R-Truth
Ronnie Aaron Killings is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name R-Truth.
Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation as K-Kwik from 1998 to 2001, forming a team with "Road Dogg" Jesse James, and winning the WWF Hardcore Championship twice. After his release in 2002, he joined Jeff Jarrett's new promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. As Ron "The Truth" Killings, he headlined numerous pay-per-view events and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship twice, being the first African-American titleholder. He also formed 3 Live Kru with BG James and Konnan and the trio held the NWA World Tag Team Championship twice. Killings established Team Pacman with football player Adam Jones and won the TNA World Tag Team Championship before leaving TNA in late 2007.
Killings returned to WWE in 2008 and was renamed R-Truth, winning the WWE United States Championship, and the WWE Tag Team Championship over the next several years. He headlined multiple WWE pay-per-view events during the early 2010s, including matches for the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. He was thereafter used in comedic roles and primarily wrestled on the undercard until 2018, when he teamed with Carmella to win the second edition of Mixed Match Challenge. He then captured the United States Championship for a second time in 2019. Later that year, he won the newly instated WWE 24/7 Championship, and holds the record for the most reigns at 54. At WrestleMania XL, in the six-pack ladder match he ultimately won the Raw Tag Team Championship with The Miz. In 2025, he was briefly released by WWE but was quickly brought back and started going by his real name Ron Killings alongside his ring name.
Early life
Ronnie Aaron Killings was born on January 19, 1972, in Charlotte, North Carolina. To make extra money in his early 20s, Killings would sell cocaine on the streets for extra income. From a young age, Killings had developed a love for hip hop and breakdancing and attended Harry P. Harding High School where he competed in football alongside future MLB second baseman Ray Durham. Killings also competed in track and field, and was talented at both sports, receiving various college scholarships, but turned them down to further pursue a career in music. Killings graduated high school at 18, but he also continued dealing drugs in order to help his music career financially and was arrested four different times, spending small amounts of time in jail before eventually spending 13 months incarcerated. Killings spoke in an interview with Lilian Garcia that after this incident, he was finished with that lifestyle.Professional wrestling career
Early career (1997–2002)
Jackie Crockett of the National Wrestling Alliance met Killings at a halfway house after Killings' release from prison, and tried to convince Killings to become a professional wrestler, but he was determined to focus on his music career. Killings spent two years working on his music career and then contacted Crockett once more and expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler. Crockett, by now the senior cameraman for World Championship Wrestling, took Killings to several WCW and Pro Wrestling Federation events, introducing him to wrestling personalities.Killings debuted in the Pro Wrestling Federation in 1997 as a manager, then spent three years traveling and training with Manny Fernandez. In 1999, he debuted in NWA Wildside as K-Krush, where he was awarded the newly created NWA Wildside Television Championship on December 12. In 2002, he wrestled for Xtreme Pro Wrestling as K. Malik Shabaz.
World Wrestling Federation (1999–2001)
At the urging of Rick Michaels, Killings sent a promotional videotape to the World Wrestling Federation. He was signed to a two-year developmental contract in 1999 and under the ring name K-Kwik was assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory. On April 12 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, he won a battle royal to claim the vacant Southern Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to a masked Jerry Lawler on May 24 in Tunica, Mississippi, but reclaimed it from Joey Abs several months later in Memphis, Tennessee on August 19. His second reign ended on November 3, when he lost to Steve Bradley in Manila, Arkansas.K-Kwik was then promoted to the main roster and put in a tag team with Road Dogg. He debuted on the November 13, 2000 episode of Raw is War, attacking William Regal during a match against Road Dogg. K-Kwik and Road Dogg began rapping together, performing a song called "Gettin' Rowdy" as they approached the ring. Upon the return of Road Dogg's former partner Billy Gunn later that month, K-Kwik was involved in a D-Generation X quasi-reunion. At Survivor Series, K-Kwik teamed with former DX members Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Chyna to face The Radicalz in a Survivor Series match. K-Kwik was eliminated and the Radicalz went on to win the match. At Armageddon, K-Kwik and Road Dogg took part in a four-way tag team match for the Tag Team Championship, which was won by Edge and Christian.
After Road Dogg was suspended in December and eventually released on January 26, 2001, K-Kwik became a singles competitor and a successful mainstay on Jakked. He took part in the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Big Show. K-Kwik then began competing in the hardcore division. He defeated Raven for the Hardcore Championship on February 3, but lost the title to Crash Holly that same evening under the title's 24/7 rules. He defeated Raven for the title a second time on the following night, but once again he lost the title to Holly within the space of several hours. K-Kwik became somewhat of a background figure of "The Invasion" angle during the summer months, often seen in dressing rooms and watching television with other superstars during inter-promotional matches. He was released from the WWF in August 2001.
