Rusev's WWE Absence Due To Jinder Mahal's Push?

When Rusev was drafted to Smackdown in April's Superstar Shake-Up, the injured former United States Champion took to social media to demand a WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank. Now, "The Bulgarian Brute" has healed, but he's also grown quiet, and the push of Jinder Mahal may be to thank for it.

According to The Wrestling Observer, it's no coincidence that Rusev's campaign for a title shot died down once it became clear that Mahal was going to be the new top heel on the Smackdown brand. Though initially it seemed to make sense that Randy Orton was going to overcome Mahal at Backlash and then head into a feud with Rusev, it was the Bulgarian's sudden silence that hinted that his program was scrapped, and Mahal was sticking around atop the card. Sure enough, Mahal would soon defeat Orton for the WWE Title.

Worse still for Rusev is the fact that he has yet to return at all, either as a major player or a midcarder. With Mahal currently playing the anti-American heel role on the blue brand, Rusev's character has been made redundant. Though his real-life wife, Lana, will soon be joining Smackdown's women's division, there's no word as to when fans can expect Rusev to machka again.