Alexander Rusev

[OYDK]

I'll admit to not watching NXT on a regular basis (or at all...) so I really had no clue what Rusev was all about when he made his debut. Honestly, I just expected a non-English speaking Big E. but right now Rusev looks IMPRESSIVE and he can seriously go for such a big man. Lana is absolutely perfect for him and I can see her carrying him on the mic for his entire career (sorta like Lesnar and Heyman), not to mention she's awesome.

The dude definitely has a presence in the ring and I feel he can make a lasting impression in the WWE with Lana by his side.

So who would you like to see Rusev have his first feud with? Where do you see Rusev being a year or two from now?

 

[Dan Severn's Moustache]

I'm tired of the same repetitive mantra of monster heel gets built up to face the world champion only to lose and amount to little more. It doesn't do either party any good in the long run, and it's happened so many times now that it's become even worse. Rusev shouldn't be anywhere near the world title scene for the next year at least.

That being said, I like Rusev. He has a unique fighting style and he looked great against Woods last night. I think once Big E drops the IC Title to Cesaro, Big E and Rusev can feud to put Rusev over in a rubber match. Then we can cut the bullshit squash match mantra and have Rusev compete in competitive matches against guys like Ziggler and Sheamus and have him start feuds with talent on the same level as him, just so we can phase out the generic monster push we always see.

Lana's alright. She was repetitive in NXT but she does a good job hyping up Rusev, so I think she's fine to hang around Rusev for the time being, until she grows stale.

Overall, I hope Rusev doesn't just devolve into another generic monster heel to job to Cena or Bryan. Do something different with Rusev; after all, he is a completely different kind of monster in terms of ring ability.

 

[TheOneAndOnlyGOAT]

Some people are comparing him to Vladimir Kozlov, saying he'll end up being a jobber comedy act.

I hope not.

I think he is talented and has a bright future.

Also, Lana... WOW!

 

[hatehabsforever]

I can't quite put my finger in what it is, but of all of the guys from NXT or elsewhere who have debuted in WWE, or are about to, I have zero interest whatsoever in seeing this guy and I am not remotely interested in seeing what he does, where he goes, or who he interacts with. I don't know if I have been watching professional wrestling for so long that the whole monster gimmick is starting to wear a little thin on me, specifically the whole foreigner who comes to America to say "I must break you" as in Rocky IV thing yet again. Maybe it's the fact that his manager's voice grates on my last nerve to a near channel changing degree. Or maybe it's simply that I have significant interest in so much other stuff which is going on that I am (unfairly) not giving him a chance. But for me, he doesn't interest me even the slightest bit.

He's a big imposing figure who clearly can go in the ring, and from what I've heard about him from NXT, he's supposed to be pretty good. I'm sure I ultimately will give the guy the benefit of the doubt and see what he's made of. But when I see him, all I see is Kozlov or someone like that, in a stereotypical gimmick which has been done over and over again, and I'm apathetic to it. I imagine he is going to round roughshod over a significant number of jobbers and lower tier talent, then gradually progress to demolishing mid card guys, until he ultimately he gets his ass handed to him by one of the uber faces closer to the top of the card, complete with chants of USA! USA! USA! And then he will vanish. Like so many of his predecessors.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't see him getting over. I see the Kozlov comparisons. WWE tried really hard to get him over and only succeded several years later when he became a comedy act alongside Santino.

What he is now is a bland foreign heel. It ain't the 80's anymore, he'll have to have more about him about him than that.

 

[The Eighties]

My SN probably gives me away but I like the 80's traditional monster heel booking, I agree that he needs to take some detours from the formula as he develops otherwise he'll have a short lifespan, at least as a top end performer, but for the first 3 or 4 weeks I don't see anything wrong with a few squashes.

I like how WWE are presenting him, I don't actually know his background but it showcases him to the audience as a legit athlete type. I think what sets him apart from Kozlov is that he is actually good, he can be explosive and is very mobile and agile, look at his brief part in the main event, he snapped off his offense crisply and it looked strong as opposed to lumbering and cautious.

I think steadily building from matches with Kofi and Dolph to a program with RVD would work well for Rusev, and if he gets over enough I think Sheamus and Cesaro make good opponents with John Cena as his ultimate goal in a year or so.

 

[Jericho91]

I see Alexander coming into the WWE Title Picture 3 to 5 years from now.

As far as the Intercontinental Titles goes, he deserves a title shot by the end of this year or probably next year 2015.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

I'm gonna go the other way and say that I love the old school, foreign heel gimmick that he has going. It just isn't something that I've seen used effectively in quite a while, and Rusev and Lana put together a good spectacle that's been catching my attention so far each week.

