R-Truth was a guest on the latest episode of Edge and Christian’s Pod Of Awesomeness. During the show, Truth talked about how he didn’t initially set out to be a pro wrestler, and wanted to be an entertainer or rapper. Truth explained how he got a pretty big following as a ‘local star’ opening for rap’s top acts in Charlotte, but repeated trips to jail and his mother’s influence finally led him to straightening out and embracing wrestling as a future:
“I grew up loving to watch wrestling. As far as it being one of my—wanting to be a wrestler like a lot of the guys, no man. I was wanting to be this famous dancer and rapper entertainer, that’s what I want to be. By circumstances, with the way I was living my life in my younger years, hanging in the streets and going back and forth to jail. Every time something bad happens, something good happens. In my longest time when I was locked up, I met Jack Crockett in there. We all know that he and his brothers brought wrestling in the South. I met Jack Crockett and didn’t know that he was already observing me. I was pretty much the entertainment for all the guys in there.
My sister had brought in pictures of me with Tupac Shakur and Eazy-E and Kid and Play and all these celebrities that I would be the opening act for when they came to Charlotte. So everybody thought that I was a local superstar. CEOs and deputies would let me work out after everyone went to sleep and we all had this plan. We would find someone who had a lot of money that was going to invest in me. I was going to be a big rap star and the deputies and CEOs could leave the prison and be my personal security. Believe it or not, they ran into Jack Crockett. They introduced me to Crockett and Crockett didn’t offer to give me a damn dime, which disappointed me. He told me specifically “God told me to give back to you, but it’s not money. When you’re ready, I’m here.”
I turned him down for two years. I wasn’t done messing up, back to jail, back to jail. It was bothering my Mom, it wasn’t the way I was brought up. This was the point of my life when I was a willing vessel. I called Crockett up and said that whatever he needed me to do, I’m willing to do it. That’s when he took me to a WCW show. The first person that came out was Ric Flair. Man, when Ric Flair came out, and the people started cheering for him, Jack Crockett was like “That could be you. You’re coming down the ramp and you’re rapping and dancing and the people would love it.” He pretty much gave me my whole character there and by the time that match was over, I knew I wanted to be a wrestler.”
Related: R-Truth Reveals His Initial Thoughts About The WWE 24/7 Title
