After five years away from WWE, Rusev returned last year on Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania. Attacking Akira Tozawa and Otis of the Alpha Academy, he declared that he would fix them and make them better than they were at the time. Taking care of them with ease, he moved on to a multi-match feud with Sheamus. That culminated in a Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook Match at Clash in Paris, where he won.
Following that, he had a feud with Dominik Mysterio and Penta over the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Since then, he’s barely been on television and had one of the worst performances in Royal Rumble history. It would be reasonable for people to think he was on the chopping block. But the past couple of weeks suggest that WWE still believes in him and that he can be an integral part of Raw.
WWE Trusts Rusev with Young Talent
A lot of people probably weren’t surprised at Rusev getting eliminated by Oba Femi. But he only lasted 32 seconds in the match, so WWE could’ve just written him off, declaring they were done using him. But that interaction led to many confrontations and a match that largely went back and forth until the end. Femi had to fight for the victory instead of it being a squash match.
He was also paired with JD McDonagh against Dragon Lee and Je’Von Evans in a loss on the April 13 Raw. But he looked good throughout the match, showcasing the strength he’s always had. Wrestling young guys like Evans and Femi allows them to learn from him in many different ways. He could’ve been a jobber after the past couple of months, but WWE has him in matches with up-and-coming talent to show his veteran status.
He is in a Huge WrestleMania: Vegas Match
If fans watched Rusev’s Royal Rumble exit and were told he was in a WrestleMania match two and a half months later, they would laugh. They would’ve thought that he was going to be a jobber for Evans, Femi, or some other young wrestler. But he’s in the WWE Intercontinental Championship ladder match, and he’s earned the right to be in there.
He defeated Otis in a qualifying match on Main Event two weeks ago. But after the tag match on Raw, fans saw a side of him they haven’t seen in months. When McDonagh got pinned, he was enraged. He took his frustration out on everyone in the ring, as well as IC Champion Penta and Rey Mysterio, also in the match. The five men were laid out as he yelled, showing everyone that he is still a feared man in the ring.
A Loss Wouldn’t Hurt Him at All
Everyone has an equal opportunity to climb the ladder on Sunday and win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. But even if Rusev doesn’t win, things could still be fine between him and the company. When a wrestler is on the chopping block, it’s very apparent. They become a jobber, have an embarrassing string of losses, or disappear from television. Given his Royal Rumble appearance and Main Event matches, fans thought Rusev was done.
But that defeat has led to a strong showing with Femi and a major match at WrestleMania: Vegas. He’s taken that low point in his second tenure with WWE and turned things around. What happened on Monday is a clear indication of how powerful he can be in the ring when he gets that chance. He can take a loss, as WWE clearly sees value in him based on his last couple of weeks.