Lana's accent is a little grating, and I don't know if she's going to be a fit long term, or when the time comes, to move Rusev onto a stronger manager. I can see him working well with Heyman, but that's not much of a stretch. Too bad Dutch has the American zealot gimmick, otherwise he'd be the perfect mouthpiece for Rusev down the road. For now though, Lana works perfectly with him as he's getting built up, and who knows... maybe she grows while that's happening and does become a great, permanent fit.

Either way though, they have a lot of potential with Rusev, and I don't really see the Kozlov comparisons, just for the simple fact that I never once found Kozlov interesting, and this guys managed to catch my attention immediately.

 

[The Eighties]

I'm gonna go the other way and say that I love the old school, foreign heel gimmick that he has going. It just isn't something that I've seen used effectively in quite a while, and Rusev and Lana put together a good spectacle that's been catching my attention so far each week.

Lana's accent is a little grating, and I don't know if she's going to be a fit long term, or when the time comes, to move Rusev onto a stronger manager. I can see him working well with Heyman, but that's not much of a stretch. Too bad Dutch has the American zealot gimmick, otherwise he'd be the perfect mouthpiece for Rusev down the road. For now though, Lana works perfectly with him as he's getting built up, and who knows... maybe she grows while that's happening and does become a great, permanent fit.

Either way though, they have a lot of potential with Rusev, and I don't really see the Kozlov comparisons, just for the simple fact that I never once found Kozlov interesting, and this guys managed to catch my attention immediately.

I'd like to see Lana strike deal with Heyman down the line that would see them function with Rusev in the way that Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette worked with Yokozuna.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm not really sure what to make of him right now. He's a genuine powerhouse, but he's not some big, lumbering, clumsy brute that one might expect of someone his size. I haven't seen nearly enough of him to form any sort of solidified opinion, however. As I've only recently gotten the WWE Network, like a lot of others, and I haven't been able to keep up with NXT as often as I'd wanted to.

My initial gut reaction is that this gimmick has a fairly short shelf life. Rusev is playing this Ivan Drago themed, powerhouse heel that's tearing through low-card guys in 2 minute squash matches. His manager/translator is a gorgeous, long legged blonde who does all the talking for him and while that's all well and good, I just haven't seen nearly enough to be sold on the guy.

 

[wrestler36]

I'd like to see Rusev challenge for the IC or US belt in a few months. He can win the US title and make some sort of issue with a Bulgarian holding the US title. Maybe have Zeb and a crew of guys always challenge to win the belt back or something like that. Either way, it would be cool to see Rusev win one of those belts and have a real long reign with it. The reign can culminate all the way to the next WM. It would add some prestige back to the titles.

 

[Pedigree1]

I havent seen enough of Russev to form a proper opinion of the guy. I have the network,but have been unable to keep up with NXT due to well Life getting in the way.. Alexander though,is a legit powerhouse and very athletic for someone his size.. I just dont know if the whole foreign monster gimmick has a long shelf life or not.. Im not sure,he reminds me of Drago from Rocky IV like many others have said...

Russev belongs no where near any title picture for at least 18 months minimum IMO.. I think long term,best fit for him will be a Paul Heyman Guy,just a monster who destroys everything he sees..

 

[Mustang Sally]

Some people are comparing him to Vladimir Kozlov, saying he'll end up being a jobber comedy act.

Yes, that's the first thing that occurred to me, too. As far as I can see, Koslov was presented to us as a barrel-chested, stoic monster....and his downfall began when he got involved with other people. The idea of a brooding loner who marches by himself through WWE is appealing, and it appeared at first that they'd handle Koslov that way. Of course, once he was reduced to teaming with Santino, his goose was cooked.....and then burned to a crisp when he engaged in a dance contest, for crying out loud. Goodbye, Koslov.

Keep Rusev as a lone wolf with an aura of mystery and they might have a chance of building him into a long-term force. It's fine to have the girl accompany him; that she seems to be the only one who communicates with him adds to Rusev's sense of inscrutability, which is good.

On the other hand, what you don't do is have Rusev cast as part of a group, as was done last night when he was a soldier in Triple H's gang of heels that went to tag team war against the Shield. Watching Rusev cooperating with the others, waiting to be tagged in before going to work, was damaging to the "loner" aspect of his character he'll need to establish himself.

Keep him by himself with the girl calling the shots.......as most men are better off with a woman controlling them, anyway.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

I don't see him becoming a comedy act, but I do see him possibly becoming a Jobber to the Stars like Umaga, who ran roughshod on the roster until he was fed to the top dogs.

And i really want to stop doing this. I'm as guilty as anyone. As soon as someone debuts, we all try mapping out how the person's career is going to go, and looking for guys from the past to compare him to.

So this Umaga comparison is the last time I'm doing this on the board.

