10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (June 8)

4. Rusev's Name Comes From A Friend In Rowing Class

During an interview with TV+, Rusev revealed that his ring name wasn't a WWE choice. No, it was inspired by a close friend he attended rowing classes with in his youth.

A gentleman by the name of Vasil Rusev is the one to thank for all those "Happy Rusev Day" t-shirt sales. It's his real name that's splashed across the merchandise and WWE's tron any time the Bulgarian wrestler appears on television. The only reason Ru-Ru picked it is because, well, he kinda' always liked it.

Rusev never really intended his WWE name to be a tribute to Vasil, but it ended up being one. He always remembered liking the sound of Vasil's surname during classes, and it's one that stuck in his head. He couldn't have known then that it'd become so important to his life and career.

For the record, the original Alexander forename Rusev had didn't have the same amount of affection attached to it. Rusev only picked that because it sounded like a typical Bulgarian name, not because he particularly wanted it.