7 Ups & 4 Downs from WWE Raw (5 May - Results & Review)

5. Rusev Crush

Rusev Otis
WWE

Rusev’s return to action in WWE for the first time in five years was very likely going to follow a predictable route: brutalize Otis for much of the match but take just enough offense to convey that the big man isn’t a pushover, then crush him before submitting him in the Accolade.

True to form, that’s exactly how Rusev picked up the win Monday night. He then murked Akira Tozawa and slaughtered Otis afterward until referees and officials ran down to forcefully separate the two.

There isn’t much more to ask from Rusev in his first Raw match since February 2020 (yes, pre-pandemic). It was plainly obvious that a good segment of the audience either didn’t recognize him or simply didn’t immediately care given the lack of reaction as he walked down the aisle. But Rusev won them over, especially with his post-match beatdown on a beloved figure like Otis.

Good stuff here for a first match back. Hopefully, Rusev doesn’t end up part of the furniture in two or three months like Penta.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.