If Rusev becomes a Heyman guy

[BRAT]

There is a lot is buzz surrounding Lana's departure from Rusev. The majority supports that this was a big mistake because Lana was Rusev's voice and moreover she was adding something attractive to his character. Many believe that now Rusev will start fading and become a mid card superstar.

Imo, Rusev will fade if he continues the way he does. He entered the elimination chamber match for the intercontinental championship and this may demonstrate that the creative have given up on him. It seems that he will feud with Ziggler for Lana even though he could feud with a top card superstar again and win this time.

That said,my idea is that Rusev becomes a Heyman guy,conquers even top stars(as he should have won Cena) and becomes a constant threat to the WWE WHC. This would eventually lead to a Rusev vs Lesnar match with Heyman being in a dilemma. If you want to push this more, Heyman interferes,helps one of his clients win and a storyline is set to begin.

This may be a far fetched scenario but I truly want to see this happening. He will be wasted in the mid card(with many others). An advocate can elevate him and make him a viable member of the WHC scene. Do you think this will happen ? If not,what are some future plans for the Bulgarian Brute?

 

[Woodstuff]

Rusev will fade if the fans stop reacting to him. WWE finds stars by listening to crowd reaction. Dolph Ziggler is a key example. 2011-2013, fans cheered for Dolph despite him losing week after week. Now, he's established his personality and is enjoying time in the spotlight. If fans jump on board with "yawn, another Rusev match", he'll probably slip down the card.

But then, even if Rusev flops, that doesn't mean the guy playing Rusev will 'job' on Superstars and fail to succeed in WWE. It's all about that character development. Lana's face turn might open 50 doors of opportunity for Rusev to develop his character and truly claim his place on the main roster. It really does depend on how WWE use him going forward from the split. If they continue with this silly anti-Anerican Russia angle, I can't imagine he's going to get over with the crowd long-term. If they switch it up and give him more of a personality, I thiink he could be a top heel in WWE.

Lana breaking away from Rusev isn't a bad thing because no one really knows what's next. Only time will tell.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

If Rusev became a Heyman guy he would probably go the route of Ryback or Axel or Matt Morgan or every other Paul Heyman guy not named Lesnar or Punk. Heyman will overshadow them and add nothing viable to their character.

Heyman is a star attraction, he is that good on the mic. That is why you have to pair with with either A) A true larger than life figure like a Brock Lesnar or B) Someone already established who can match Paul on the mic like Punk was able to. Rusev is a big guy who has shown solid mic skills, but I don't think he qualifies for either category.

I like Rusev, but he is neither of those things. He is capable of great things if handled correctly, but pairing with with Paul is not a good idea.

 

[stingray11214]

People need to understand why WWE pulled Lana from Rusev: They want a Divas face with "supermodel" looks. Paige does not fit that. The Bellas are getting old. So, guess who is left? Lana is going to disappear to be repackaged in NXT. So, what CJ Perry becomes after repackaging is anyone's guess. She will, more than likely, NOT become the wrestler Lana. My question is that will Rusev and "Lana" continue to have pics with each other? They are a couple non-kayfabe. They own a home in Nashville, and they have been spotted at Predators' games together.

As for Rusev becoming a "Heyman Guy": I doubt it. Heyman really cannot do much for Rusev if Creative can't. Rusev, sadly, will drop down into mid-card purgatory. What I do worry about with Rusev is that he is made into a comedic character in the muse of Volkoff or Vladimir Kozlov. He deserves FAR better than that fate.

 

[Hem]

I don't want to see Rusev as a Paul Heyman guy. Not every guy who needs a manager has to go to Heyman. Paul is in the end just a man, he can't handle all of the talents or the talents can't hang with him.

Since being a manager Paul has had more failures than successes as far as amount of talent he's taken under him go.

Can't they find Rusev another manager? Remember when Paul Heyman got Cesaro away from the Real Americans? That was an awesome feud in our minds but it turned out to be shit.

My point is when someone builds up a guy who is strong enough to face a Paul Heyman guy, it feels more important. I think Paul should be reserved for Brock. I don't think Rusev Vs. Brock is where the money is at in any case because I don't see Rusev being in Brock Lesnars league.

