R-Truth has revealed the full story behind his decision to cut his dreads on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, saying two fan DMs, a camera appearance that showed his scalp, and a conversation with Triple H all came together to push him to make the change.
R-Truth described how the dreads had deteriorated over years of coloring and chemical treatments.
“You go back and look at pictures of me with blonde hair, like you don’t see too many dark skin people with blonde hair. I had blonde hair, I had straightened hair, I had permed hair, relaxed hair, all of them takes a toll. The hair took a hell of a toll.”
The moment of realization came while reviewing footage of an interview with podcaster Chris Van Vliet.
“They had the camera shined down on me, and I’m not talking, and I went back and watched it. I’m like, I could see my scalp, I could see my, my brain, I could see what I was thinking. I’m saying, so it was like, ‘Nah, dawg, I can’t be going out like that.'”
The Fan DMs
Two messages from fans sealed the decision. The first came from a woman: “Hey, Boo Boo, you got three, maybe four dreads joined together and they’re holding strong. We gonna love you, we love you, but it’s time to let it go.”
The second came with a nickname that resonated more: “Hey unc. Dawg, we’re gonna always root for you, but it’s time to let him go.”
With everything that had happened around his WWE release and return, the timing felt right.
Triple H’s Support
R-Truth brought the idea to Triple H. “I asked Hunter, I think I’ll cut my hair. He’s like, why? I said, man…I said it’s thinning out. Hunter, I need… I want a new look. He said, ‘This is all right. Let’s figure out when.’ I said, ‘Now, it’s a good time. Perfect time.’ He said, ‘Do it tonight. Do tonight.'”
R-Truth has described the change as giving him new mileage and reinventing himself. “I’ve always been that one that we live, we create, we adapt, we evolve. We have to like go on with the time.”
On the reaction from some fans who interpreted the haircut as symbolic: “People was like, ‘Oh man, you cut your hair, that’s your essence,’ or ‘You cut your hair, you lost your power.’ Or ‘What statement are you making?’ It was time.”
If you use quotes from this article, please credit Six Feet Under with The Undertaker with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
