Rusev Says Andre the Giant Was First Bulgarian In Wrestling

In an interview with TV+ in Bulgaria (via Wrestling Inc), Rusev spoke about Andre the Giant being the first Bulgarian in wrestling, wrestling’s popularity in Bulgaria and more.

On being the most famous Bulgarian in the world: “It doesn’t really matter how famous I am. What’s important is that Bulgaria is represented in a good and positive way all around the world.”

On wrestling’s popularity in Bulgaria: “Definitely! Long before the late 90’s, being a pro-wrestler was a dream of mine. At that time I was going around the block, searching for VHS tapes so I can watch Hulk Hogan. After that, when we had cable TV, wrestling was getting at Its peak in Bulgaria.”

On Andre the Giant’s Bulgarian roots and Dan Kolov: “Someone asked me recently .. might have been Michael Hayes, one of the producers. He asked me, ‘what was the name of that famous Bulgarian wrestler form the 20’s?’ He was asking about Kolov. With Andre, everyone thinks he is French, but I’ve always corrected them. After the recent documentary about him, which was made very well, we talk about him more often. But yes, I also say that he is the first Bulgarian in wrestling and I am the second.”

On how many times he can come home to Bulgaria: “Probably once a year if I’m lucky. Either way, It’s true that we travel a lot. In my passport there’s no space left so I had to get a new one and that’s the reason for my vacation home.”

On one day in WWE: “You wake up in a different hotel and a different state every day. I wake up and the first thing is to find a Starbucks so I can get a coffee. After that, I have a breakfast and head into the gym. Next, I got to have a lunch. I always take a few meals with me to have them on a go, because there’s no time to get some when i get hungry. We go to the show, which starts around 7:30 PM and finishes around 11 PM. Take a shower and we leave very late, then travel 3-4 hours to the next city, and then repeat the whole process again.”

On being in a movie: “I had the chance to be a part of the movie Other Versions of You. Lana and I were producers of that move and that lead to us participating in the movie. I had a few scenes, while she had a big part in the whole movie. It was interesting and felt good. We have experience in front of the camera, which helped not being nervous. I was very curious to try being in a movie.”