Entering his third consecutive pay-per-view match against JohnCena, Rusev finds himself in a delicate position. WWE spent the past year building Rusev up to the point where he could go toe-to-toe with its biggest star. During the most recent episode of the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast, I noted how I would select Rusev as an early draft pick if I could build a wrestling promotion. His youth and main event experience this early in his career make him a potential star for years to come.Throughout an entertaining feud, Rusev held his own, but based onWWE's formula of pay-per-view trilogies, he is nearing the end of his run opposite Cena.
Now, there is no more climbing left to do. For the first time in his young career, Rusev runs the risk of being demoted depending on who WWE pairs him with moving forward. Rusev is on the precipice of becoming a top heel, but all his momentum will evaporate if he doesn't feud with somebody on par with Cena following their match at Extreme Rules.
Cena is still in the early stages of his US Championship open challenge—which continues to be prominently featured on Raw. He will likely hold the championship for a while. All signs point to Rusev losing toCena at Extreme Rules, and if this is the case, Rusev needs to be booked with care coming off his second consecutive loss to Cena.
If Rusev entered a feud with a midcarder well below Cena's stature following another loss, fans will begin to view him as such. Coming out of his feud against Cena, Rusev needs to feud with at least another main eventer for damage control purposes. At most, he needs to beat them.
In a perfect world, Rusev would begin to pursue the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately for Rusev, current champion Seth Rollins is a heel, which makes for an incompatible feud. This opens the door for a potential Intercontinental Championship win.
While the Intercontinental Championship pales in comparison to theWWE World Heavyweight Championship, champion Daniel Bryan fits the bill as a top-tier talent who can keep Rusev relevant.
Bryan's role as a consummate underdog carries with it a blue-collar mentality, which is just as American as the All-American superhero that Cena portrays.
Rusev and Bryan could have a great string of matches playing up the David vs. Goliath storyline. Provided his health holds up, Bryan is the ideal opponent for Rusev. Even if Bryan's current health issues persist, Rusev could enter a wide-open Intercontinental Championship division that is without a true No. 1 contender.
Bad News Barrett has been reduced to a one-dimensional heel and is a No. 1 contender based on WWE's formulaic rematch clause rather than merit.Rusev could walk into that division tomorrow, lay claim to a title shot and nobody would disagree.
If Cena is going to be the babyfacefighting champion with the United States title, Rusev can be the insurmountable heel with the Intercontinental Championship. WWE invested too much in Rusev for him to fall by the wayside like so many others before him who were in a similar position. In order for him to advance past his current position, he'll need to not only return to his winning ways, but do so against quality talent.
WWE Needs to Keep Rusev Strong After John Cena Feud
4/
5
Oleh
Unknown
