Rusev has had an up and down year with WWE, but we’ve got some word on which direction he could be headed in the coming weeks.
Following his return to SmackDown this past week during a backstage segment, there are rumblings that Rusev will be facing a familiar foe in the coming weeks. His promo this week on SmackDown could have been foreshadowing an eventual match with Randy Orton, likely at Hell In A Cell.
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During his return to television this week, Rusev mentioned that he had recently gone home to Bulgaria (well, unless you’ve seen him at WWE live events). He said everyone laughed at him because he lost to Orton in ten seconds at SummerSlam. Rusev said that he knows he has to defeat a legend in order to regain his standing.
It’s believed that the legend he referred to is Orton, so the pair look to be set to continue their feud. Dave Meltzer alluded to this recently in the Wrestling Observer.
Rusev’s last two PPV matches have involved the aforementioned loss to Orton at SummerSlam and a loss to John Cena in a brutal (as in, not good) Flag Match at WWE Battleground. He could really use something positive in the near future.
Rusev missed some time this spring due to a shoulder injury. Since that time, his real-life wife Lana has been split off from him to participate as a singles wrestler and now as Tamina Snuka’s manager. Rusev himself has been floundering since the spring, which is disappointing to see given the potential he showed just a couple of years ago when he made his entrance at WrestleMania on a freaking tank.
WWE still wants to use Rusev as a heel character, but one of the problems is that anyone who follows the product closely and has seen the real-life Rusev (even on WWE produced shows like Total Divas) knows what a likable guy he is. The SmackDown brand could use another top level heel, especially once the WWE championship is put back on a babyface character, and Rusev would definitely fit that bill. But first, they will need to elevate him to his past level once again, and a victory over Randy Orton could be just what the doctor ordered in order to turn his character’s fortunes around.
