Rusev's 5 Best WWE Moments

It's never good to see anybody lose their job, but when one sifts through the list of recently-released WWE stars, a few names cause a little more head-shaking than others. One such star is Rusev, the barrel-chested Bulgarian powerhouse who spent six years on the company's main stage. During that time, Rusev went from playing the role of a classic anti-American heel to becoming a sentimental fan favourite, if for no other reason than the fact that the man behind the role is a genuinely likeable guy.

There were points in Rusev's six-year run in which it felt like WWE wasn't exactly doing right by the big man, emasculating him and/or setting him up to endure humiliating losses. Contrary to that, Rusev did have his share of triumphs in WWE, and now's as good a time as any to look back on them with some wistful fondness.

Wherever Rusev may go and whatever he may do next, "The Bulgarian Brute" definitely left a deep footprint in the WWE landscape. Here are a few of his greatest hits.

It's never good to see anybody lose their job, but when one sifts through the list of recently-released WWE stars, a few names cause a little more head-shaking than others. One such star is Rusev, the barrel-chested Bulgarian powerhouse who spent six years on the company's main stage. During that time, Rusev went from playing the role of a classic anti-American heel to becoming a sentimental fan favourite, if for no other reason than the fact that the man behind the role is a genuinely likeable guy.

There were points in Rusev's six-year run in which it felt like WWE wasn't exactly doing right by the big man, emasculating him and/or setting him up to endure humiliating losses. Contrary to that, Rusev did have his share of triumphs in WWE, and now's as good a time as any to look back on them with some wistful fondness.

Wherever Rusev may go and whatever he may do next, "The Bulgarian Brute" definitely left a deep footprint in the WWE landscape. Here are a few of his greatest hits.

5. The Winning Streak

With Lana at his side, as well as the apparent blessing of Vladimir Putin, Rusev cut a vicious swath through WWE in 2014, running through the opposition with no apparent antidote to his might. For close to a year, Rusev went nominally unbeaten.

After guzzling up the lower third of the roster, Rusev began dispatching the likes of Rob Van Dam, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, and Big Show, before defeating Sheamus to capture the United States title. In this time, Rusev had been built up extremely well as an immovable threat.

4. Beating John Cena By Submission (Sort Of)

When you spew anti-American sentiment long enough, eventually you're going to get matched up with the red, white, and blue-bleeding John Cena. Indeed, Rusev and Cena did battle at 2015's Fastlane pay-per-view, with the US title at stake.

Not only did Rusev win, but he defeated Cena with a submission hold, his Accolade Camel Clutch. Though Cena passed out instead of tapping, it was nonetheless his first loss to a submission hold in 11 years. Technical submission is still a submission, after all.

3. The WrestleMania 31 Entrance

Some WrestleMania entrances cross over into a realm of legend, becoming the first thing you think of when someone asks, "What's the best WrestleMania entrance ever?" Shawn on the zipline, Undertaker's "Dark Side" return, Punk with Living Colour. Some just have that panache.

But Rusev may well have trumped them all that day in Santa Clara. To the strains of the Russian National Anthem, Lana first entered, dressed in all white, leading a flag-carrying procession. Upon the faux-firing of artillery, Rusev followed, riding atop a military tank. A genuine classic and a fan favourite.

2. Rusev Day

The most unexpected of things catch on in professional wrestling, as was the case with this purported daily holiday. After a few dead end angles (the love quadrangle, League of Nations, Cena Part II), Rusev needed revitalising on SmackDown, and he got it in Rusev Day.

Chants of "Rusev Day", as well as new friend Aiden English paying tribute to him through song, was just the sort of outside-the-box quirkiness that a wrestler could freshen up his career with. Rusev Day didn't lead to much success, but it was definitely fun.

1. One Last Title Win

More than a year after Rusev Day took off, the appeal had faded, and Rusev went back to wandering rather aimlessly on SmackDown. That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see the two-time United States champion add reign number three to his collection.

In a match that aired on Christmas night 2018, Rusev defeated eventual tag team partner Shinsuke Nakamura in a 23 minute match to regain the title he'd first won four years earlier. The reign lasted only six weeks, but it was a feelgood moment for fans of Rusev.