Welcome back to Falls Count Anywhere! After a week-long hiatus, we’re back to talk about WWE as the road to the Royal Rumble heats up.
But before we delve into the usual formula, we’re breaking new ground today. Today’s column (and potentially more in the future) will feature a special guest interview section! And the first WWE wrestler to join Falls Count Anywhere is a big one.
He’s among the most beloved WWE superstars of this generation. His comedic stylings and wit have made him a fan favorite for life for many, all while being his own man throughout.
Welcome to Falls Count Anywhere… R-Truth!
R-Truth on Judgement Day, humor, and making people laugh
WWE superstar R-Truth is one of the most beloved wrestlers of this era. Truth has been able to entertain and bring joy to fans of all ages for over 20 years in the industry. After a long absence, Truth made his return to WWE television at the Survivor Series premium live event in November. Since then, he’s been entangled with The Judgement Day, the powerful faction leading the Raw brand.
Through it all, Truth is enjoying the moment right now.
“I’m on a high man. I’m absorbing. I’m taking it all in,” Truth told The Comeback. “I’m very appreciative, man. Wrestling fans, we have our own world man. And they show me so much appreciation. It makes every bit of sweat, blood, and tears that I’ve went through in this business, man. My career. It makes every bit of it work.”
The Judgement Day was among the hottest acts in WWE throughout all of 2023. Every member had something going on. Finn Balor feuded with WWE Hall of Famer Edge, which concluded in a Hell in a Cell Match at WrestleMania. Damian Priest won Money in the Bank and had one of the matches of the year against recording artist Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico. Dominik Mysterio helped steal the show at WrestleMania against his father Dominik. Then, of course, there’s Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, who is among the hottest stars in the entire business.
It’s an intriguing time for them. Truth says that everything is all good with working with them, and everyone gets involved.
“It’s great, man,” Truth said of working with them. “I love working with each and everyone of them. They all bring their own unique gift and talent to the business, man. We feed off each other. We feed and bounce off each other. It makes everything not just work, but make it fun.”
R-Truth has always brought the element of laughter and levity with him on TV. His comedic stylings have made him one of the most enduring characters of this generation. But make no mistake: All that wit is coming from one place.
“It just comes. I’m very quick-witted,” Truth said of his style of humor. “It just comes with part of living. There’s so many things in life that you don’t take time to look at, to absorb. We can find humor in a lot of stuff. We can find enjoyment in a lot, find fun in a lot of stuff. It’s just picking those moments out, man. Inspirational moments come organically. When you see them or when you feel them, you just let it out. You grab it and hold it.”
Truth has made several WWE superstars laugh over the years. Is there anyone who he wants to break?
Trick question, as we found out. “I can get anybody to break,” Truth said. “Everybody has that funny bone. You know what I’m saying? Regardless of all that, we all have that one button that can be pushed that we will laugh. And as long as I know you will laugh, can laugh, I can make you laugh.”
A special thank you to R-Truth for helping make this possible!
It’s getting really awkward for The Ultra Star
Boy, that was something on Friday, huh? Bayley once again faced longtime rival Bianca Belair. Her Damage CTRL bandmates came down to the ring to create what appeared to be a 5-on-1 situation.
Unfortunately for The Role Model, it turned out to just be 1-on-1. Despite numerous attempts to try and distract the referee to allow them to intervene, Damage CTRL sat back and… just watched. They didn’t get involved at all and didn’t help bail Bayley out of trouble. As a result, two weeks out before the Rumble, she took a loss that even surprised Bianca as she left the ring without any activity.
It appears we’re approaching a line of demarcation. Damage CTRL’s leader has a fascinating situation on her hands. The only questions revolve around what comes next and how we get there. It seems like they’re spinning a serious tale between Bayley and Damage CTRL… and usually, when they do this, it signals something big around this time.
If that’s the case, we’re in for quite a month.
We didn’t need to do all that for that
Did we really need to have all of that discourse about Seth Rollins versus Jinder Mahal? The World Heavyweight Championship didn’t change hands (no kidding) on Monday night, as Rollins beat Mahal (duh) in the Raw main event.
