R-Truth, and his feud with Drake Maverick, has helped to generate interest in the 24/7 Championship that most wouldn’t have seen coming when the belt was first unveiled by hardcore legend, Mick Foley.
But prior to his time in WWE, R-Truth used to call Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling) home.
Truth was a recent guest on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. Together they talked about his initial run in WWE (when he was named K-Kwik), and how his time spent in TNA helped to prepare him for an eventual return to WWE.
“[TNA] pretty much groomed me for what I had to face coming up. I needed that. My second run back [in WWE], I was more than happy that I had that time away. I felt like a grown man when I came back, and I actually told Vince that. He looked at me like I had two heads. ‘I had time to grow up Vince, I had time to prepare for this.'”
He reflected on his time in TNA, saying that it gave him time to evolve as a performer. This extended to the creation of his ‘What’s Up’ theme.
“That’s where ‘What’s Up’ originated from,” he recalled. “I remember when I played it for Jeff [Jarrett], and I said that I produced the song in my trailer. I think the people will like it. Jeff was so open to “Hey, if you think it will work, let’s do it.” He was taking a lot of my ideas and putting them forward. Being in a smaller pond, I was able to pitch my own stuff, and they gave you the chance.”
R-Truth would eventually return to WWE in 2008. He would hit a career-high feuding with John Cena, and has become known for being a good worker willing to do anything to entertain the fans.
H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.
