Editing R-Truth (section)

=== Early career (1997–2002) ===
Jackie Crockett of the [[National Wrestling Alliance]] met Killings at a halfway house after Killings' release from prison, and tried to convince Killings to become a professional wrestler, but he was determined to focus on his music career.<ref name="wwewrestlerinfo.blogspot.com"/> Killings spent two years working on his music career and then contacted Crockett once more and expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler.<ref name="WO1">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo//headlines/default.asp?aID=11899|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102103343/http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=11899|archive-date=January 2, 2008|title=Ron Killings interview|date=November 30, 2004|access-date=September 10, 2008| publisher=[[Dave Meltzer|Wrestling Observer]]}}</ref> Crockett, by now the senior [[Camera operator|cameraman]] for [[World Championship Wrestling]], took Killings to several WCW and Pro Wrestling Federation events, introducing him to wrestling personalities.<ref name=SLAM>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/killings.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429201939/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/killings.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2015|access-date=July 2, 2008|title=Ron Killings Bio|work= Slam! Sports|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

Killings debuted in the [[Pro Wrestling Federation]] (PWF) in 1997 as a [[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]], then spent three years traveling and training with [[Manny Fernandez (wrestler)|Manny Fernandez]].<ref name=SLAM/> In 1999, he debuted in [[NWA Wildside]] as K-Krush, where he was awarded the newly created NWA Wildside Television Championship on December 12. In 2002, he wrestled for [[Xtreme Pro Wrestling]] (XPW) as K. Malik Shabaz.<ref name=KMS>{{cite web |title=Liberty or Death |url=http://www.xpwonline.com/liberty-or-death/ |website=[[XPW]] |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-date=November 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118180918/http://www.xpwonline.com/liberty-or-death/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Baptized in Blood III |url=http://www.xpwonline.com/baptized-in-blood-iii/ |website=[[XPW]] |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609072804/http://www.xpwonline.com/baptized-in-blood-iii/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Night of Champions |url=http://www.xpwonline.com/night-of-champions/ |website=[[XPW]] |access-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528070820/http://www.xpwonline.com/night-of-champions/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>