From @_NL92_: Should WWE be more careful with Rusev's gimmick with the political stuff behind it? Muhammad Hassan's situation springs to mind.
They're really not being that edgy with it. Having a Russian woman and a guy out there saying Russia is superior to America isn't really that bad. It's just an opinion of two heel wrestling characters. They're not wishing death on Americans or things of that nature. It's really tame heel work compared to some of the things we used to see in wrestling. The reason Hassan got in trouble is because WWE went so far with it by doing a mock beheading with guys that had their faces covered up simulating that action on Undertaker. It's not like WWE is going to go that far with this angle. It's the PG era. They'll play it safe. What's working with Rusev is fans are buying into him as a legit star. When he hits the superkicks or the Accolade submission hold, it draws a big reaction. They shouldn't look at him as the evil Russian. They should look at him as a potential top guy and that's what they're doing. That's why the push is working.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
