Rusev has all the trademarks of a short-lived WWE monster charging through the locker room only to grind to a stuttering halt and fade into obscurity. Rusev may be just short time monster for WWE As it stands, Rusev is reaching a crossroads in his career trajectory. There is something of the Vladimir Kozlov about him and, in the long term, it may well benefit Rusev to pick up a loss by pinfall sooner rather than later to avoid being just another flavour of the month.
In any sport, an undefeated streak carries with it an ever-increasing pressure. The longer a streak goes on the more people become aware of it, and the more the player or players feel the impending sense of responsibility to carry it on. Ordinarily, the inevitable loss will be met with warm praise for the accomplishment of maintaining it for so long.
The difference with WWE is that the streak is not achieved but handed to a superstar by WWE Creative. That means that instead of fans applauding each win there is a more cynical thought process questioning why they are undefeated, when they will lose and what purpose they will serve thereafter.
It doesn’t take a great deal of effort to think of other superstars who have fallen victim to their own undefeated streaks. Just take Ryback, currently enjoying a resurgence after a long spell of not appearing on Raw or pay-per-views.
He entered WWE a tyrant, hoisting opponents over his head and marching around the ring on his way to a 38-match unbeaten streak. Shortly after losing to CM Punk, he lost his appeal and was fudged into a partnership with Curtis Axel as he fell off the radar.
Cast your mind back further, and there’s no end to the list. Chris Masters, Muhammad Hassan and the Boogeyman are but a few who enjoyed lengthy undefeated streaks, but where are they now?
The theory could even be applied to some of the industry’s leading names, albeit to a lesser extent. A lot of the vitriol aimed at John Cena stems from years and years of predictable wins that led to the label "Super Cena." It's not a streak per se, but a clear indication of how winning too much can backfire.
Then there’s the end of The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania record at the hands of Brock Lesnar earlier this year. It served a purpose in that it will forever be remembered as an iconic match in the event’s history, but it has rendered any subsequent appearances by The Undertaker at WWE’s biggest show of the year somewhat redundant. Once the streak ends, the appeal dissipates.
Rusev does not run the risk of appearing gimmicky simply because he hasn’t lost by pinfall or submission. His entire character smacks of cheap heat. Like watching the boy players of Shakespeare’s Globe, the audience sit by playing their role and pretending to be unaware that Rusev and Lana are Bulgarian and American, respectively.
The faux-propaganda is textbook stuff for easy jeers with a series of stars defending the red, white and blue flag almost as predictably as the swiftness with which they fall to the might of Rusev. A near-identical storyline has been in place for months now as Rusev has racked up a 33-3 record (with all three losses being by DQ), and some quarters already feel his character has become stale, thoughts echoed by Joe Lisnow
Despite these ominous signs, there is certainly hope for Rusev. He has an excellent manager in the Ravishing Russian Lana who is a great talker that knows how to work the crowd. His massive dominance over opponents has seen his repertoire remain somewhat limited, but there are signs that he can move fairly well in the ring, which will become more evident when he is matched more evenly against future foes.
It is not every day that The Rock makes a surprise appearance and locks horns with a relative amateur to the scene and, despite the Brahma Bull knocking Rusev out of the ring, it was a take-notice moment in his career. Creative were showing that they envisage longevity for Rusev by handing him a spot with The Great One.If Rusev lost at the grandest stage of them all he would find himself in WWE purgatory, having battered the entire roster before losing to the top stars, leaving little room for progression. A loss at WrestleMania, should he still be undefeated by then, could see Rusev disappear like so many others. A win would simply continue the streak, which must end eventually, presenting the same issues.
On the other hand, if Rusev were pinned before WrestleMania then a loss at the flagship PPV would not be fatal. It wouldn’t be necessary for him to lose cleanly, but just one loss by pinfall would be enough to alter the focus from questioning who will beat Rusev to who will Rusev beat. This removes the pressure of a gimmicky undefeated streak and allows for a wider range of character exploration.
At the recent PPV Survivor Series, for instance, it was blindingly obvious that he would lose in some way other than pinfall or submission. This can make events where Rusev is booked somewhat predictable and even boring. Nobody wants to know the outcome before it happens.
Rusev’s character needs some work to help him progress. His signature submission manoeuvre, The Accolade, is too definitive; opponents need a chance of escaping or there is no drama to it being applied. The pro-Russian propaganda is already tired and needs to draw to a conclusion soon before the fans turn on the Bulgarian Brute.
In the immediate future, though, a loss by pinfall should be the main objective to open up Rusev’s career and reduce the risk of him becoming just another guy who was undefeated for a while.
Rusev may be just short time monster for WWE
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