Rusev has been subject to quite a bit of controversy in the past several days. The Bulgarian Brute was originally scheduled to face The Undertaker in a Casket match at The Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia later this month.
Those plans were later changed and Rusev was instead replaced by Chris Jericho. This comes just days after rumors began to float around that the former United States Champion had asked for his WWE release.
After news broke that Rusev had been replaced, The Bulgarian Brute removed all WWE references from his Twitter profile. He also changed his name from Rusev to his real name, Miroslav Barnyashev. This sparked some controversy from WWE fans, suggesting Rusev may have left the company.
Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated reached out to WWE on the matter, and received a response. WWE says that Rusev has not left the company and will be competing in the Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia instead:
Wrestling fans, I asked the WWE if Rusev has left the company. WWE said those rumors are not true, he is still with the company and he will be in the Royal Rumble match at Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. #RusevDay
WWE Hall Of Fame commentator “Good Ole’” Jim Ross revealed on Twitter that he had finally undergone an MRI this past Tuesday for a back injury that occurred back in September. He posted the following photo, showing Ross’ battered and bruised back:
This injury occurred in September ‘17 and I finally got around to getting a MRI Tuesday.
Results: I’ve been diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae.
Following up on the news of Rusev being pulled from the Undertaker Casket Match at Greatest Royal Rumble, the Bulgarian Superstar has since removed references to WWE from his Twitter bio. He has also updated his Instagram page, changing his name from Rusev to his real name, Miroslav Barnyashev.
In response to the news that he’ll no longer be wrestling The Undertaker, he tweeted the following – a strong contender for The Solomonster’s “Sad Tweet of the Week.”
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick has been cleared to return, according to the Wrestling Observer. Kendrick has been out of action since December when he suffered fractures to his orbital bone and nasal bridge on the Christmas edition of WWE RAW.
The injury took place while taking Hideo Itami’s GTS finisher. Meltzer noted that Kendrick took the move improperly, but Itami has refrained from using it ever since.
WWE Merchandise Movers
Also from this week’s Wrestling Observer, we have an update on WWE merchandise sales. John Cena’s merchandise remains “far and away” the best sellers, despite working a reduced schedule this year.
WWE Champion AJ Styles and Roman Reigns are essentially tied for the #2 spot, followed by The New Day. Meltzer noted that Finn Balor, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman are also doing very well in terms of merchandise sales.
Visit f4wonline.com to subscribe to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In a strange turn of events, WWE announced on Thursday that Rusev will no longer be competing against The Undertaker in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Chris Jericho, who had previously been announced for the 50-man Rumble, will take his place and challenge the Dead Man instead.
The initial news that Rusev would be facing The Undertaker in a casket match came out of nowhere, as the two have had little to no interaction on television. In what some took as a thinly-veiled reference to his standing with the company, Rusev tweeted the following in response to the match announcement:
Earlier today, TMZ Sports posted a video of Rusev and Lana in Los Angeles, CA talking about the upcoming casket match. They said The Undertaker was old news and past his prime, which apparently did not go over too well.
TMZ’s headline actually stated that Rusev claimed he was going to retire the Undertaker and “crush his old ass.” Undertaker’s wife Michelle McCool took notice:
Had to listen to see if “crush his old a$$” was ACTUALLY said! Guess some people are smarter than others…??? https://t.co/avOLWKORV8
Within a matter of hours, the decision was made to pull Rusev from the match. Rusev’s wife Lana tweeted that she refuses to let her husband compete in a casket match and told WWE officials to find a replacement.
All over the world, little boys and girls are celebrating #RusevDay, they smile for the greatest Superstar ever ! I’ve already spoke with @WWE officials to change that match because I REFUSE to let my husband @RusevBUL compete in a Casket Match at #WWEGRR! Happy #RusevDay
Prior to WrestleMania, PWInsider reported that Rusev was unhappy and requested to be released. He was later moved from the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal to the United States Championship match, where he took the pinfall. This latest development does not bode well for Rusev’s standing with the company.
