Makes Bold Prediction Regarding R-Truth's WWE Return appeared first on Wrestlezone.
National Post
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
WWE'S Nattie Neidhart talks Lou Thesz Award, Nikki Bella and R-Truth
Article content WATCH BELOW: On the latest episode of No Holds Barred, Postmedia wrestling writer Jan Murphy and Postmedia's Rob Wong are joined by WWE superstar and Toronto Sun guest columnist, Nattie Neidhart to talk about the announcement that she will be the 2025 recipient of the Lou Thesz Award as part of the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in August, Nikki Bella's WWE return and her thoughts on the wild week for fan favourite, Ron 'R-Truth' Killings.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shotzi Blackheart: WWE's Ron Killings controversy 'shows you how much power the fans do have'
Shotzi Blackheart is one of the many wrestlers happy to see Ron "R-Truth" Killings make his unexpected return to WWE this past Saturday. The past couple of months have been chaotic for WWE regarding talent releases and contract expirations. Blackheart received her walking papers in early May, making her the first of many eventual casualties from the WWE roster. However, no departure had as large of an impact as Killings' brief exile before fan outcry led to his surprise return at WWE's Money In the Bank main event. Advertisement Debate on the legitimacy of Killings' release has raged throughout the wrestling community since WWE CEO Paul "Triple H" Levesque claimed that it was "all part of the show." Appearing in-studio Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Blackheart, 33, expressed how much inspiration a situation like Killings' can give to a veteran wrestler like herself. "I do think that they actually let him go," Blackheart said. "I just feel like [that] because, also at the same time, Carlito and Sarah Logan, [WWE] told them that their contract wasn't getting renewed. So I think it would be really messed up of WWE to capitalize on that, too. 'I think the fans got him [to get re-signed] back, and that just shows you how much power the fans do have. I think that's really cool ... it's amazing. Yes, he's 53, [but] that just gives us hope that I could be 53 years old and be put in some crazy storyline, right?' Killings' unexpected saga has already bled into "WWE Raw." In a viral segment on Monday, he declared that he'll no longer be known as "R-Truth," the persona Killings wrestled under for the past 17 years. Advertisement Prior to her own release, Blackheart said she did her best to find her lane within the WWE universe. 'I was really hopeful that I was going to get something on 'SmackDown,'" Blackheart said. "They told me I would possibly be working with Chelsea [Green] in something. I was pitching some storylines with her. It was just week after week, they were like, 'Oh, we're going to move it back.' Then it wasn't until around [WrestleMania 41] where I was like, 'Maybe they're not going to renew my contract.' So it started to get real around then.' Blackheart remembered feeling a strong mix of emotions when she sat idle during that time. In an effort to remain positive, the former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion said she'd convince herself that WWE's creative team would eventually use her again, so she continued pitching ideas left and right. Blackheart returned to NXT this past December after an ACL tear took her off WWE television in early 2024. Upon her arrival, she was told it'd only be a two-month stint with NXT before her main roster return. But that return never came, and Blackheart instead was sitting around alone at home when the call came that she was no longer needed in WWE. Advertisement 'Part of me was like, 'OK, I need to get ready for this because my contract is going to be up and I don't get those 90 days to figure out my stuff and get bookings lined up, get merch lined up,'" Blackheart said. "So I also have to think, 'OK, what am I going to do if they don't re-sign me?' I was kind of just in the mode of, 'Get to work.' 'Unfortunately, that's just how it is. I probably will never know why they released me, but WWE doesn't owe me anything. That's showbiz, right? They just didn't think that I was money, and that's OK. I can take that." Shortly before her release, Blackheart cut an emotional self-produced promo, highlighting her lack of utilization in WWE. The shoot-style promo was good enough that people around her worried whether it was the reason she was released. Blackheart herself doesn't believe that was the case, though. Advertisement Although the wounds are still relatively fresh, Blackheart didn't want to waste time and put her career on hold following her WWE departure. She made her GCW debut this past Sunday, competing against Matt Tremont and Jimmy Lloyd in a three-way deathmatch. Blackheart claimed she made as much money in her two days back on the independent circuit as she'd make in a week with WWE. 'I was like, I need to work as soon as my contract is up. That's me hustling, though," Blackheart said. "That's me, including what I've sold online and meet-and-greets, [plus] payout for my matches, of course. I know that it's not going to be like that forever. 'When you first get back on the indies, everyone's so hyped, so everyone wants to buy your merch and [support] you. I know that won't be forever, but it felt good that I can make it on my own." Whether the next chapter of her career continues to come on the independent scene or elsewhere, Blackheart made it clear that no doors are being closed on her options moving forward. Advertisement "I would love to be back in WWE. I loved working there," Blackheart said. "I didn't love not working there. It was only when I wasn't being used that I was unhappy, but any time I was being used, [it was a] good time. [I] loved the locker room, loved everyone I was working for. That's just it. I just don't want to go back and not work. 'I love TNA, I love AEW. AEW [could be a next step] for so many reasons. I love their freedom. I have a lot of friends there who are doing really awesome things. I've heard many stories of how [AEW owner] Tony [Khan] treats talent. I do love that he really cares for his talent. That is super important to me."
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Ginny And Georgia' Dethroned By A New Show In Netflix's Top 10 List
Ginny and Georgia season 3 Netflix Ginny and Georgia season 3 has been planted at the #1 spot in Netflix's Top 10 list since its second day of release, and while it will likely continue that going forward, it has taken a temporary drop to #2. Once again, we have a returning champion, WWE Monday Night RAW, which has taken the #1 spot. This is not an uncommon development, but there are many instances that RAW only lands at #2 or #3, depending on what's happening on a given night. But recent storylines have been developed well, and last night's episode is receiving a lot of praise thanks to things like unpredictable title changes, a fairly rare occurrence these days: Also, the recently released R-Truth shaved his head which was something to behold, and he transformed into the not-released Ron Killings: Wild times over there, and not surprising that it managed to knock down Ginny and Georgia. Season 2 of the show was #1 on Netflix for about two weeks when it was released in January 2023. Season 3 was released on June 5, so we're not even at a full week yet. Performance does not matter here all that much, as season 4 of Ginny and Georgia was greenlit way back in 2024. The other entries on the list have just shifted down a bit. The Shane Gillis comedy Tires is at #3 now, back for season 3. The Survivors is Netflix's new 100% scored mystery series that may stay high for a bit if word of mouth spreads. One interesting addition here is Blindspot, a full 100 episodes of the show that ran for 5 seasons back when shows were actually 20 episodes on network TV. The series stars Jaimie Alexander and started in 2015 before it ended in 2020. Seriously, five seasons, five years, 100 episodes. Quite literally impossible in 2025 here. We have lost that magic for whatever reason. I'm curious if Blindspot will attract a larger-scale audience like we previously saw with Suits. Shows with a lot of back episodes like this tend to stick around on Netflix. I just checked how the show scored, but it doesn't even have ratings for its last three seasons and season 2 only had six reviews (albeit that was a 100%). Ginny and Georgia will be back on top as soon as tomorrow, I would guess, and we will see if it can match the two weeks on top it had before. I do expect this show to run as long as it wants, but we'll see how it retains viewers over time. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
