WWE SmackDown: 5 Possible US Title Opponents For Rusev

Lars Sullivan

It’s unclear if Lars Sullivan will debut on Raw or SmackDown Live, and it’s also possible we could see Rusev feud with EC3 for the United States Championship as a new NXT call-up. However, Sullivan might make the most sense, because even though he’s still green, as evidenced by a few of the hiccups in his NXT Championship match against Aleister Black this year, his size and athleticism would make this an intriguing matchup.

Sullivan is also a definitive heel, so it’s easier to create a dynamic here, especially since Lars is new to the roster. WWE can immediately set him up as one of the most hated men on WWE SmackDown, as it’s easy to get a heel booed when they are going up against someone as universally liked as Rusev.

Furthermore, Sullivan having the size advantage creates a unique matchup for Rusev, who will have to show off his quickness and technical ability in this matchup. But the issue is that Lars has uncanny agility for a man of his size, meaning that he might be able to match Rusev in the speed department. He also has a couple of top-rope moves, which could make this an even better introductory feud for Lars.

I’m not sure how quickly WWE wants its new call-ups to grab championship gold, especially given how long it’s taken for Joe and Almas to win their first title on the main roster. But WWE seems to be quite high on Sullivan, and he could be a good feud for Rusev down the road.