Rusev has the fight of his life coming up on April 27th when he faces The Undertaker in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
TMZ Sports caught up with Rusev and Lana in Los Angeles, CA this week and asked the WWE power couple about the upcoming match. Rusev said The Undertaker is a legend, but so is he. They said The Undertaker is past his prime, while Rusev is the stronger, faster and overall better athlete.
When asked about the fact that WWE won’t be bringing any of the female performers to Saudi Arabia later this month, Rusev said Lana “has more important things to do” at home.
You can check out the ful linterview here:
The Greatest Royal Rumble
The event will air live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, beginning at 12 noon EST on April 27th. 7 championship matches will be apart of the show as well as a special Triple H vs John Cena single’s match and the Rumble. With the addition of the Casket Match, the event now has 10 scheduled matches.
50-person Royal Rumble
Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns – steel cage – Universal Championship
Seth Rollins vs the Miz vs Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe – ladder match – Intercontinental Championship
WWE Championship Match TBA
United States Championship Match TBA
the Bar vs TBA – Raw Tag Team Championship Match
the Bludgeon Brothers vs the Usos – Smackdown Tag Team Championship
– Rusev is probably one of the most over talents on the WWE’s roster right now thanks to his “Rusev Day” gimmick. He was added to the Fatal-Four Way United States Championship match at WrestleMania this past weekend, but was the one who got pinned in the match to Jinder Mahal.
He got his shot at redemption last night on SmackDown Live, as he was part of a Triple Threat match against Randy Orton and Bobby Roode to determine the No. 1-contender for Mahal’s title. Unfortunately Rusev was neither able to win that match.
As a result of his recent slump, Rusev took to Twitter to tease some “change” that could be coming for himself. Perhaps this means the end of Rusev Day? Or he could simply be referring to the upcoming Superstar Shake-up, teasing a move to RAW:
– On last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Daniel Bryan has returned to being a full-time WWE talent, and resigned from his role as General Manager.
With that being said, McMahon announced Paige – who recently announced her retirement as a WWE in-ring competitor due to injury – as the new General Manager of Tuesday nights. McMahon took to Twitter to congratulate Paige on her new role:
#SDLive has been and always will be the land of opportunities and second chances. It was my PRIVILEGE to name @RealPaigeWWE as the new General Manager. This is her house now. pic.twitter.com/3xXGMDEEIV
WWE announced on Wednesday morning that The Undertaker will battle Rusev in a Casket Match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event from Saudi Arabia later this month.
For newer fans, the casket match is one of the Undertaker’s signature events and has been used as the culmination of a feud. To win the match, you must wear down your opponent, place them in the casket at ringside and close the casket door. Some of Undertaker’s memorable casket match opponents include Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels and Mark Henry.
Undertaker returned to action this past weekend at WrestleMania 34. After weeks of unanswered challenges by John Cena, he emerged inside the Superdome and made short work of the 16-time world champion. While his bout with Cena was relatively short, there was no question that Undertaker appeared to be in much better physical shape than we’ve seen in recent years.
The addition of the Undertaker is another indication that WWE is going all out for this Greatest Royal Rumble event. In addition to names like Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho competing in the historic 50-man Rumble battle royal, other top matches announced include Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, John Cena vs. Triple H and an IC title ladder match.
The Greatest Royal Rumble takes place on Friday, April 27th from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium. A sell-out crowd would see over 60,000 fans in attendance. The event air live on the WWE Network at Noon ET / 9AM PT.
As of this writing, the following matches are confirmed for WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble special:
50-man Greatest Royal Rumble match
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns inside a steel cage
John Cena vs. Triple H
The Undertaker vs. Rusev in a casket match
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defending against The Miz, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe in a ladder match
Cesaro & Sheamus vs. either Woken Matt & Bray Wyatt or The Revival for the vacant RAW tag team titles
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers defending against The Usos
WWE is advertising 7 title matches for the show, so expect announcements soon for the WWE, Untied States and Cruiserweight championships.
