10 Most Radical WWE Character Transformations Of The Past 10 Years
4. Rusev
AEW recently signed a fresh-faced Bulgarian named Miro, and this charismatic bruiser appeared to have some beef with his former place of employment.
Jump back 6 years, and we have WWE doing the whole evil Russian thing long after such gimmicks had outlived their use. That this act was destined for stagnation was surely merciful for Rusev, who was clearly suited for more than the outdated foreign menace shtick. He managed to break out of it and bounced around partnerships, stables, and turbulent love stories until fans were dizzy. It was a rough road.
No wonder he was pi**sed by the time he reached AEW, and this isn't even mentioning the budget cut contract release of 2020.
His most enjoyable and well-received WWE run came during his pairing with Aiden English, and the resulting 'Rusev Day' gimmick. The crowd loved it, but alas, it imploded due to an ill-fitting arc involving English having an affair with Rusev's wife Lana.
Which they then decided to repeat with Bobby Lashley. What is it with that company?