The weeks leading up to WrestleMania would be the most intensive of the feud. Both men would still be champions at this point, with Rusev still undefeated in singles competition, while Ziggler would sometimes lose. This would establish more sympathy for Ziggler as he continues to fight against Rusev, who would constantly get the best of him. At Elimination Chamber, both Ziggler and Rusev would be defending their titles, but they would also take part in Pick Your Poison; they would each choose the others opponent. Ziggler would choose the Big Show for Rusev, while Rusev would choose a then-heel Big E as his opponent. In the end, both men successfully defend their titles, but Zigglers defense as very close, as Big E would come very close to beating him, while Rusevs defense would be comparatively easy. For the final month, Ziggler would cut promos showing his patriotism and sense of national pride, and he would vow to defeat Rusev. Rusev of course would not be undeterred, and would constantly berate American culture, politics, and sense of national identity. During this time, Rusev would also lock his Accolade submission hold on other great American heroes, such as Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, and even Hulk Hogan, establishing himself (and Russia) as superior to the United States. The feud would soon get personal, as Rusev would attack Dolphs brother, Ryan, locking him in the Accolade. For WrestleMania, the pressure would be on for Ziggler more than ever before. On top of avenging his brothers attack, he would also be representing the entire country as he faces off against the apparently unstoppable force that is Rusev, including John Cena and Hulk Hogan, who tell him that they have faith him. He would have (more or less) the entire roster behind him as he prepared to do battle against Rusev. Finally, he would also be dealing with defending his Intercontinental Championship against Rusev, because of a
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
