Who Is R-Truth's Friend, Little Jimmy?
R-Truth has shed his comedic persona in favor of being Ron Killings, but during his time as WWE's court jester, he was often speaking to, or being spoken to by an invisible sidekick and diminutive pal named "Little Jimmy." For those who might be new or unfamiliar, Little Jimmy has been a trusty companion to R-Truth since 2011.
Truth's character in WWE has always had a somewhat flexible idea of reality, often misremembering what event he's competing in, mixing up DIY with D-Generation X, and other flights of fancy, but Little Jimmy takes the cake as Truth's most out-there ideas. Little Jimmy was Truth's imaginary friend, meaning only Truth could see him and only Truth could hear him. Nonetheless, Truth persisted with the fantasy.
According to Killings, Jimmy started, as many things in wrestling do, as a rib against Truth. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had been furious that Truth was smoking a cigarette backstage, leading to Truth smoking on TV, which only made him even more popular, much to McMahon's chagrin. McMahon then gave R-Truth the imaginary friend as a way to embarrass the former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. The rib proved fruitless, as R-Truth was able to make the one-man act a fan favorite, becoming a popular part of Truth's run for nearly 15 years.
Wrestling in the 21st century is rife with characters like Little Jimmy, from the wrestling dummy Yoshihiko to GCW's Invisible Man. The Invisible Man, especially, has been something of an avant-garde hit in wrestling, often letting wrestlers like Joey Janela showcase their abilities by giving and receiving offense in the wrestling equivalent of a one-man show. In one instance, The Invisible Man was used to showcase the ability of AEW Senior Referee Bryce Remsburg.
At the 3 annual Joey Janela's Spring Break, Remsburg referee'd a match between The Invisibile Man and Invisbile Stan, meaning it was up to Remsburg and Remsburg alone to convey the story of the match by his reactions and counts alone. The match stands as an example of the galaxy-brained shenanigans that happen around WrestleMania, and also the kind of ridiculousness that wouldn't have been possible without the precedent set by characters like Little Jimmy.