CJ 'Lana' Perry Not Expected To Return To WWE With Rusev (WWE News)
Rusev's WWE return will NOT feature his 'Ravishing Russian' and real-life wife Lana
Lana will not be joining Rusev when he makes his WWE return.
This is per Dave Meltzer, who confirmed as much in a recent Wrestling Observer Radio. As he put it, "Yeah, Miro signed, CJ did not sign and was not there.” He continued; “Basically, when asking, I was given the impression that she would not be back. But you never know. But she did not sign, and he did.”
As per PWInsider, Rusev spent a day at the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, being spotted by multiple sources ahead of the 'Bulgarian Brute' re-signing with the promotion five years after he was surprisingly released by the organisation. Lana’s WWE journey has been quite the rollercoaster too - as Rusev’s on-screen manager, Lana became a fan favourite due to her charismatic personality, acting chops, and undeniable chemistry with her real-life husband as both allies and rivals. Eventually, she transitioned into an in-ring role, where she had a mixed but memorable career, often being involved in high-profile storylines, including a notable Monday Night Raw rivalry with Nia Jax and a tag team run alongside Naomi. She also boasted one of the best WWE entrance themes of the 2010s, introduced to repeatedly huge pops when she first moved into wrestling and away from her managerial duties.
After her departure from WWE in 2021, she briefly worked for All Elite Wrestling under real name CJ Perry starting from August 2023, but the run didn't amount to much and ended less than a year later. She's teased potential returns to WWE on multiple occasions, with social media posts hinting at her interest in returning to the promotion, but for now at least they are just those - hints. It being wrestling, plans often change, and WWE might yet open new discussions with Perry as part of whatever creative roll-out they've got planned for the returning former United States Champion.