O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson, hosts of the “No Contest Wrestling Podcast,” expressed significant shock, disappointment, and confusion regarding the recent WWE releases of veteran stars R-Truth and Carlito. Both hosts speculated that the decisions likely came from “upstairs” (implying TKO management) rather than WWE creative led by Triple H, and lamented the timing and perceived lack of storyline consideration.
The news of R-Truth’s release after wrestling John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event, particularly stunned the hosts. “It was shocking to say the least,” O’Shea Jackson Jr. stated, noting the unusual Sunday timing. He confirmed via text with R-Truth that the release was legitimate, despite initial fan and internal speculation that it might be a joke. Jackson felt R-Truth, with his top-selling merchandise and immense popularity, was being set up for comedic segments during John Cena’s “final run,” which many fans find “very dry.” “It makes me feel like it’s a call from upstairs, and not necessarily the creative side of the WWE,” Jackson Jr. theorized. “Triple H would be smart enough to do something like that [a storyline exit for Truth with Cena]… I know if us some guys at home see, I know he see it.”
TJ Jefferson echoed the sentiment, emphasizing R-Truth’s universal appeal: “You have a character that’s so universally beloved… R-Truth, in my opinion, is without a doubt, one of the absolute greatest sports entertainers of all time.” He questioned the logic, “My man just had one of the top selling shirts in the company… What more I gotta do?” Jefferson suggested AEW’s Tony Khan should sign R-Truth, envisioning comedic pairings with talents like Mark Briscoe. Both hosts criticized the lack of a proper on-screen send-off for Truth, especially after a recent appearance on Raw in a segment with the new Bloodline.
The confusion extended to Carlito’s release, whose contract was reportedly not renewed despite being featured weekly with The Judgment Day. O’Shea Jackson Jr. referenced Carlito’s tweet about his contract and an alleged demand from WWE to pay back money, which Carlito framed humorously but the hosts initially took more seriously before clarifying the joking nature. “It just feels like it’s from upstairs… do you watch the show, bro?” Jackson Jr. questioned the decision-makers. “It just doesn’t feel good. It’s weird. It just feels weird. It feels directionless and pointless, because now, what do you do as the Judgment Day when Carlito’s out there… he’s just gone.”
TJ Jefferson added, “You’re featured every Monday. You’re featured every week, and a very successful crew… one of the three most over… performers in wrestling in Dom [Dominik Mysterio].” Both hosts felt these releases, especially so soon after a previous round of cuts, have created “nervousness” about the job security of veteran talent.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit No Contest Wrestling Podcast with O’Shea Jackson with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
