15 Ups & 13 Downs For WWE In 2017
8. Rusev's Relegation
A main event-level talent stuck playing jobber to the stars, no WWE Superstar has been as under-utilised as Rusev in 2017. 'The Bulgarian Brute' has done little of note throughout the year, and it has become abundantly clear that the company don't see him as a potential headliner, but a guy who's only value is in putting others over.
This is both a shame and a fallacy. Rusev is only a shade or two below the AJ Styles and Cesaros of the world between the ropes, his charisma is off the charts, and he always makes the most of what creative hand him. He is, indeed, a 'Super Athlete,' yet 2017 has seen him buried by Big Show at Fastlane, Randy Orton at SummerSlam, and John Cena at Battleground. It's a joke, and the big man deserves better.
The past few weeks encapsulate everything wrong with Rusev's push. Him and Aiden English were cheered like heroes at Clash Of Champions, drawing some of the night's loudest crowd reactions with their '12 Days Of Rusev' act. With their popularity soaring, this would've been the time to finally elevate the Bulgarian and his wildly entertaining sidekick, but no: they were made to play festive jesters two nights later instead.