6 Reasons The Rock Vs Rusev Must Happen At WrestleMania 31

5. It's A Straightforward Storyline

With this feud, the WWE have really placed themselves in a win-win position. Regardless of the result, a big WrestleMania blow-off would be sure to generate a huge reaction due to its simplicity. American babyface vs foreign heel feuds have been widely criticised as narrow-minded and patronising, a needless relic of the Hulkamania era, but their effectiveness is still very much evident today. One needs only to look at the huge support generated by for Jack Swagger during his recent matches with Rusev, especially considering his staleness since splitting from Cesaro. If a feud between Rusev and Swagger can become so unexpectedly hot, imagine what a superstar of The Rock's magnitude would do at a colossal event such as WrestleMania. The video packages almost write themselves, so blatant are the similarities with a particular Hollywood boxing sequel: a younger Russian villain vs an ageing American hero, Rusev's billing as a "super athlete", even the name Rocky! It's a feud the WWE creative team can really go to town with, especially given the legendary microphone talents of The Rock (and the under-appreciated charisma of Rusev's valet Lana). As previously mentioned, the actual result of the match matters little - the reaction would be colossal either way. A Rock victory would likely be explosively popular, the evil Russian finally vanquished by a returning legend. Similarly, a Rusev win could go down as one of the most shocking upsets in WrestleMania history.