2. Swagger Can (And Should) Be The First To Beat Rusev
WWE.comJack Swagger is a former World Heavyweight Champion, and a multiple-time NCAA Champion Freestyle wrestler in the Heavyweight class. All we know about Rusev is that he's a Bulgarian martial-arts expert and hero to the Russian Federation. On paper, Swagger winning makes a lot of sense. As well, from a storyline perspective, this actually gives Lana a space to get more physically involved in Rusev's matches, which only increases her heat, but also increases the potential intrigue of the feud overall. Swagger beating Rusev out of the gate removes the shackles from Rusev, too. If a babyface with a winning streak, losing is terrible. You've built up the crowd to support the fact that you consistently win more than any other part of your persona. As a heel, losing a winning streak is great, because you give the people what they want. However, if you're able to retain your heat afterwards, the babyface's impetus for continuing the feud isn't so much to win again, but to prove a larger point. Rusev losing gives his character dimension, and allows him to be able to dive deeper into development, showcasing a greater array of crowd-connective emotions. As well, Swagger is getting established as a babyface, and a win creates an emotional tide for the re-case Swagger and Colter to begin to ride as a tandem with renewed energy.