 

[capnwillie]

Rusev has a future. He's a massive guy with obvious power but with a lot of agility to be exciting in the ring. And Lana... ohhhhhh Lana. That woman is an absolute 10! If he can't get over based on his own merits, she'll at least be able to keep him relevant. In my humble opinion, she's the best piece of eye candy in WWE since Stacy Kiebler.

 

[billmac]

His potential and his future have nothing to do with his ability. He reminds me of Umaga through and through. The way they wrestle, don't talk, and their look are all comparable. Which is not saying anything bad, I was a big fan of the way they booked Umaga and think he was the best in ring monster heel since Kane's original run.

But like I said his success doesn't rely on any of that. It's all on Lana. If she can get me, and the rest of the WWE Universe to hate her he'll be over immediately. Good managers do that. Think of all the mediocre talent that Heenan managed who were only important because you wanted the Face they were rivaling with to plow through them and rip The Brains tongue out. She has to get herself to a level rarely seen these days for a ringside personality. It'll be tough to find time and booking that will get her there, especially since the Zeit Geist of the live crowd is to boo the baby face and cheer interesting heels. But I'm cautiously optimistic.

Rusev has everything he needs to be a big time heel, but the pressure will always be on his manager to make him matter, whether it's Lana or someone else down the line.

 

[drobs85]

Yea all Wwe is doing is copying rocky. You have this sexy blonde that yells and screams at their man and orders them to stop and they listen. Like someone mentioned sick of these monsters being built up to lose when it matters. Then on top of that they let Rusev in the RR have us wait another three months to see him again only to face Ryder, and Richard Pryor. Wtf.

 

[Caldwell205]

Have to agree with my fellow horn, the rumble debut and delay was not very well thought out.

He has the tools to go in the ring, but they've got to get him involved in a program with someone pretty quick or its going to stall out. I'd assume he kills 3MB in the next couple weeks, but that better be followed up with a Kofi or something.

 

[Sabutage]

I find him so boring, his look isnt impressive to me. Maybe it could change once he moves out of squash matches but thats my first impression.

 

[avi01]

I don't see the long term value here. He looks like a monster, is very athletic but that's not new in the WWE. Short term, I am sure they can build him like an unstoppable force for a while until they feed him to Cena or some other guy they would like to push. He lacks personality that would give him a long term value. There have been a lot of big, strong guys like him before, many have failed because they never looked like anything more than a physical specimen. Lana is hot but that's it, she won't be able to actually have people emotionally investigated in Rusev. But hey, it is early days and he has not feud with anyone yet..so maybe he can be a surprise. But so far, I see only a short term value.

 

[UltimoPhatty]

This type of character is a cancer to wrestling. Once he evolves past this BS he'll sink or swim based on talent.

 

[Reflection]

I think Rusev's character sucks. Like many others pointed out, it is a gimmick that has been tried over and over again and always ends in the same way. And the cold war is long over; Americans these days aren't stupid that they would give heel heat to a bland guy and an annoying mouthpiece just because they are from Russia or one of its neighbouring countries. If anything, they will get the John Laurinaitis/Dixie Carter heat a.k.a "get the fuck out of here" heat. This formula comes off as similar to some of the troll accounts on here and WZ whose acts scream "I'm begging you, please hate me! please react to me!", but no one cares- and that's how Rusev's run will also end.

 

[MMA Mark]

Yeah I am not a big fan of the generic foreign monster heel schtick. I think the best feud off the top of my head for him would include a pairing with Heyman and Cesaro, where Lana and Cesaro become an item and Rusev gets jealous, leading to a rivalry.

 

[Tech N9ne]

Though the gimmick isn't new or refreshing, I think it's perfect for Rusev at this time. I get the Kozlov comparisons, in a sense. But he lacked a good mouthpiece from the get go. He botched the company name in his first appearance. I think it was destined to fail from that moment. I enjoy Rusev in ring much more than Kozlov and for me, that's difference enough. He's a big dude that moves GREAT for his size. Nothing is a guarantee, but I think he'll get over. Lana is a big help for him. That in itself cuts the fail rate down, even if only a little bit, because he won't have a chance to embarrass himself on the mic.

 

[Mark Henry's Beard]

Even though he certainly has more talent, it's hard not to see Rusev as Kozlov 2.0. It seems every couple of years, the WWE debuts and tries to push a new monster heel. The last one I can recall getting over was Umaga, who like Rusev, was legitimately talented and had a mouthpiece. So, there's hope for Rusev, at least. I just don't have a lot of it after witnessing the utter failures of Kozlov and Tensai (I know) who received similar gimmicks and pushes. The problem with the gimmick is where does he go once he loses? WWE hasn't had an answer for that in awhile.

Hopefully, Rusev shows he has some staying power, because his entrance music is fucking badass.