Rusev Reveals How The 2016 Election Caused WWE To Change His Character

In an interview with Bulgarian outlet Video DIRBG (translation via Wrestling Inc), Rusev spoke about how he used to be the Bulgarian Brute in WWE, but how the 2016 Presidential Election in the US forced the company to change that. Here are highlights:

On WWE changing his character: “It’s true, we keep up and Vince [McMahon] keeps up with what’s going on globally. He noticed that tension between Russia and America at the time and that’s when it was decided that I’ll go represent Russia and Putin and whatnot. But things changed, [Donald] Trump was elected as US President and he is a WWE Hall Of Famer etc. ‘Also people saw more [of me] from Total Divas and we started trying different stuff and we struck gold with ‘Rusev Day’ two years ago. It started kind of as a joke. After Randy Orton beat me in 10 seconds and I beat him back the following week it was decided that we’ll throw a celebration and we got the Mayor of Plovdiv to give the key me to the city. Aiden English who is a great singer and actor learned the Bulgarian anthem in a day and sung it and we just started adding ‘Rusev Day’ to everything. That’s when things took off, the [Rusev Day] shirt was the top seller.”

On not letting his WWE popularity change him: “It never affected me much. I don’t think I’m very different from most people. My job involves many people seeing me more but that’s just about it. I’m the same guy from Plovdiv that departed from here in 2005. Fame gets in some people’s heads, I’m not like that.”

On who runs his social media: “Well social media has become huge in the last years and that can have both its advantages and drawbacks. I try using it to advertise myself more. I manage them myself and that’s why they look the way they do. My wife has help and that’s why she has 4 million followers more than me.”