WWE has found R-Truth’s replacement on SmackDown (Exclusive)

WWE delivered a massive shock throughout the wrestling world this past weekend after it was announced on social media that R-Truth had been released. A modern-day legend, R-Truth was an absolute fan favorite during his time with the company and had spent 17 years in WWE after rejoining them in 2008.

Truth's release came as a massive shock, considering his popularity among fans. In the last year, he had become a central part of WWE's programming and only recently had a high-profile programme with his childhood hero, the Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena.

Speaking about his release during the WrestleVotes Q&A on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Bill Apter spoke about WWE finding their R-Truth replacement. The Hall of Fame journalist talked about a 'conspiracy theory' which claimed that NXT superstar Je'Von Evans could be the next R-Truth.

"I've got a conspiracy theory that somebody said which is totally ridiculous but I've got to get it out there. Totally ridiculous. R-truth is gone as we know so somebody said to me you know what, this is like a casting situation in let's say, a Broadway show. He goes out just a little bit after Je'Von Evans makes his SmackDown debut. Same look, same entrance, younger guy, is this the replacement for R-Truth?"

Dominik Mysterio made an outrageous comment recently. More details HERE

He continued:

"This guy that told me this, he's got like the same shtick in a lot of ways that R-Truth's entrance is similar, the hair is similar so maybe they're just trying to go with a younger guy, and I was like nahh, you know casting director and it's just a younger version of R-Truth but you can't replace R-Truth," Apter said. [1:43 onwards]

Je'Von Evans has experienced rapid growth during his NXT career and has quickly risen up the card. He has been involved in multiple title matches on the brand and made his SmackDown debut last Friday, teaming with Rey Fenix. He's set to face Fenix, Laredo Kid, and Ethan Page for the NXT North American Championship at the Worlds Collide event this Saturday.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the YouTube video if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

Know More

Edited by Rahul Madurawe