There is nobody pulling their weight quite like R-Truth.

Regardless of one’s opinion on comedic wrestling segments, R-Truth’s work ethic is undeniable. After making a surprise return to endorse Ruffles at last year’s Survivor Series event, R-Truth has been making his presence known by offering entertaining segments week in and week out. Tonight was no exception, as R-Truth pulled double duty with his appearance in both the women and men’s Royal Rumble matches.

When Truth appeared in the women’s Royal Rumble and ran right past Valhalla, I lost my mind. The thing about R-Truth that puts him a cut above other comedic wrestlers, is that he wholeheartedly believes in what he is doing, despite his antics being so mind-bogglingly irrational. There was genuine confusion on his face when he asked where the men were, as if he didn’t just run past a woman to enter the Royal Rumble.

Some may say that WWE is oversaturated with Truth, and there are some that will claim that his brief inclusion in the women’s match was thoughtless. I think that his women’s Rumble appearance, while not serious nor substantial, was done considerately. Nia Jax was the perfect person to stand up against and eliminate Truth, considering that in 2019, she entered the men’s Royal Rumble match and was famously RKO’d by Randy Orton before being eliminated by Rey Mysterio. Jax and Truth are two people who were in the similar situation of entering in an opposite sex’s Royal Rumble match, so it was a bit of a full circle moment that displayed a level of thought behind Truth’s inclusion. Plus, he didn’t overshadow any of the women by scoring an elimination, so it was a harmless segment that got a great laugh out of me.

Truth’s participation in the men’s Rumble was great. His hot-tag spot with Dominik Mysterio was absolutely hilarious, and Mysterio deserves his flowers as well for going along with it. While Mysterio is not necessarily as serious of a character as others in The Judgment Day, he is still considerably more earnest in his villainy than Truth, so to see him do something so goofy was a nice treat. Truth was unfortunately eliminated only a few minutes later by Damian Priest, but considering the current bad blood and high tensions between the two, it was better Priest than anyone else.

In such a fast-paced industry, it can be hard to keep a character fresh and relevant. For Truth to be just as beloved now as he was ten years ago is great, and it is even more impressive that Truth is able to supplement his comedic skill with in-ring participation, especially considering his age. While he may have missed the chance to headline WrestleMania, he can rest easy tonight knowing that he is a national treasure.

Written by Angeline Phu