When Rusev first appeared in the WWE, he resembled a cookie-cutter foreign heel. From the ominous entrance featuring images of Vladimir Putin to the valet with a suspect foreign accent, Rusev met every requirement on the “Generic Foreign Heel” checklist.
Despite the lack of originality in his character, the company continued to push him to the top, booking the Bulgarian in a number of squash matches, often featuring multiple opponents. Along the way, Rusev was able to elevate his status during a feud with Jack Swagger, and eventually captured the United States Championship from Sheamus.
During Rusev’s push to win the title, the unthinkable occurred: I actually started to enjoy this generic heel’s presence. At first, it was assumed that the interest was due to a lack of build for other programs on the card. After all, the WWE title had essentially vanished, the feuds at the top of the card were becoming a bit stale, and the Rusev/Swagger program was one of the few to receive significant attention.
However, even after the Swagger feud ended, his work continued to interest me. So what is it about Rusev that generates interest? Perhaps most importantly, he is an admirable worker for a man of his size.
It was difficult to show off during his early matches, but he has excelled in recent weeks. His matches with Swagger a few months back were solid, and although he didn’t have a ton of chemistry with either Big Show or Mark Henry, his recent feud with Sheamus proved he can hold his own in the ring.
In addition to his agility in the ring, Rusev and Lana can actually cut a decent promo. Lana is of course going to be Rusev’s mouthpiece in most instances, but I don’t see many complaining, as she is articulate, charming, and knows how to get a heel over with the audience. In fact, I’ve even enjoyed Rusev’s promos in recent weeks, as it’s somewhat humorous to see him pick up the mic and talk a little smack.
