So if you’ve watched WWE in the last few months, you’ve seen the “saga” if you can even call it one between Rusev, Lana, and Bobby Lashley. I think I can speak for every true die hard wrestling fan when I say, this storyline isn’t for anyone. A lot of times there’s storylines that attract a certain demographic, or keep a certain demographic entertained etc. but I’m convinced that this storyline isn’t for anyone. Except one man, Vince McMahon.
Vince thinks we care about these stupid drama filled storylines of relationships falling apart, but he forgets that in this age of social media, it’s very hard to tell a story like this when we know that Rusev and Lana are married, have been for a while, and that Lana herself didn’t want to do this. Let’s not forget they tried this in 2015, with the roles reversed, and Dolph Ziggler instead of Bobby Lashley, but even back then we knew, all that we know now. The storyline was thrown away when Rusev and Lana got engaged for real, and I’m literally begging for something like that to happen again. I’d even accept it being thrown away and not talked about ever again with no explanation.
It’s soap opera bullshit and it doesn’t get over anymore, when the fans are too smart to care whether “Lashley is getting it” from Lana. We all know he isn’t. Lana on the mic is either really good or really, really bad, Lashley is literally just there, and Rusev, he’s being wasted to an even bigger level. Now you can argue he’s on TV because of this and he wasn’t before, but let me add that when everyone hates what your doing are you really doing good? Sure financially I’m sure Rusev is doing fine, but that isn’t what brings fans to the party, that isn’t what makes us want to see him.
I don’t think I need to discuss what Rusev has been through to this point everyone knows, how he should have went over John Cena, or how all they’ve done since then was hold him back. Whenever something organically happens, WWE doesn’t capitalize. Rusev Day, was an accident, just because he was feuding with the New Day. It was arguably the best thing to happen to him in WWE, and they ruined that too. Now obviously this happens a lot to talent that aren’t on the radar of Vince McMahon, and you can argue if Rusev went back to NXT it would be good for him, like most guys, but it shouldn’t be an option. That’s how good Rusev is, he’s an all around talent, who deserves to be on the same level as a Seth Rollins for example.
So what is it going to take? I’ll tell you what, he needs to leave. Your probably thinking though, “Why would Rusev leave when he should be happy just making money?” My answer to that will always be, why don’t you ask Cody, or Jon Moxley, Moxley in particular can attest for the money he makes now and not missing the creative handicaps he faced. WWE didn’t realize what they had with them, and look at them now. Creatively stifled to the nth degree, with no sign of improvement. It’s more then that though for Rusev, he doesn’t get any opportunities, and when he does, WWE doesn’t know how to handle it correctly. Rusev needs to go to AEW or New Japan, and build a name for himself on his own, without a monopoly holding him back because “Vince doesn’t feel like it.” The man is too good to be wasted, and this can be said for a lot of people, there’s a ton of talent with upside in WWE in the same boat. Not all of them are gonna get this opportunity. I don’t know Rusev’s contract situation, but if I were him I’d do exactly what Moxley did, let his wife stay in WWE, and he can go out on his own, and make WWE regret their misuse of him.
When everyone who leaves makes it, WWE will have to see the error of their ways right? Or will talent continue to get misused and mistreated until they can’t take it anymore and it’s a never ending cycle of unhappiness. I hope it’s not the latter, because WWE is gonna be in a rough way in ten years if that’s the case. Let’s not forget the over reliance on part time talent that also make it impossible for full time talent to get over and make it. Let’s all hope this all changes soon, but as for Rusev, if he’s smart, he will definitely look to make it on his own instead of being comfortable with where he is now and what he’s doing.
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