Three years ago, Rusev rode into WrestleMania on an undefeated streak. He also literally rode into WrestleMania on a Russian tank. While he would eventually lose to John Cena at WrestleMania 31, the legacy of his entrance that day has endured.
Rusev Bringing the Tank Back for WrestleMania 34?
“This Sunday, maybe we dust off the old tank” – Rusev to WWE.com
Based on his comments to WWE.com, it appears Rusev might be looking to bring back the tank for this year’s WrestleMania.
Rusev will be 1/4 of the United States Championship match this Sunday. He was added to the match after pinning US champion, Randy Orton, in a tag match two weeks ago on Smackdown.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback was recently interviewed by The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Big Guy” first offered his thoughts on SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan getting cleared by WWE doctors to return to in-ring action:
“I am very happy for him. I saw him back at Rusev’s wedding last year and we were talking and it was when he had returned (I believe) he was on TV as an on air role at that time but I could see that it wasn’t fulfilling to him because he didn’t have that outlet to perform and he didn’t have that physical aspect of it.
“You’ve got to understand that when you wrestle and he wrestled for a majority of his life and I could tell you first hand that especially for myself having to back off a bit this last year that it is extremely and mentally difficult when you are used to making money with your body and being told you can’t do something is extremely taxing on the human mind.
“For him to have to still be in that environment, granted not as much as he was but to still show up to TV every week and to watch all these guys he came up with getting their opportunity to perform and not being able to do that is extremely frustrating.
“I felt for him deeply because I knew how bad he wanted to wrestle. It is really cool to see him get another chance because he was so hot when it all got taken away and I was there for that and I witnessed that on different occasions where he went through the different injuries up there and overcame them.
“So to see him return, I’d like to see him take it easy for a little bit and he seems to have thrown himself back into the mix full steam by taking an apron power bomb and doing those God damn dropkicks where he lands on his head but I would have liked to have seen him ease back in but I guess if you are going to go and he only knows one speed and that is why everybody loves him.”
He then commented on the supposed “bad blood” between himself and Rusev. Most notably, Ryback commented on one of Rusev’s live Instagram videos and teased “The Bulgarian Brute” by saying he hopes he’s not involved in Jon Bravo’s steroid controversy documentary:
“I guess there are a lot of people out there that are so smart and they know everything about wrestling and I can’t tell you how many times I talk about Rusev as one of my favorite all time opponents and one of my favorite people. What friends do is they go online sometimes and they bust each other’s balls. He’s done it to me and I’ve done it to him and it is unfortunate that we live in a day and age where people can just cherry-pick something.”
“I see he is doing an Instagram live and I click on it. He sees me, cracks a smile and says ‘big guy’. I leave a comment and he makes a comment about me which we talk about through text. He made a comment about me not being natural and I made a comment back to him that he could lose more weight and I got pegged the bad guy in that one because two friends were having fun and it was one of those things where he says me and Ryback have no beef, well nobody takes that part.
“Everybody just thinks that Ryback was blocked from Rusev’s Instagram and I can assure that I am not blocked and we were just talking earlier today. People have to understand that guys laugh at this sh*t. If I had a beef with someone the last thing I would do is go on an Instagram live and hash it out on that.”
Ryback also responded to the constant comparisons he receives to WWE Hall Of Famers Ultimate Warrior and Goldberg:
“People are always going to do that and the only thing you can do is go out and live your life and have your career. It is unfortunately that you are going to have people that they’re extremely loyal to the people that came before you and I’ve always said that and I never once tried to go out there and replicate being any of those guys. I have a bald head and I have big traps.
“They did short matches and I do longer matches but that is the role that they played and I had played that role as well doing the shorter matches but that is just what people like to compare you to in the guys that came before you. In ten or fifth teen years if another guy comes along wearing an air-brushed singlet he might get compared to me.
“It is just the way that the business is and you can’t really get too caught up in that because we are all our own individual person or wrestler at the end of the day and I think the fans that know our styles were completely different, the move sets are completely different and the characters are completely different.”
When speaking about Rusev, you have to bring up his wife due to her being such a big part of his life and career.
