10 Quick WWE Fixes To Save Rusev
3. Reboot
In May 2017, Rusev appeared via videos leaked through WWE.com and Twitter ostensibly recorded on his own phone, protesting about a move to SmackDown Live! as well as espousing his (correct) perception that he was being overlooked and underused by the organisation.
The gimmick marked a genuinely fresh start for his stagnant character, and offered further intrigue when he threatened to walk out completely unless Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon acquiesced to his demands for a WWE Title shot immediately upon his return.
He even named the location - June's Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Not wishing to bother himself with the physically demanding ladder match, he felt rightfully entitled to skip the queue entirely. The presentation of the longstanding roster member as an 'outsider' was a dynamic new approach, but audiences were quickly steered away from the segments when the entire idea was dropped.
Binned after Rusev had promised to appear on television but before he actually could, the snap decision left him looking a fool, much in the same way his matches with Randy Orton and John Cena have since he stepped back between the ropes.
The only saving grace of the reckless abandonment of the idea was in how swiftly it disappeared. Only armed with more disdain, Rusev could quickly reignite his rage for the organisation and reboot what had felt like an extremely exciting opportunity.