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R-Truth cannot be replaced by WWE, but they have decided to not renew his contract anyway. The news comes, drenching the world of wrestling in chaos, as stars and fans alike were left in disbelief that he had been let go. He was not the only one, as Carlito also let fans know that his contract will also be allowed to expire by WWE.
As fans bid farewell to two superstars that they have grown to love over the years and have a deep connection with, the backlash has been immediate and vocal among them. Triple H was also targeted for backlash when he posted about something else altogether, with the comments being hijacked by enraged fans who could not believe that Truth had been let go.
R-Truth's invaluable place in WWE
Why is R-Truth irreplaceable in WWE? That's the question some fans may ask if they are not familiar with his body of work. The answer is simple - in an age where wrestling is the focus in the company over actual engaging storylines, R-Truth brings humor, the art of which seems to be lost.
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While there are some, like Chelsea Green and Dominik Mysterio, who have stepped up and added a humorous element to their storylines, for the most part, that seems to be lost. Everyone is serious at all times. Now, fans may think that this was always the case, and main event feuds were not supposed to be funny. However, anyone who remembers the work of Stone Cold with Vince McMahon will know this is not true.
Whether it was Kurt Angle or The Rock, there was always humor that added life to storylines, making the serious moments stand out and lending a certain gravitas to it all, which is otherwise missing.
John Cena turning heel and deciding to ruin wrestling is certainly a storyline, but wrestling was truly ruined for numerous fans today with the release of R-Truth.
Whenever he was on screen, he was able to add a humorous element to any story, and his absence will be felt with a ferocity that WWE itself may not be ready for.
It's all business within WWE right now - but is it good for business?
Since WWE was taken over by TKO, and even some time before that, the corporatization of an already corporate structure has seen decisions being taken that might not have been previously. While the wrestling ring was once kept bare and free of ads, the ring mat now filled with ads has made it reminiscent of something fans may see in the UFC.
WWE's deal with Netflix has also seen an increase in celebrity involvement, even from those who may know little about the product.
On top of that, the regular releases around the time of quarterly results, no matter how beloved a star is by the fans, mean that there is even less reason for them to get invested. There's no telling whether a fan's favorite star will even be there for long.
Is this good for business in the long term? Record profits seem to suggest it is, but fan dissatisfaction may also be on the rise.
There is no one who can do what R-Truth does
Thanks to the way the current setup works in WWE, there are very few larger-than-life stars in the company who can be bigger than the company itself. Such stars were common before in the form of Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, and to a degree, Roman Reigns. Reigns' involvement now is at a lesser margin, as he does not appear frequently.
The other stars also suffer as a result of exchanges of wins and losses and don't really stand out as much as the stars of yesteryear. Cody Rhodes has the chance to break out and become that very star, but it has not happened yet.
In such a climate, what R-Truth did in bringing levity to any storyline, even the smallest, that would be interesting or funny to a casual fan, is something that not many stars can do. His comments and pretence of ignorance made for some of the most interesting and funny moments in the last decade of WWE.
Now that he's gone, there's no true replacement for him. While Chelsea Green and Dominik Mysterio are certainly flag bearers of that style, they have a long way to go.
The loss that WWE has suffered by releasing R-Truth, therefore, remains irreparable, and not one that any reason may end up justifying, even if one such reason has been reported.
The coming months of WWE programming should give fans a clear indication of whether WWE has decided to focus solely on matches and wrestling-oriented stories going forward.