Lana debuted on the October 23, 2013 episode of NXT by scouting Rusev. The following month, WWE put her as Rusev’s manager on television. They had a short run while in the developmental brand. Lana made her main roster debut on an episode of SmackDown where she and Rusev in the following weeks appeared in a series of self-promotional videos and speeches. Fast forward to May of that year; they made their television debut. WWE has kept both Rusev and Lana strong on television. Rusev would end up winning the United States Title while with her.
When Lana and Rusev are together, they have success, but when separated, not so much. However, Rusev has caught some fire now that he has been paired up with Aiden English on SmackDown Live.
Lana recently spoke with Hollywood Life to talk about various topics. During the interview, she talked about her husband being a super athlete and talented person.
“I think he is a super athlete and I have been saying that for years. I would introduce him as a super athlete and he truly is one of the best in ring competitors. I also think in Total Divas, he also showed that he is really funny and entertaining. On the show, he shows that he has a great personality.”
Lana also commented on SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan being medically cleared to return to in-ring action.
“We are so excited. We are so excited to have him back. I know for me, personally, I was in tears when he did his speech on coming back because it gives me hope that no matter what anyone says, I am going to continue for my dreams and continue to wrestle and compete.”
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and other members of the creative team made a decision to add Rusev to a key match at WrestleMania 34 at the last minute.
As seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in Pittsburgh, PA at the PPG Paints Arena on the USA Network, it was announced that Rusev had been added to the United States Title match at WrestleMania 34. It will now see Randy Orton defending the title against Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, and Rusev in a Fatal 4-Way. We now know the reason for this as Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the reason why Rusev was added to the match at WrestleMania 34 was because of his massive merchandise sales. Those who are wondering what the WWE originally had planned for him, it was noted in the report that Rusev was initially slated to be in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale at the event, but plans were changed.
WWE Superstar Lana recently did an interview with Hollywood Life while in attendance for the premiere of the “Game Over, Man” film. “The Ravishing Russian” first discussed the surging popularity of her husband, Rusev’s, Rusev Day gimmick:
“I think he is a super athlete and I have been saying that for years. I would introduce him as a super athlete and he truly is one of the best in ring competitors. I also think in Total Divas, he also showed that he is really funny and entertaining.
“On the show, he shows that he has a great personality. I think it took – instead of a ‘U-S-A’ chant, they want to be part of something more. They want to chant ‘Rusev Day’ because every day is Rusev day!”
She then discussed her on-screen feud with Rusev in which she had a storyline romance with Dolph Ziggler. That storyline went nowhere after Lana and Rusev announced their real-life engagement on social media:
“Oh yeah! I really enjoy being his enemy. One of my favorite stories in WWE was when he was the jealous boyfriend and I used Dolph Ziggler as revenge, basically. That was so much fun.
“We had so much fun with that story when we were fighting and our segments on TV would be so much fun. I would love to be in a story or movie where maybe we were enemies.”
Lana also discussed this past week’s huge news that SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan had been medically cleared to return to in-ring competition for WWE:
“We are so excited. We are so excited to have him back. I know for me, personally, I was in tears when he did his speech on coming back because it gives me hope that no matter what anyone says, I am going to continue for my dreams and continue to wrestle and compete.
“The world told him ‘no,’ and that he would never wrestle again and he is wrestling again. So, I think that gives us all hope to be resilient and to do you no matter what!”
You can read Lana’s full interview with Hollywood Life by clicking this link here.
Last night’s SmackDown Live dark match main event was a Six-Man Tag Team match; between the teams of AJ Styles and The Usos taking on Rusev, Aiden English, and Baron Corbin.
In the closing moments of the match, referee Danilo Anfibio took his shirt off and hit Rusev with a superkick. Anfibio then went for the pin while AJ Styles served as the referee and made the three count.
Styles is currently preparing to defend his WWE Championship against 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura. This has been considered a “dream match” by many WWE fans given the pair’s history in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The New Day vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos is now official for WrestleMania 34, as announced on tonight’s SmackDown episode.
