Give Rusev the World

I’ll just come out and say it – I think Rusev is the best part of the WWE Roster. I’ll even walk it back a bit for those who want to scream AJ STYLES in my face until they’re blue, and say that he’s definitely the best part of Raw by a long shot. For my money, he’s proven to be able to handle every role he’s been assigned, and has managed to stay at some minimum level of “over” the entire time. Whatever “over” means, of course.

As someone who has admittedly been in a WWE funk since a little after the 2014 Survivor Series, I usually take whatever I can get from the product, and tolerate the rest. Rusev has, through his WWE tenure, been placed in positions that I enjoyed, and others that I considered to be the worst part of the show for the summer of 2015.

When he first appeared in the 2014 Royal Rumble, I admittedly knew very little about that man, having only heard a bit from friends who followed NXT more closely than I did at the time, which is to say, they actually followed NXT. Though the Rumble would only be a sneak preview, Rusev would return for good in April of 2014, where he smashed Zack Ryder.

Quickly, Rusev would prove to be more than a generic musclehead as I saw him to be, scarred by the Mason Ryans and Jon Heidenreichs of the world. He had a movement to him that was unique, and his combination of striking and throws made him someone to watch almost immediately. As is usually the case, WWE, in building a monster, would be faced with the Shit or Get Off the Pot moment with Rusev, as he was scheduled to face off with Big E at Payback in June.

Big E had just lost the Intercontinental Championship the prior month to Bad News Barrett, and so this figured to be a tough test for the newcomer.

Only it wasn’t. I single this match out because, for me, this was my Okay moment with Rusev, where I realized WWE may actually believe in the guy, and that he wasn’t going to get some half-hearted push that saw it end with no real reason or payoff! I know, I was so innocent way back when. Still, this match let me know that Rusev wasn’t someone to be messed with, and I kept my attention on him.

Rusev beat Big E in nearly five minutes. Sure, it wasn’t an overt squash, but it was, as far as I can recall, the quickest anyone had defeated Big E, and doing so in such decisive fashion made it even better.

From there, Rusev would win the United States title, crushing and vudra-ing and machka-ing his way across the land. It was in November of 2014, and it would be future-League of Nations member Sheamus who fell to the man. As the US Champion, Rusev actually managed to begin something of a restoration for the prestige of the belt. Beating him was going to mean something, and since beating him meant winning the United States Championship, then the US Championship meant something, too.

After finishing as the runner up in the 2015 Rumble, Rusev would beat John Cena at Fastlane in a match I remember enjoying, only to lose the rematch at WrestleMania. This was what I had hoped the Big E win meant wouldn’t happen, but there I was, live at WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara, watching friggin John Cena win the US Title for a simple feel good moment that didn’t help anyone. I guess it was good to get that Cena kid the win over Rusev, though.

The worst, however, was yet to come. Losing to Cena created tension between Lana and Rusev, as no one likes to lose. And when Rusev lost an ‘I Quit’ match to Cena at Payback because Lana quit on his behalf, he had enough. And so Lana and Rusev were split up, because, if I’m remembering the Scuttlebutt That’s Always Wrong correctly, Vince didn’t think a guy like Rusev could ever land a girl like Lana in real life, even though they were, you know, a real life couple. There was also something about WWE wanting to position Lana as their new top Diva Woman Star, and needing her to be a face to accomplish that.

To that end, Rusev became a semi-abusive jerk of an ex-boyfriend, who only became more incensed when Lana began to hook up with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler, it should be mentioned, became the most unbearable 80s jock boyfriend type I’ve seen since my actual childhood in the 80s, after starting the year off trying to prove himself as the best wrestler in the company, and engaging in matches with Daniel Bryan to prove it. But, you know… chicks, man.

So, we got this, for the majority of the summer:

This also coincided with Rusev suffering a foot injury, leaving him unable to really do anything until the end of June. The two would eventually face off at the 2015 SummerSlam, where the angry ex and the cocky current Lana guys would make the fans happy with a double countout! Sick!

Luckily, real life would intervene, apparently as tired of the months of horrible mistreatment Rusev was forced to endure. Knowing that he was far, far better than this, real life would arrange for Rusev and Lana to get engaged. And for media to cover it. Because, you know, How can they be engaged if she’s making out with that Dolph guy on the TV?! I love how wrestling’s always fake to people that don’t watch… until they’re confused by what they see on the show.

Anyways, WWE would give in to the factual information, and basically hit the reset button, with Rusev breaking up with his Lana replacement Summer Rae, and eventually reuniting with Lana and joining the aforementioned League of Nations with Sheamus, Bad News Barrett and Alberto Del Rio. The group could have been fun, but it basically became Sheamus, Rusev, and 2 Bumbling Idiots Take on Roman Reigns.

Still, somehow, Rusev managed to maintain a connection with the fans. Once the League of Nations was disbanded, he was again given the US Title, and though he lost it to Roman Reigns, has stayed near the top of the card.

I can’t really adequately explain how impressed I was at Rusev’s ability to not be “under” (if you will) following his disastrous 2015. I honestly don’t know what possessed WWE to try and derail one of their hottest heel acts in years, but I’ve never run a multi-million dollar corporation, so I’m clearly an idiot.

That Dolph Ziggler feud is the thing that ruins people who haven’t been firmly established. Hell, Ziggler himself struggled to regain his footing for a long time after that feud, somehow getting it back in a feud with The Freaking Miz this fall. Even Lana, initially considered a bulletproof presence, watched as her entire mystique disappeared with each giggling confessional.

But Rusev managed to survive, slumber through the League of Nations, and has come out of it still a viable presence. Like I said – for my money, he’s the best part of Raw, and at least one of the best parts of the roster, period.

I’m actively rooting for him to win a version of a WWE World Title this year. I don’t care which belt, I just want him to reach the top of the mountain. He’s earned the shot to show what he can do in the main event. He’s young. He’s agile. He’s powerful. He can be depended on. He’s even displayed some great comedic timing, which maybe speaks well to a run as a face later on down the line.

Sure, for now he’s being sidetracked in some nonsense with Enzo Amore, but I’m confident that once we hit the Rumble – you know, the usual refrain around this time of year – we’ll get everything back to being right, and Rusev should be positioned strong heading into WrestleMania 33.

PUT SLICK IN THE HALL OF FAME!!

It’s All Wrestling. It’s All Rusev. We All Love It.