Why WWE Dropped The Ball With Rusev
He "battered Mike Kanellis" despite the poor sod begging off before he took the pasting. This again betrayed one of wrestling's fundamental tenets - he didn't look like a winner for beating up a loser. Fans in the arena couldn't rev back up after their pop was taken from them. The tepid response to Rusev's stomps before he put Kanellis away in their 'match' was depressingly quiet. Desperately so - we were all forced to listen to Corey Graves and Renee Young talk about "beta cucks" and "mansplaining" because there wasn't so much as a hum from the live crowd there to penetrate the dirge.
Cringeworthy and catastrophic, the segment did nothing for any of the featured players, and actively damaged the one supposed to be getting profiled. WWE are remarkably, troublingly adept at this sort of thing, having fumbled big angles in the past, but Rusev would have literally been better served by being kept off this show than included on it, if this was always the intent.
Remember Rusev Day? Seriously, though, really remember it. That gimmick remains a version of over in some circles because it tapped into WWE's welcome descent into the Banter Era and found something with pure, earnest joy. Rusev's shown great comedic chops, this was funny sh*t, and t-shirt sales ensured he stayed on cards even when the group clearly weren't ready to give him the spotlight his supporters craved.
Regardless of when you read this piece, or what on earth might happen to the underrated and underappreciated star on his next Raw appearance, be mindful that it was never Rusev Day within WWE, no matter how many times the "Universe" celebrated it. 'The Bulgarian Brute' may as well be christened Punxsutawney Phil instead - every time he gets to the Gorilla Position, Vince catches glimpse of himself in that giant mirror and books him six more months of winter.