I think WWE should try out a few new managers at live events, see which one works the best and have them accompany Rusev from then on.

Also the split doesn't have to make Rusev fall down the card, he may still rise. It all depends on what creative has in mind for him.

 

[Navi]

Maybe this is the best thing to happen to Rusev in a long time. It will let us see if he really can go it alone, or if Lana was the drawing card the whole time.

There are already rumours flying that the Russia thing is going to disappear, and he will not be carrying the flag and any reference to Putin will go away. I've already noticed in his promo's, you don't see Putin anymore, and I can't remember the last time I did see him.

They are going to be calling him the Bulgarian Brute, as he is from Bulgaria, and he'll probably stop wearing that stupid star ribbon thingy as well. It would seem the WWE and Russia have entered a cold war.

I also don't want to see him as a Paul Heyman guy. We have to stop this thinking that somehow Paul Heyman has some sort of magic wand that he waves and get wrestler's over. Besides Rusev and Lana have been portrayed as lone wolves all this time, and it makes no sense for all of a sudden him to be aligning himself with Heyman.

 

[stingray11214]

Maybe this is the best thing to happen to Rusev in a long time. It will let us see if he really can go it alone, or if Lana was the drawing card the whole time.

It is Lana. The eye candy was getting the cheers

There are already rumours flying that the Russia thing is going to disappear, and he will not be carrying the flag and any reference to Putin will go away. I've already noticed in his promo's, you don't see Putin anymore, and I can't remember the last time I did see him.

Not a rumor anymore. They are calling him The Bulgarian Brute.

They are going to be calling him the Bulgarian Brute, as he is from Bulgaria, and he'll probably stop wearing that stupid star ribbon thingy as well. It would seem the WWE and Russia have entered a cold war.

They already are. The only connection to "Russia" was in Lana, who was raised in the Baltics.

I also don't want to see him as a Paul Heyman guy. We have to stop this thinking that somehow Paul Heyman has some sort of magic wand that he waves and get wrestler's over. Besides Rusev and Lana have been portrayed as lone wolves all this time, and it makes no sense for all of a sudden him to be aligning himself with Heyman.

Good minds think alike. Heyman would do more to make him a Jobber because Heyman is so much the superior talker and performer, that Rusev would wind up looking like a potted plant.

 

[Aquaman6686]

If Rusev became a Heyman guy he would probably go the route of Ryback or Axel or Matt Morgan or every other Paul Heyman guy not named Lesnar or Punk. Heyman will overshadow them and add nothing viable to their character.

Finally someone else gets it. Paul Heyman is not some miracle worker. He's ruined more careers than he's helped. It's only VERY rare Superstars that benefit from Paul Heyman's presence. For the vast majority, Heyman hogs the spotlight, makes their storyline all about him, and then the wrestler's career is sabotaged, and Heyman is off to sponge attention off someone else.

If Rusev became a Paul Heyman Guy, it would be the beginning of the end for his career.

 

[RJ Fletcher]

I would like to see him as Seth Rollins new bodyguard.

I think he is very talented and deserves some time. However, I do like the idea of him being a Heyman guy. I was hoping that Brock (before he signed on again) would have SOME sort of interaction with him. I would've been happy with staredown with Rusev/Lana and Brock/Heyman.

 

[MartialHorror]

Personally, I'm fine with Rusev's promos. His english might be broken, but I have an easier time understanding him than I do Neville. He's always so intense and passionate on the mic, which is a nice contrast to most modern day promos, which are more laid back and snarky. When he was freaking out at Lana, I was almost scared for her.

In my eyes, it's not necessary. Rusev's promos are better than Lesnar's, whose voice undermines his badassery. Lesnar needs Heyman. Other stars need Heyman. Rusev is like Cesaro in that as long as his promos are within his limitations, he can deliver them effectively. However, I do think Lana and Rusev made for an interesting pair and don't think it was wise for them to split. Part of me suspects though that Lana is only flirting with Ziggler in order to set him up. He's one of the only wrestlers around who can create heat for Lana if she betrays him.

 

[Lord_Frish]

Rusev doesn't need Heyman. Rusev is good enough on the mic for his mid card status. He has far more passion and emotion in his promos than most others chasing after the mid card titles. When he gets going, people listen and he draws a good amount of heat as well. He is one of a very few that isn't trying to be the cool, sarcastic heel.

