Has John Cena Irreparably Damaged Rusev?
After a year-long undefeated streak as the Anti-American Villain, has Rusev’s feud and defeats to John Cena cost him his long-term prospects in the main event?
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From the moment that Rusev debuted on the scene in WWE, it was clear that the company had big plans for the Bulgarian Brute. He was promoted as the Super Athlete, and his immediate presence was of an indomitable beast with a shoulder the width of a Redwood tree trunk. Alongside the Ravishing Russian Lana, Rusev built up heat through destroying opponents and vehemently defaming the reputation of the United States. He continues to be a hero of the Russian federation, but in the last few months his unstoppable wave of momentum has hit several road blocks.
Rusev entered a feud with John Cena over the United States Championship on the Road to WrestleMania. The Russian sympathizer’s run with the title had given it more exposure due to his use of it to consistently condemn the spirit of the American people, through the defeat of challengers such as Jack Swagger and Dean Ambrose. But, Cena was a whole new challenge. As one of the biggest names in WWE history, this was sure to be a feud that would either make or break Rusev’s future as part of the company.
However, this rivalry has been far from spectacular when it comes to quality. It has had some cool moments, such as Rusev causing Cena to pass out, and their WrestleMania entrances. Nonetheless, when it has transitioned to actually mixing it up in the ring, it has left a lot to be desired. That is not to say it is either of their faults – both have produced very good matches before, and occasionally the chemistry just isn’t there. Yet with Cena as WWE’s most valuable commodity, the tanking of this feud would not likely fall on his head.
Their first encounter at Fast Lane wasn’t terrible, and not helped by a poor crowd on a card already lacking in quality. It left fans in no doubt that they would meet again at WrestleMania for the belt, and many expected Cena to be the first man to defeat Rusev. Thus, their contest on the grand stage produced a predictable result of the American hero taking the prize, and they could not even satiate this result with an improvement on their earlier encounter. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it was one of the low points of that phenomenal show.
WWE.com
Sadly, their most recent battle at Extreme Rules was even worse, as the restrictions imposed by the Russian Chain match made any chance of a decent match crumble before they even began. It was slow, lethargic, and unoriginal, as both superstars simply went through the motions instead of attempting something different with the gimmick. And it wasn’t helped by the fact that Cena has his Open Challenge running for the belt, and his matches against Dean Ambrose, Stardust and Bad News Barrett were much better than this one.
Now, they will meet in an “I Quit” match at Payback, which will hopefully prove to be the last chapter of this feud. And it is fitting that this bland, predictable rivalry will end in the most foreseeable fashion possible – John Cena does not lose “I Quit” matches. That would go against everything his character stands for, and nothing short of Rusev locking one of his young fans in the Accolade will result in Cena losing. So, Rusev will be in all likelihood forced to embarrassingly surrender to Cena.
WWE.com
So, where would this feud leave Rusev? As expected, not in a better way than as he entered it. His undefeated streak had to end at some point, but Cena did in no way need that rub. Someone like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose or Neville could have really boosted their portfolio with that honor, and would have likely been a more even feud. With the likely result of Payback being three straight PPV losses for Rusev, it leaves serious doubts as to whether he can grow into the main event scene if he can’t beat Cena. Whilst I don’t have an issue with how he won at Fast Lane because he is a heel, three back-to-back defeats is pretty devastating.
Also, there is the news circulating that Lana will soon no longer be by his side. Her immense growth in popularity has built tension between the pair, and has teased a split for a number of months now. With Lana set to leave, Rusev loses his mouthpiece and a great means of developing heat. The Bulgarian is actually very good on the microphone, so it isn’t the great loss it could be. But, having had her as his manager for the past year means fans will have to adapt to the change, and might lost attention in Rusev as a draw.
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Is this damage irreparable? Absolutely not, but that doesn’t mean it will be an easy fix. Rusev has a significant collection of upsides – he is good on the microphone, solid in the ring, and has great look and gimmick for a heel. However, all the fire that has been built up by his undefeated streak has been greatly fumigated, and he will need a strong, compelling feud with another competitor to restore much of his monstrous reputation. I see a lot of future in Rusev, which is why I was not immensely pleased by this feud with John Cena, and severely hope he will bounce back and eventually find a place in the main event.
Do you think Rusev will survive this feud with John Cena? Leave your comments below.
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