99 percent of the discourse about this was ridiculous. Pro wrestling has never been about win-loss records. The best and most profiled will always win more matches than the people who are lower on the card. You don’t need a chart or a graph to tell you that.
People who desire these sorts of things watch professional sports or MMA or anything of that ilk. Wrestling is storyline- and connection-driven with physicality involved. It’s not something to keep a record of. The quicker we move from that, the better off.
All in on Becky vs. Rhea
A-list matches are hard to come by. They don’t just grow on trees. It takes work to get there and it’s not for everyone. Or circumstances make it impossible for the stars to align. However, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case right now for Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley.
The two finally faced off in a promo battle on Raw Monday night. The segment, which gained an audience, delivered on showing off two big stars in the industry right now. Lynch and Ripley both have passionate fanbases who have been anxiously awaiting this matchup. Outside the deep levels of those fandoms, there’s a litany of people who want to see this match happen.
It sure seems like it’s going to soon. When it does? Whew, are we going to have fun or what?
Gunther Facts…
The big man is back and is in the Royal Rumble! Last year he had an epic run at No. 1. How will he fare this time?
Let’s put the NXT spotlight on…
Lyra Valkyria‘s been killing it as NXT Women’s Champion. Tatum Paxley got the nod a few weeks ago, and her work has only improved since. Lyra has been in standalone segments and has appeared composed and poised. She’s developing very well after winning the NXT Women’s Championship off of Becky Lynch in the fall. It’s fair to say that she’s one of WWE’s best prospects right now and is worth a keen eye.
Mailbag!
Let’s get to work.
Pick 3 NXT women who will most likely headline a main roster PLE one day. Who of the three gets there first?
— Push Wrath (@MCUDootDootDoot) January 16, 2024
Lyra Valkyria, Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton
Where should WWE go for SummerSlam this year?
— Braven | ROXY 2X (@Braven_Kerbs) January 16, 2024
Should? Preferably somewhere they haven’t been that also would be unique. Before MITB was announced there, I’d go to Toronto. Miami is somewhere in a perfect world that would make sense, but there are too many variables there. Honestly? Atlanta would be great.
In a perfect world, you have the chance to crown the first ever women's Intercontinental and US champs, who are they and why?
— Novel (@time_novelist) January 16, 2024
I’d give them to two established stars. I’d probably roll with Asuka and Bayley, both safe choices for the job.
The temporary set that WWE used for Raw last night. Should they reconsider the idea to make it long term? The singular LED board was an eyesore and the three split boards make it feel refreshing
— Kalind (also on Spoutible 🐳) (@NYCKNP) January 16, 2024
It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be anything but temporary due to the weather concerns. So, I wouldn’t be worried about this being a consistent thing at all.
What do you think the rest of GUNTHER’s 2024 will look like?
— Dave: a verbose charlatan (@daveusesthis) January 16, 2024
If he doesn’t win the World Title on Raw, I’ll be floored. There’s no way he enters 2025 without having a championship.
What are the top 3 matches you'd like to see at Mania 40 this year?
— DMV (@DMVfan123V2) January 16, 2024
Easy.
Roman-Cody II
Becky-Rhea
Bayley-IYO
Do you see WWE pulling off the one-off special a la Beast in the East someday?
— Magan Yusuf #BLM (@mcrookedlettery) January 16, 2024
Perhaps. Stranger things have happened, and they’ve done shows in Japan before.
For someone who hasn't been watching week to week but will be tuning in for the Rumble, what's something or someone that I need to keep a lookout for during the show?
Who am I going to be surprised to see in a big role? Etc.
— Ev (@TheEvstrodome) January 16, 2024
I would look for guys like Alpha Academy and Ivar as people who have erupted lately. On Smackdown, I think you’ll likely see a guy like Pete Dunne get some run now that he’s probably going to get his name back. It’s a tough question, I think, because the stars have largely remained the same. Raw has seen an increase in midcard talent, so anyone who may surprise you is probably on the red brand.
