8. Rusev
Odds: 15-2 Eight months ago, Rusev would have been a much safer bet to hold world championship gold. His anti-American, hero to the Russian Federation gimmick was gold, as he ran off a yearlong undefeated streak. His manager Lana was molten on the microphone, eliciting jeers just by starting to talk despite being highly desirable by fans. Then, they met John Cena. Now, Lana is on the sidelines with a broken wrist while she and Rusev (and Dolph Ziggler and Summer Rae) have suffered through a romance angle that played like a bad soap opera. Rusev and Lanas real-life engagement has scuttled the entire storyline and possibly landed the Bulgarian Brute in the doghouse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8slw476gnI Still, Rusev has a unique look and style that makes him appealing to writers and fans alike. Its not a stretch to see a resurgent Rusev capturing the world title at some point, if only to serve as the foil for an all-American hero. The Bulgarian Brutes in-ring talent should outshine his current booking doldrums.
Scott Carlson
Contributor
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
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