A second reason why he doesn't need Heyman, booking him over the next few months is easy. Lana needs to be defended from him. He is going to yell verbal abuse at her for a long time. He can even beat down people who are trying to protect her. It is classic heel stuff that works well. Think of Kane going after Trish, only to have Jericho sacrifice himself for her and so on. It didn't work for Marc Mero, but not much was going to work for him really, plus he jobbed to Sable too often. I think Rusev can be as scary as Kane was back in '03.

 

[OYDK]

Why does Rusev need anybody? I don't get this rhetoric that Rusev is some terrible talent that only got over because of Lana... give me a break. Rusev is the one having the great matches, Rusev has been the one controlling the microphone for some time now, and he still receives one of the biggest reactions on the roster. I'll admit that Rusev may have originally gotten over because of how brilliant Lana was, but along the way, he developed and became his own man. He stood toe to toe with Cena on the mic and in the ring for 4 months... how many people can say that?

At the end of the day, talent wins out over all. If Rusev is talented enough, which he's shown that he is thus far, he will be fine whether he's with Lana, Heyman, or all by himself.

 

[Navi]

Why does Rusev need anybody? I don't get this rhetoric that Rusev is some terrible talent that only got over because of Lana... give me a break. Rusev is the one having the great matches, Rusev has been the one controlling the microphone for some time now, and he still receives one of the biggest reactions on the roster. I'll admit that Rusev may have originally gotten over because of how brilliant Lana was, but along the way, he developed and became his own man. He stood toe to toe with Cena on the mic and in the ring for 4 months... how many people can say that?

At the end of the day, talent wins out over all. If Rusev is talented enough, which he's shown that he is thus far, he will be fine whether he's with Lana, Heyman, or all by himself.

Because he did get over because of her. She is the one who brought the heat not him. He might be good in the ring, but so are so many others. Lana has always been the one who was seen to be in control, he merely followed behind her. Even to the point where she was the one who had to step into the ring to order him to break the Accolade.

I would also take exception to him being wonderful on the mic. Half the time you can't understand a word he's saying, and his catch phrase "I will crush you." got old quickly. If they had debuted Rusev without Lana, I'm wondering if he would even be in the WWE today.

 

[Mustang Sally]

That said,my idea is that Rusev becomes a Heyman guy,conquers even top stars(as he should have won Cena) and becomes a constant threat to the WWE WHC. This would eventually lead to a Rusev vs Lesnar match with Heyman being in a dilemma.

If something of this order happens, it would certainly mean Rusev had made it to the main event level at which I think he belongs.....and yes, the sight of Heyman being conflicted by his representation of opposing performers in a single match would be a compelling event. In fact, it could even lead to Rusev, with his systematic approach to wrestling, managing to defeat Brock, which would really be something, particularly if it was for the world title.

Even so, while folks on this forum have tons of performers they feel would benefit with Paul Heyman managing (or "advising") them, I believe Rusev can handle the mic chores by himself. He knows just where he's going when he speaks and doesn't need anyone to take the mic out of his hands.

No, I don't feel Rusev needs Heyman, unless Creative can come up with a Rusev program that require's Paul's presence in ways other than strictly being his mouthpiece. Honestly, if they can create something unique for Rusev after his anti-American rant, he can rise to the top.....he already has the tools, with or without Heyman.

 

[OYDK]

Because he did get over because of her. She is the one who brought the heat not him. He might be good in the ring, but so are so many others. Lana has always been the one who was seen to be in control, he merely followed behind her. Even to the point where she was the one who had to step into the ring to order him to break the Accolade.

And that is why I admitted that Lana was the one who ORIGINALLY got Rusev over, but you seem to be forgetting the last 6 months where Rusev has REMAINED over relatively by himself. When was the last time Lana commanded Rusev to do anything? When was the last time she told him to crush, or force him to break The Accolade? When was the last time she did anything for Rusev? Also, so many others don't have the physical stature mixed with the ability that Rusev has in the ring... sure people like Zayn, Sheamus, Neville, Ziggler, etc. are great in the ring, but are they 300 pounds?