NWA: Total Nonstop Action / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
NWA World Heavyweight Champion (2002–2003)
Killings signed with the Nashville, Tennessee-based NWA: Total Nonstop Action promotion in June 2002, and appeared on the first weekly TNA pay-per-view on June 19 as K-Krush. Killings immediately established himself as a heel by harassing NASCAR drivers Sterling Marlin and Hermie Sadler until he was attacked by Brian Lawler. Later that same evening, he participated in the Gauntlet for the Gold match, but was eliminated by Malice. The following week, Killings lost to Christopher after Marlin and Sadler interfered in their match. On July 3, Killings and Jeff Jarrett defeated Christopher and Scott Hall after Christopher turned on Hall during the match, aligning himself with Killings and Jarrett. On July 10, Killings defeated Hermie Sadler in a squash match. The decision, however, was overturned after Killings continued to attack Sadler after he had been awarded the match.On the July 17 TNA pay-per-view, Killings delivered an angry promo in which he implied that he had been held back as a result of his race. He then stated that he was to be referred to as "The Truth". Killings eventually began using his own name, referring to himself as Ron "The Truth" Killings. Killings defeated Ken Shamrock for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at NWA-TNA 8 on August 7, thus becoming the first-ever, and to date only, recognized African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion in history, and the fourth African American in professional wrestling history to win a World Heavyweight title. He successfully defended the title in matches with Monty Brown, Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, Curt Hennig, and Scott Hall before losing on November 20 to Jeff Jarrett who had the help of Vince Russo. As a result of Russo's involvement, Killings turned into a face. In subsequent months, Killings feuded with Sports Entertainment Xtreme before turning into a heel once again by attacking Jarrett on March 19. He later introduced Nelson Knight as his bodyguard.
3 Live Kru (2003–2005)
Between May and June, Killings began teaming with Konnan and former WWE ally B.G. James. In July the trio formed a faction known as the 3 Live Kru. The Kru first wrestled as a unit on August 13, 2003, defeating The Disciples of the New Church. The Kru soon went after the NWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 26, the Kru defeated Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger, and Glenn Gilberti in a six-man tag team match with the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship on the line. The NWA World Tag Team Championship was held by all three members of the Kru as part of the Freebird Rule until January 28, 2004, when they were defeated by Redshirt Security.After several abortive attempts to regain the tag title, the Kru began supporting Killings' bid to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. On June 9, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett took part in a "3 Live Kru Challenge" which saw him face Konnan, James and Killings in three subsequent matches. Jarrett defeated Konnan in a strap match and James in a "trailer park trash match", but lost to Killings in a "Ghetto Justice match". On May 19, Killings faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris in a four-way title match. He won the bout, becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, after Jarrett hit Styles with a guitar. His reign lasted until June 2, when Jarrett defeated him in a King of the Mountain match which also included Harris, Styles, and Raven. The Kru went on to feud with Jarrett's mercenaries, the Elite Guard. On July 14, the 3 Live Kru, Dusty Rhodes, and Larry Zbyszko defeated Jarrett, Ken Shamrock, and the Elite Guard in a ten-man tag team match. The Kru began feuding with Team Canada in August. At Victory Road on November 7, Konnan and James defeated Team Canada members Bobby Roode and Eric Young for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After Konnan suffered an injury, Killings and James lost the title to Team Canada at Turning Point on December 5. Throughout early-2005, the Kru feuded with Michael Shane and Kazarian, Team Canada, and The Naturals.
Dissension arose after James' former tag team partner from the WWE, Billy Gunn, joined TNA as "The New Age Outlaw" and began trying to convince James to reform their former tag team, the New Age Outlaws. Killings and Konnan feuded with The Outlaw and Monty Brown, with James's loyalties divided. Brown and The Outlaw, who had by now renamed himself "Kip James" as a psychological ploy, defeated Killings and Konnan at No Surrender on July 17, with James declining to help either team. Killings and Konnan became increasingly frustrated, at one point referring to themselves as the "2Live Kru", although Killings repeatedly attempted to act as a mediator between James and Konnan. The two teams faced one another in a No Surrender rematch on August 14 at Sacrifice, with James appointed special guest referee by Director of Authority, Larry Zbyszko. James reaffirmed his loyalty to the Kru by attacking Kip, enabling Konnan to pin him and win the match. The 3 Live Kru won a six-man tag team match against The Diamonds in the Rough at Unbreakable on September 11. After Impact! premiered on Spike TV on October 1, Kip James entered the picture once more, but appeared to be helping 3LK this time. He refereed a Hockey Stick Fight at Genesis on November 13, which 3LK won. Kip James later joined the stable, which became known as the 4 Live Kru. On December 11 at Turning Point, the 4 Live Kru faced Team Canada in an eight-man tag match. In the course of the match, Konnan hit Kip and B.G. James with chair shots, enabling Bobby Roode to pin Kip. He then attempted to celebrate with Killings, who appeared shocked by Konnan's actions. Killings later told Konnan he was done with the Kru.