10 Times WWE Accidentally Created A Star

10. Rusev

Rusev was never meant to be a star (even though things may change, now that he's made the jump from AEW to WWE). He was introduced as a generic foreign heel — a Bulgarian brute with a thick accent and a flag big enough to distract from creative’s lack of direction. He crushed jobbers, rode a tank at WrestleMania, and got fed to John Cena like so many before him.

Then came 2017. Aiden English began singing “Rusev Day” as a joke — and the crowd loved it. What started as a comedy bit became a full-blown movement. Fans chanted it at every show, bought the shirts, and made the signs. Rusev Day was over in a big way.

And WWE? They did nothing.

Despite being one of the most organically over acts in years, Rusev was never pushed. Vince McMahon reportedly thought the fans were mocking him. They weren’t. They believed in him.

Rusev Day was lightning in a bottle — and WWE let it fizzle out. But for a brief, glorious moment, Rusev was a star. Not because WWE made him one — but because the fans did.