I would also take exception to him being wonderful on the mic. Half the time you can't understand a word he's saying, and his catch phrase "I will crush you." got old quickly. If they had debuted Rusev without Lana, I'm wondering if he would even be in the WWE today.

Well, people seemed to be very invested in his feud with Cena and I doubt it was strictly because of the matches. I never said he was wonderful on the mic, but he's good enough to the point where he doesn't need anybody talking for him; he does just fine by himself.

Everyone has an opinion and that's fine, but you've also gotta give credit where credit is due... the guy could barely speak English when he debuted and he has improved vastly in every aspect. To get to a point where you can feud with John Cena over 4 months in your rookie year is quite the accomplishment, and to say that Lana did it all by herself is just ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Doesn't seem like Heyman wants to work that much right now. I'm not sure if he will ever get back to the appearance numbers he did a couple years ago with Lesnar then Punk.

If so, Rusev would be a strange pairing in that describing him is so similar to describing Lesnar yet pales in comparison. If Heyman is going to be around and stay with Lesnar at the same time, give him a tag team or lower card guy to attach and build.

Or not, I really have no idea and am sticking to my stance that, like Lesnar, he doesn't need or want to work that much.

 

[Navi]

Everyone has an opinion and that's fine, but you've also gotta give credit where credit is due... the guy could barely speak English when he debuted and he has improved vastly in every aspect. To get to a point where you can feud with John Cena over 4 months in your rookie year is quite the accomplishment, and to say that Lana did it all by herself is just ridiculous in my opinion.

I give credit where credit is due, and I have, he is very good in the ring. But to say he barely spoke English when he debuted is incorrect. He's been in the US for the better part of 8 years. In a Youtube video I recently watched from FCW in 2011, his English is perfect.

This half English/Bulgarian stuff he spits out on RAW is an act. And I still say if he didn't have Lana with him, he wouldn't nearly be as far along as he is now. So Lana deserves a lot of getting him to where he is, now it's up to him to stay up there.

 

[OYDK]

I give credit where credit is due, and I have, he is very good in the ring. But to say he barely spoke English when he debuted is incorrect. He's been in the US for the better part of 8 years. In a Youtube video I recently watched from FCW in 2011, his English is perfect.

Ok, my fault. Hadn't followed Rusev before he got to WWE. Still, it's pretty tough to perfect a language even over 8 years. Should tell you about the guy's work ethic and drive, if nothing else.

I still say if he didn't have Lana with him, he wouldn't nearly be as far along as he is now. So Lana deserves a lot of getting him to where he is, now it's up to him to stay up there.

I can agree with this. Rusev was pretty green when he first debuted and Lana was the one who helped carry him through that. But for the last 6 months or so, he's already proven that he can carry himself just fine at his current level. I just don't believe that Lana is the be all-end all of Rusev like some other folks on this forum.

 

[yourdamnluck]

The only guy heyman ever helped get over was lesner and that too because he is a beast with great wrestling ability. Paul Bearer and vicky were more successful than him. Heyman is a bit overrated and if you keep pairing him with every second guy it will expose heyman. He needs to be exclusive for his own sake. Pairing him with rusev will be the worst thing you can do to both of them.
If wwe has no faith in rusev's mic skills they should keep him with Lana. She is equally good on mic and much more pleasing to the eye than heyman.

 

[MartialHorror]

One of the problems with Heyman is that he tends to steal the show from the person he's trying to get over. He's a bit...too good on the mic. When Paul Bearer represented Taker or Kane, I never felt like the spotlight was really on Bearer. It's debatable whether Lana has the same affect on whoever she represents.

I don't mind, as Heyman is awesome.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The only guy heyman ever helped get over was lesner and that too because he is a beast with great wrestling ability.

The comparison between Lesnar/Heyman and Rusev/Lana is interesting.

Watching Brock and Heyman during promo was a show in itself, with Brock alternately smiling and scowling at Heyman's words, yet I always felt this arrangement was just another way of WWE catering to Brock's desires, as if Vince McMahon was saying in his recruitment efforts: "And Brock, not only do you get a couple million bucks for working only three PPVs per year.....but you barely even have to talk!"