Tonight’s show also saw a change made to the WWE United States Title Triple Threat at WrestleMania. Rusev has been added to the match to make it a Fatal 4 Way.
WrestleMania 34 takes place on April 8th from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Below is the updated confirmed WrestleMania card:
Confirmed Matches:
WWE Universal Title Match
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Title Match
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles
Triple Threat for the WWE Intercontinental Title
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz
Fatal 4 Way for the WWE United States Title
Rusev vs. Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton
RAW Women’s Title Match
Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss
SmackDown Women’s Title Match
Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
RAW Tag Team Title Match
Braun Strowman and a partner vs. Cesaro and Sheamus
Triple Threat for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles
The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers vs. The Usos
Finals of the WWE Cruiserweight Title Tournament
Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Zayn and Owens will get their jobs back if they win, they will remain fired if they lose.
First-Ever WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
Sasha Banks, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Natalya, TBA
Fifth Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Scott Dawson, Dash Wilder, Baron Corbin, Tye Dillinger, Mojo Rawley, Matt Hardy, Dolph Ziggler, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, TBA
– WWE Superstar Rusev recently held a live stream on his Instagram account. Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Ryback joined in the stream and made a comment that forced “The Bulgarian Brute” to end the stream. Ryback said the following:
“Are you involved in this steroid scandal? I can’t have you involved in my company if you’re involved in this [Jonny] Bravo stuff.”
Rusev responded by saying that he was going to block Ryback on Instagram and told fans to thank him for being the reason he is ending the stream now. It was all captured on video by “The Top Rope” on YouTube, and you can watch here:
– WWE made the decision to change the name of the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal to simply “WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.” This came after a ton of backlash towards, not only WWE, but to WrestleMania sponsor Snickers. Shortly before the name change Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, who is the parent company of Snickers, issued out the following statement on the matter:
“We were recently made aware of the World Wrestling Entertainment Inc’s (WWE) decision to honor a former wrestler during the upcoming WrestleMania 34 event. As a principle-based business that has long championed creating inclusive environments that encourage and empower everyone to reach their full potential, this is unacceptable. We are engaging with the WWE to express our disappointment”
After the name change was made, another announcement was made by Mars Wrigley Confectionery US:
“We are very pleased that WWE has decided to proceed with the name ‘WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.’”
It’s not that easy getting booked for WrestleMania – just ask John Cena.
In an effort to secure a spot on WWE’s biggest card of the year, SmackDown Live star Rusev put out an open challenge for celebrities to step and test their might in front of 75,000 fans.
Rusev got several responses, including actor Skylar Astin and even The Rock volunteering the services of his friend and frequent co-star, Kevin Hart.
I challenge @RusevBUL to a match at Wrestlemania. But I’m assembling my faction first! And if you think I’m outmatched, wait until you hear who I have in mind for my stable… ? ?? ? ? https://t.co/RYy51EL21z
Rusev, who almost always backs up his tough talk, walked back his open challenge and claims he can’t hit the man who portrayed iconic film characters like Kevin McAllister (Home Alone) and Richie Rich.
– WWE currently doesn’t have any plans for Rusev to perform in a match at WrestleMania 34. It’s likely that WWE uses him in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. “The Bulgarian Brute” recently took to Twitter to comment on his WrestleMania status and said he’d like to fight a celebrity in New Orleans:
– Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE Uk Superstar Tyler Bate has been sidelined with a minor knee injury. Bate was originally scheduled to team up with Trent Seven in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Tournament.
There’s no doubt that Rusev is enjoying success outside of the stereotypical foreign heel. Since aligning himself with Aiden English, fans have taken note of Rusev’s more personable character. It also helps that he has a new catchphrase.
“Rusev Day” has not only taken over crowds, but also WWE’s merchandising. The company recently stocked up on more Rusev Day calendars after the first batch sold out quicker than expected. Despite the success, Rusev hasn’t exactly been booked to thrive on SmackDown Live. Some weeks he doesn’t even make an appearance and the Bulgarian hasn’t been shy to take issue with it.
