Rusev's Future After Lana

[The Brain]

It's pretty obvious that Rusev and Lana are on their way to a fallout. It started slowly with Lana upsetting Rusev by giving John Cena a US title match at WrestleMania. Then Rusev blamed Lana for the loss at said mania match. Now Lana has really been getting on Rusev's nerves by stealing the spotlight during his matches. Lana has always had a little bit of a following and the fans have become much more vocal about it in recent weeks. It's reminiscent of Sable and Marc Mero in 1997. In 1998 Sable and Mero split up and feuded for a few months. Once the feud was over Mero disappeared from the WWF and hasn't been seen since. I don't think Rusev's future is so bleak but I am a little concerned what will become of him once he no longer has Lana by his side.

I was very pleasantly surprised by WWE's handling of Rusev since his debut last year. Sometimes the creative team seems to have a very short attention span and at times can give up on a talent before he really gets going. That hasn't happened with Rusev. He's been booked strong from the beginning. He had a long undefeated streak and scooped up the US title along the way. Now the streak is gone, the title is gone, and soon Lana will be gone too. What will become of Rusev once his sex symbol mouthpiece is gone?

Hopefully Rusev doesn't just fade into the background. I think he will need a new mouthpiece. He's definitely the kind of guy that benefits from having someone in his corner. Maybe he can get another diva on his side. Anytime someone is in need of a manager people want to mention Paul Heyman. That could work. How about Zeb Coulter? Rusev has beat Jack Swagger's ass enough that maybe Zeb could come back saying he's tired of being associated with a loser and start backing Rusev. I hope Rusev aligns himself with someone after he's done with Lana. If not I fear for his future.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

The split between Lana and Rusev is coming, there's no doubt about that, and with the way things are going, Rusev's future looks bleak.

We’ll see the breaking point for the split during or after Payback, and it’s clear the fans will rally behind Lana, with Rusev playing the overbearing and verbally abusive brute. Rusev losing to Cena again at Payback is a forgone conclusion, because out of all the people on the roster, I honestly can't picture John Cena of all people saying the words "I quit." With a different match stipulation, there's a slight chance for believing in Rusev to beat Cena, but that's not the case here.

For a man of his size, Rusev's speed and athleticism is something to admire. He delivers inside the ring, but let's be honest, without Lana as his mouthpiece, there's a good chance Rusev would've faded into obscurity as another generic anti-American heel a LONG TIME ago.

It's a 50/50 split for Rusev's success as a heel, because Lana did a fantastic job, as this condescending, snobbish, and arrogant woman, with a high pitched and nasally voice, who constantly belittled America and Americans week after week. I sincerely hope WWE has a solid back up plan for Rusev after the split, because Rusev is in for one hell of an uphill battle without his heat magnet.

 

[Prince Vee]

Well let me ask this question first. Where will Rusev goes after he yells (apparently/most probably) "I QUIT" at the end of the the US title match against John Cena at Payback. Its not about Lana in the first place at least for the moment. Its about his pride. Where will he go after that humiliation in front of the heavy crowd??

Then there's gonna be Lana leaving him so soon and that's another nail rammed in his coffin! He's gonna lose his valet and the mouthpiece.

But why would he need Zeb Colter? That's asinine! He's been booked as the Real American so I don't think so. Maybe he can be the next Paul Heyman guy but with still Brock Lesnar around the corner another Paul Heyman guy is a disdain..

Cheers!!

 

[laodaron]

So, I absolutely trust that we're in for a swerve. The WWE has to keep Rusev strong, and has to keep Lana with him to get some white heat coming his way. She HAS to be able to swerve us at Payback, otherwise, her face turn will shit on and ruin Rusev's momentum far more than any clean pin to Cena can do.

 

[shafe_41]

I've said it since he debuted. I don't like Rusev. His gimmick is old, dated, not original, and has NEVER worked for anybody long term in years. His presentation with Lana is half his gimmick. You march him out to the ring as a heel with that music waving that damn flag all by himself, and he's Ludvig Borga, Kozlov, etc... We see how that turned out right? He's an "I hate America" heel with nothing else to offer. When your escort is more popular than you are, it's the Mero/Sable thing all over again. Give it until the end of summer and you will have Rusev jobbing to Ambrose, Ziggler, and hell... probably Ryback on a weekly basis. I don't like him. I've never liked him. His gimmick will take him nowhere. He needs a total repackage.

