WWE SmackDown: 5 Possible US Title Opponents For Rusev

Randy Orton

Orton recently lost a Chairs Match to the even more legendary Rey Mysterio, but the loss came via the flukiest of means. Therefore, The Viper may not be completely done with terrorizing Mysterio, especially since he was coming off of a victorious feud against Jeff Hardy.

Once known as “The Legend Killer” in WWE, Orton has taken it upon himself to destroy fan favorites on the roster. Orton has a deep hatred for the WWE Universe, as he sees the fans as the “real” legend killers. Though he brutally targets wrestlers like Hardy and Mysterio, he doesn’t necessarily blame them for performing high-risk maneuvers; he blames the fans for wanting to see superstars run themselves into the ground for their own pleasure.

The way in which Orton is going about this is, of course, very wrong indeed. While Rusev doesn’t engage in top-rope moves or frequent suicide dives, few wrestlers in WWE are as popular as Rusev, whose holiday is the most widely-celebrated in the world (just ask Hallmark if you dispute this #fact that was 100-percent verified by the unbiased journalist Corey Graves himself).

Of course, Orton’s eyes should be on the WWE Championship, and that’s the title he’ll likely target in 2019 when he aims to meet his yearly quota of one championship victory. (Is that a mandate explicitly stated in his contract somewhere?)

But right now, the “New” Daniel Bryan has a stranglehold on the title and has seemingly already picked out his next opponent, attacking Mustafa Ali backstage just one week after being pinned by the former 205 Live superstar.

The adulation Rusev receives from the WWE Universe is everything Orton detests, and he likely also despises how freely expressive Rusev is. With his quick wit, beautiful thighs, and comedic timing, Rusev doesn’t take himself too seriously despite his prodigious strength, toughness, and athleticism. This probably infuriates Orton, who has been all business in 2018.

We’ve seen these two feud before, though, and they had a lengthy rivalry at the end of 2017 that played a role in frustrated fans getting more behind Rusev than ever before. So if Orton decides to go after Rusev, we’d likely see him feuding with multiple people, including another familiar foe.