8 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (June 19)

by Andy H Murray

1. Rejoice For Rusev

Aiden English Rusev
WWE.com

Well, this was a pleasant surprise.

Yesterday was the greatest Rusev Day of all, as the big man swept into SmackDown, entered the gauntlet match last, and earned himself number one contendership.

Extreme Rules will be the first singles World Title shot of Rusev's career, surprisingly. He has been on the main roster for four years, yet his only real WWE Championship opportunity came in the 2016 Royal Rumble. That's insane, and while 'The Bulgarian Brute' is likely being set up to lose against AJ Styles, it's great to see him finally in the title spotlight.

There was a nice spot at the end, with AJ Styles hitting ringside to go face-to-face with a respectful Rusev, who shook his hand. Aiden English stepped in and faked a shake of his own, earning a punch from Styles, and a "what the hell, man?" look from Ru-Ru, who couldn't believe his ally had acted up.

It's a shame WWE didn't pull this trigger when the Rusev Day hype was peaking, but screw it. Rusev's getting a title shot! What a time to be alive.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.