From @JerseyDevilDH: I can't be the only one annoyed with how they inexplicably reversed the dynamic between Lana and Rusev, right? Maybe it's just me, but I always figured they presented Lana/Rusev in a way where Lana was the one in charge. After the "Lana grants Cena his rematch" thing, it almost became like Lana was subservient to Rusev? It was baffling.
The way Lana and Rusev started together certainly made it look like she was the one in charge since she would order him to "crush" his opponents, which led to him doing just that. However, that part of the pairing changed over time. A big reason why it changed is that a few months ago going back to WrestleMania they made the decision to turn Lana into a babyface. It was her fault he lost there (in his opinion) because she went on the apron. In the chain match he told her to leave and then in the I Quit match she threw in the towel. Like with any ego-maniacal heel, Rusev's ego grew and that's why he told her that he didn't need her anymore. They changed the course of the relationship simply because of their plans for her. It also makes him look like more of a heel, so it ultimately works for both since they are headed in the direction that they are supposed to be. It was a good question, but it's really just a case of plans changing as the story went on.
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.