At a recent ROH event, fans were seen chanting Rusev Day. The current WWE superstar had an intriguing response:
Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler Full Match (WWE Fastlane 2016)
As we get closer to WWE Fastlane, the company has been releasing past matches from the pay-per-view. They’ve already released Paige vs. Nikki Bella from 2015 as well as Bayley vs. Charlotte and Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg from last year. This time, it’s Owens vs. Ziggler from 2016. At the time, Owens was the Intercontinental champion and put his title on the line against “The Showoff.”
– Rusev continues to throw shade at his current role with WWE on Twitter. WWE Universe’s Twitter account recently posted a poll about the “Greatest Move Of Rusev’s Career.” Rusev responded to the poll by saying “LOL Am i getting released or something !?!” Check it out:
We're narrowed it down; now YOU get to vote! What is the most memorable move of @RusevBUL's career? #WAMWednesday
– Currently Goldust doesn’t have any plans to be involved in WrestleMania 34, however, a fan recently asked him if he has a lucky or favorite ring suit. Goldust responded by saying that he’s excited for fans to see the suit he has planned for “The Show Of Shows” in New Orleans this year:
@Goldust how many wrestling suits do you have now? And do you have a favourite/lucky one?
L’ÉQUIPE AND WWE ANNOUNCE FREE-TO-AIR BROADCAST AGREEMENT IN FRANCE
PARIS, France and STAMFORD, Conn., March 2, 2018 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) and L’Équipe, the leading French free TV channel dedicated to sport, today announced a new agreement to broadcast WWE’s flagship program Raw® on free-to-air television in France.
Beginning March 10, L’Équipe channel la chaine L’Équipe will air a one-hour version of Raw at 10 a.m. on Saturdays with an additional re-air on Saturday nights, all with French commentary.
“We are delighted to partner with WWE, renowned all over the world for its high-quality TV programs,” said Arnaud de Courcelles, L’Équipe TV Director. “La chaine L’Équipe is happy to offer Raw to its viewers, which is a mix of spectacular sport and entertainment!”
“We are thrilled to partner with L’Équipe and expand our reach on their popular channel in France,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Co-President. “This partnership to deliver localized WWE programming allows us to provide our unique blend of action-packed, family-friendly entertainment to WWE fans throughout the country.”
Raw will also be available on L’Équipe’s TV Everywhere platform for authenticated subscribers, and on its 7-day VOD catchup window.
Rusev has not wrestled on Smackdown since Shane McMahon “duly noted” the live crowd’s “Rusev Day” chants on the February 6th show. Later that night, Rusev lost a United States Championship match to Bobby Roode.
While Rusev did appear on Smackdown last night, he did not wrestle a match and is not currently in a program which could lead to WrestleMania.
Both Rusev and Lana chimed in on Rusev not having a match last night:
So Jonny boy can come out of nowhere and get a match vs AJ for a spot at #Fastlane but i can’t even get a match on #SDLive Land of opportunity my #RusevDay
Rusev and Lana’s win in the Mixed Match Challenge 2 weeks ago was the 1st win for Lana on the WWE main roster. The real-life couple wore matching outfits for their match as well. It could be WWE is looking at finally pairing the two of them back up together on Smackdown as well.
– WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with Sportskeeda and offered his thoughts on WWE signing Jeremy Borash. “Good Ole’ JR” says that WWE “hit a goldmine” by signing Borash:
“It’s another great hire,” Ross said. “I can’t tell you when WWE has made a cooler hire in any area quite frankly. He’s a great get. He can do a lot of things. He doesn’t even have to be on camera for example. His value, his worth in character creation and development, the production side, and he’s got great product knowledge.
“He’s has an insane work ethic; which I really admire. They hit the gold mine with him. I think he’s gonna be focusing on NXT stuff, so that is a great slot for him in my opinion.”
– SmackDown Live star Rusev recently took to Twitter to comment on being off WWE TV for the past few weeks. Here’s what he had to say:
Despite the fact last night’s Smackdown was held on Rusev Day, neither Rusev nor Lana appeared on the show. Rusev and Aiden English were defeated by the Usos in the dark match main event, however.
