In January 2024, WWE fans witnessed one of the most devastating, newsworthy, and attention-grabbing stories in professional wrestling when R-Truth was kicked out of The Judgment Day and beat down by his so-called family. But instead of top babyfaces like Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, or Sami Zayn running in to save the fan-favorite, The Miz tried and failed to stop the attack. Some may wonder why the former two-time WWE Champion ran into a beatdown to protect the record-setting WWE 24/7 Champion. About that…
Back in 2011, when another news-making and heat-generating former champion returned to WWE, The Miz and R-Truth, known as Awesome Truth, were one of the hottest things in pro wrestling, and I meant the HOTTEST. With recent events seemingly leading to a WrestleMania match between them and The Judgment Day, now seems like a good time to go back and look at the team’s admittedly brief history.
The Miz And R-Truth United Against A ‘Conspiracy’ In August 2011
In August 2011, just as the Summer of Punk was turning into one of the most head-scratching fall storylines that saw the return of Kevin Nash (of all people), The Miz and R-Truth kicked off a remarkable run that further blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe.
The two heels, who had been on the same losing team in a SummerSlam six-man tag match a week earlier, made their presence known on an episode of Monday Night Raw when they attacked Santino Marella and cut an intense promo about a “conspiracy” to keep them out of the main event picture. “Sick of being underutilized,” The Miz said they were tired of waiting for an opportunity and were just going to take it.
Awesome Truth Feuded With Both CM Punk And Triple H Throughout The Fall Of 2011
Throughout the fall of 2011, Awesome Truth, as they would later call themselves, inserted themselves into one of the bigger stories of the year: CM Punk and Triple H’s months-long feud. At the Night of Champions pay-per-view that September, The Miz and R-Truth interfered in the no-disqualification match between the two bitter rivals that headlined the event, and proceeded to beat both men down.
Over the next two months, Awesome Truth would get involved with CM Punk and Triple H on multiple occasions, which eventually led to the pair being “fired” from WWE. But this wasn’t over just yet…
The Miz And R-Truth Invaded The Hell In A Cell Main Event In October 2011
In October 2011, Awesome Truth established itself as one of the most unhinged and unpredictable teams in the business when they invaded the Hell in a Cell main event match between WWE Champion John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, and CM Punk. After the conclusion of the match, which saw Del Rio dethrone Cena, The Miz and R-Truth came out from under the ring and viciously attacked all three competitors, the referee, and even the cameramen with baseball bats.
WWE officials were eventually able to get the door open and Awesome Truth was put in handcuffs before being mercilessly beaten down by an angered Triple H.
Awesome Truth Took On The Rock And John Cena At Survivor Series 2011
In the lead-up to the “Once in a Lifetime” WrestleMania 28 showdown between The Rock and John Cena, the two future WWE Hall of Famers were forced to work together as a team and take on Awesome Truth at Survivor Series 2011. Going in, it was all but determined that Cena/Rock would win the match and that the whole bout was put in place to further continue their year-long feud, but The Miz and R-Truth were great in the roles and gave the pair one hell of a fight.
The match is mostly remembered for being the first and last time the two wrestlers-turned-actors were on the same side in a match, and rightfully so. However, the way Awesome Truth played into the contentious relationship between the two added so much to the fight.
After Losing To The Rock And John Cena, The Miz Attacked R-Truth
All good things have to come to an end, and that’s exactly what happened to Awesome Truth one night after being defeated by The Rock and John Cena at Survivor Series. On Monday Night Raw, The Miz gave R-Truth a Skull Crushing Finale (his finishing movie) on the stage, breaking up the team in the process.
In reality, WWE had given R-Truth a 30-day suspension after he violated the company’s Talent Wellness Program. Having Miz brutally attack him was an easy way to get Truth off of TV for a month. However, Truth would return at the end of December 2011 and the former partners would feud up through WrestleMania 28, where they were on opposite sides of a 12-man tag match.
Awesome Truth Briefly Reunited June 2019
In June 2019, nearly a decade after they last worked together, The Miz and R-Truth briefly reunited to take on Drew McIntyre and Elias on an episode of SmackDown. This one-night-only reunion wasn’t all that successful, as they failed to defeat their opponents, who were working on the behest of Shane McMahon, who was in the middle of a feud with The Miz at the time.
Throughout January 2024, The Miz Tried To Warn R-Truth About His Judgment Day Family
On the Day 1 special episode of Monday Night Raw in January 2024, Awesome Truth would team up for only the second time in more than a dozen years and the first time since the 2019 match when they took on The Judgment Day, which R-Truth thought he was a member of after hanging with the group for a couple of months.
Between the match, the Miz TV segment that preceded it, and the actions of the faction leading up to the episode, it was clear what was going on to everyone besides R-Truth, who made a video talking about his love for The Judgment Day that became an instant classic.
After R-Truth Was Kicked Out Of The Judgment Day, The Miz Tried To Save Him
Two nights after the 2024 Royal Rumble, which featured a stellar women’s battle royal and an unfortunate CM Punk injury in the men’s match, The Judgment Day finally turned on R-Truth, seemingly bringing his time with the stable to an end. As Damien Priest, Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio (boo this man), and JD McDonagh laid the smackdown on Truth, The Miz ran out to save his former tag partner and longtime friend. The numbers, however, were not in his favor, and Miz was laid to waste as soon as he entered the ring.
What this sets up is a potential match between Awesome Truth and The Judgment Day at WrestleMania 40, which could help breathe new life into a tag team division that has been on the downturn the past few months. If anything, it’ll make for one hell of a WrestleMania moment.
We’re all caught up with Awesome Truth and the path that brought The Miz and R-Truth to this point. But with the Road to WrestleMania picking up steam as we get closer to the upcoming WWE major event, this story is just getting started.
