10 Things We Learned From The Backlash Go-Home WWE SmackDown (May 16)
5. Nowhere Man
Whilst Lana continues to tease her arrival without confirming a defined date, 'The Bulgarian Brute' failed to emerge despite promising an appearance on the show during an embittered message to fans on last week's episode.
As one of the standout talents from Monday Night Raw, Rusev's blue brand re-emergence should be considered a big deal during a transitional period for the show, but the sudden decision to park his televised return was disappointing and unlike WWE's usually stoic approach to such angles.
In his videos so far, Rusev has levied show commissioner Shane McMahon with an ultimatum. Either he gets a title shot at June's Money In The Bank pay-per-view, or he walks. Or flies, most likely, with a one-way trip back to Bulgaria in the former United States Champion's future unless his demands are met.
To his credit, he posted a glib reference to his non-attendance on Twitter, stating that he elected to attend a Nashville Predators hockey game in place of honouring his work obligations, with a 'See you when I see you' sign-off either an in-character dig or a pointed show of frustration at the stop-start nature of his return.