The last episode of Smackdown Rusev appeared on was the February 6th show from Kansas. That was the same show in which Shane McMahon’s promo was interrupted by “Rusev Day” chants. Shane stopped his promo to tell the crowd their chants were “duly noted”.
Later that Smackdown, Rusev lost a United States championship match to Bobby Roode. He hasn’t been on the show since.
Rusev and Lana wrestled in the Mixed Match Challenge last week, however. They defeated the team of Elias and Bayley to move onto the second round.
WWE Superstar Rusev recently did an interview with Akhilesh Gannavarapu of Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Bulgarian Brute” has seen a huge amount of support from the WWE Universe with his new “Rusev Day” gimmick and was asked if he thinks WrestleMania could be the turning point for him in 2018:
“Well, I don’t even know what I’ll be doing at WrestleMania, so it’s very far – fetched for me to think that WrestleMania is going to be my moment, to turn 2018 (around). I don’t even know; I take it day by day. Each Rusev Day by each Rusev Day. As long as I open my eyes in the morning, that’s a great opportunity for me, and that’s how I look at it.”
Rusev was one of the WWE Superstars who responded to Conor McGregor calling out the WWE several years ago. He was asked his thoughts on possibly seeing the Irish UFC champ in the WWE:
“McGregor? He’s not coming to WWE. What is he going to do here? He just made $ 160 million (against Mayweather). What is he going to do here? He’s going to sit at home. Yeah, I’d definitely like to see him, me and Sheamus get a pint of Guinness, and go from there (laughs).”
You can read Rusev’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.
WWE Superstar Rusev recently did an interview with Wrestling Inc. to talk about several professional wrestling topics. “The Bulgarian Brute” discussed what “Rusev Day” meant to him and the passion behind it:
“It’s more than just a catchphrase – it’s a mentality. t’s celebrating yourself; celebrating who you are. It’s more than just catchphrase. If you think about it, it’s Rusev Day. So it’s more than that. People understand that, and the passion behind it. That’s why people get behind it, and it’s just been amazing to see.”
Rusev also said that he feels very proud that the “Rusev Day” chant has really taken off with the WWE Universe:
“It just makes me proud. Every time I hear someone say ‘Rusev Day’, it makes me smile. The fact that I was a bad guy, a foreigner that never wanted – that wanted to get out of there , to be able to just have fun, to be ‘you’. It’s good, man. It’s a good feeling. It’s the best time of my career, the most fun of my career. Right along the time I was feuding with Lana.”
He also revealed that his initial pairing with Aiden English was meant to be a joke, but the pair ended up hitting it off:
“I have no idea whose idea it was. It was uh… it was supposed to be a joke, a one-time thing. But then we just hit it off. It was right; the chemistry – and we were playing off each other. The people started loving it since the beginning. So it was a no-brainer for us to be together, for us to keep doing magic.”
You can read Rusev’s full interview with Wrestling Inc. by clicking this link here.
Last night’s Mixed Match Challenge show featured the unlikely team of Elias and Bayley going up against Rusev and Lana. Using the team name “Ravishing Rusev”, Lana and Rusev even unveiled matching outfits for the contest.
The finish of the match involved Lana pulling Bayley off the top turnbuckle. Bayley hit her head on the way down, allowing Lana to pin her and pick up the win for her team. It was Lana’s first victory in WWE… sort of.
Lana’s First WWE Victory
Congrats to the Wife @LanaWWE ! First EVER victory. Now the whole world knows …… Lana is the best Lana number 1 ??
Technically, Lana has won a bunch of matches in NXT. Most of them occurred on NXT house shows, however, so it seems WWE is not counting those in this case.
It is true, however, that Lana has never won a match on the main roster and has never won a match on WWE programming.
According to the German wrestling statistic site, Cagematch.net, Lana has wrestled 79 times in her career. She won 14 singles matches on NXT house shows from late 2016 to early 2017. She also teamed with Nia Jax and won a match on an NXT house show in May of 2016.
63-16 is her total record. 1-10 is her record for televised matches.