Meanwhile, someone earlier in this topic said Lana was a vital reason for Rusev's impact.....and I agree. At first, she did almost all the talking; when Rusev deigned to speak at all, he did it in a foreign language. As time went on, they began splitting mic chores until Lana's only useful function was to become a target for Rusev's verbal abuse. By that time, he was doing most of the talking.

At this point, Rusev can go it alone......while in the other corner, I don't see Brock ever agreeing to work his limited schedule without a mouthpiece in attendance to spare him the chore of doing mic work......and spare us the pain of having to listen to him.

 

[MartialHorror]

The problem I had with Lana is that I felt she was saying the same thing over and over again. This is actually the same issue I had with Zeb- remember him?- whose rants started blending in together. Heyman might take too much time introducing himself, but his promos are generally fun.

I often wonder what would happen if Zeb and Swagger split up. Swagger is about the most boring talker in the company, so he sort of needs someone to speak for him. But even then, Zeb seems kinda bland as a face and has gotten monotonous as a heel. I wish Lana said other things to draw heat instead of just 'America sucks, Russia is awesome.' She's been around for a year and I'm still not sure what she's really capable of, but she's over. Then again, I guess it is impressive to get over by just delivering the same speech over and over again.

I do find it funny how the only reason fans embraced her is because she was absent once or twice.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

I'm not sure how this pairing would at all be logical, as the conflict present seems to be between Rusev who is a heel and Lana who is clearly over as a babyface. Heyman and Lesnar were both seen last on Monday Night Raw, cutting a babyface promo and setting up some level of conflict with Rollins and the Authority. This will certainly be resumed upon Lesnar's return in a few months. How would it make any sense for Heyman to be aligned with Rusev in a heel role and then turn around and be a babyface with Lesnar upon his return?

A far more logical route would be for Rusev to align himself with another manager, preferably a female, and continue to build on the feud with Lana. Then, maybe, Rusev and Lana get back together at some point down the road. It could have the makings of some Macho/Sensational Sherri/Miss Elizabeth stuff.

 

[Sundar]

I actually like this idea in a way. Unlike Ryback, Rusev has a legit Muay Thai background and looks like a shoot fighter. Losing to Cena multiple times has kind of watered him down a bit but they can build him back up by pairing him with Heyman and having him destroy everyone in his way. Imagine Heyman and Lana on the mic, it would be interesting to say the least. Heyman continuing to treat Lesnar as his primary client when he shows up could eventually sow the seeds for a feud down the line and eventually they could have a highly physical match at a PPV like Extreme Rules or Summerslam. Simply being in a match with the beast could do wonders for Rusev's career.

 

[kadroan]

There is a lot is buzz surrounding Lana's departure from Rusev. The majority supports that this was a big mistake because Lana was Rusev's voice and moreover she was adding something attractive to his character. Many believe that now Rusev will start fading and become a mid card superstar.

Imo, Rusev will fade if he continues the way he does. He entered the elimination chamber match for the intercontinental championship and this may demonstrate that the creative have given up on him. It seems that he will feud with Ziggler for Lana even though he could feud with a top card superstar again and win this time.

That said,my idea is that Rusev becomes a Heyman guy,conquers even top stars(as he should have won Cena) and becomes a constant threat to the WWE WHC. This would eventually lead to a Rusev vs Lesnar match with Heyman being in a dilemma. If you want to push this more, Heyman interferes,helps one of his clients win and a storyline is set to begin.

This may be a far fetched scenario but I truly want to see this happening. He will be wasted in the mid card(with many others). An advocate can elevate him and make him a viable member of the WHC scene. Do you think this will happen ? If not,what are some future plans for the Bulgarian Brute?

I don't see nothing wrong with him in the IC title picture. It's a step up from the US title. He failed to win the title back from Cena and you can only do Rusev vs. Cena so many times.

The current WWE WHC is heel so it's not like Rusev could compete for the WWE WHC right away. So in the mean time, no need to rush him in the main event. A feud with Ziggler may be what's needed, show fans he can stand on his own vs. needing Lana.

Eventually if he didn't break away from Lana, the only reason he'd get a reaction is because of Lana not himself.

Being paired with Heyman is the last thing Rusev needs, especially with Brock coming back soon. Rusev, like Cesaro, would be overshadowed by Brock.