Since his WWE main roster debut at the Royal Rumble, Alexander Rusev has been featured prominently on Raw and Smackdown, although he's yet to wrestle a match on those shows. WWE aired promo videos for several weeks with Rusev, along with manager Lana, cutting promos in foreign languages. That's pro wrestling. Not speaking in English usually means evil, so that's what the Bulgarian monster Rusev is. If you're wondering about Lana, she's actually an American named Catherine Joy Perry that used to live in Latvia when she was a child. A new report from PWInsider suggests that Rusev's first match was expected to take place on the Raw after WrestleMania 30 although there has been some talk that he could have a match at WrestleMania 30. If they choose to do a singles match, they better set up a feud with some babyface soon because otherwise nobody is going to care about it. Most of his matches in the early going will likely be squashes anyway. He hasn't been added to the Andre the Giant battle royal match at WrestleMania, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to include him. If he was a part of that match he would have to be considered a favorite because it would be a big deal to have him win in his first WrestleMania match. Prior to his debut at the Royal Rumble, Rusev has spent nearly four years in WWE. They signed him as somebody that only had a couple of years experience. Once the developmental system changed from FCW to NXT he became a fixture on the program every week. It makes a lot of sense that they would want to put him in a featured role at their biggest show of the year. If the gimmick doesn't work then the chances are good that he may turned into a comedy figure that is partnered with Santino. Remember Vladimir Kozlov? It could happen again. It's not like the debut pushes of Brodus Clay or Tensai worked either. It could work, but in today's wrestling world it's a lot harder than it was 20 years ago. Keep an eye on Alexander Rusev. He's a star on the rise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JisLyd4PxE
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