 

[enviousdominous]

Do any of ya'll remember Colonel Ninotchka from GLOW? I had to biggest crush on her growing up, and Lana seems like her second coming.

I want my pro-wrestling to be interesting, which means that at times it can't just bow to the whims of an overzealous crowd. Sometimes it's better to play the crowd than to submit to it.

I don't like the idea of Lana being a fan favorite, I think she's more lovable when she's playing hard to get.

I realize that my predictions have probably the worst hitting average when compared to that of anyone else on this forum, although, I think I know people better than the WWE creative team.

What I'm really hoping will happen is Lana will continue to show her lighter side here and there and it'll drive Rusev bananas. John Cena cuts some promos about how Lana should think about switching to the US side and Lana shows hesitation in rebutting the offer. This creates tension for Rusev going into his match with Cena at Payback, and Rusev wins back the belt due to some kind of swerve on part of Lana who claims that she was only pretending to like American trends.

Obviously Lana can get over simply because beautiful women are the most powerful marketing ploy in human history, I'd like her to get over for showing more class that anyone (male or female) while keeping a huge chip on her shoulder regarding American pride. Rusev is stuck in the mid-card of an ever increasing roster of mid-carders, if he loses Lana then it won't be long before he's losing to Neville.

 

[OYDK]

I don't think it's obvious at all that a split is in the works. Simply because there's no reason for it. Lana is not holding Rusev down and Rusev's not holding Lana down... quite the opposite actually.

So let's say Lana turns and becomes a mega-face... than what? Where does all of that momentum go... to another wrestler? Probably not, considering that whoever Lana is paired with after Rusev will be an afterthought (much like Marc Mero was all those years ago). If she's not paired with somebody after Rusev than her role is... what? Authority figure?

Lana belongs with Rusev... it's beneficial to both and the pairing just works. A swerve at Payback in which Lana somehow gets Cena to say, "I Quit" would be the best route to go in my opinion.

 

[wrestler36]

I wouldn't mind him taking over the enforcer position that Kane has with the authority. He can still be the 'brute' but move away from the whole russian nationalist thing. It would be cool to see him be a badass the way Meng was in WCW, when we fought in a dress shirt and dress pants. Rusev can do the same thing with the Authority without having to speak all that much.

 

[chicagokmc]

What WWE should do with Russev is give him the role that Lesnar, in my opinion, flourished in. That role is the loner, ass kicker not in bed with the Authority and not interested whatsover in being a face. WWE could have been on that path now but they screwed it up by aligning him with the Authority last Survivor Series. That just made him another heel kissing the Authority ass. Is his gimmick stale? Sort of but by definition it sets him up to be a loner not willing to ally himself with any American heel or face.

WWE could fix this easily though. Have him win Money In the Bank. That gives WWE a year to storyline it properly, figure out the Lana thing, etc. Worst case scenario if he doesn't progress as desired or if the other people in the title picture are just too good, Russev cashes in and loses. They've done that before.

 

[The Brain]

But why would he need Zeb Colter? That's asinine! He's been booked as the Real American so I don't think so.

I don't know if you've noticed but it's quite common for people to change their character traits and personalities in wrestling. Let me see if I can think of an example. I know, how about one of the very people we're talking about in this thread. Lana has been booked as a cold hearted no nonsense heel. All of a sudden he is basking in the cheers of the fans and dancing with Fandango as he opposes her man. Zeb hasn't been seen in months. It's not asinine to think if he returns his character could be tweaked a bit. Swagger has failed against Rusev many times so maybe Zeb would find it beneficial to switch sides. Crazier things have happened, especially considering the idea isn't so crazy in the first place.

 

[HurriKane]

I really think this match doesn't do anything for Rusev or Cena. I'm going to go overboard with the booking, but I would have Rusev do something crazy to win. Not by causing Cena punishment, but like maybe handcuffing/tying Cena to the rope, grabbing a "fan" over the barricade, and putting him in the accolade until Cena says "I quit". This could do a number of things in my opinion, maybe Lana can begin turning face even more with her believing that Rusev's methods of winning was too far, and if she leaves, Rusev can still have his U.S title, and go on with a gimmick of doing anything he can to keep his title...

And Cena loses while still looking somewhat strong. They can continue the feud or end it there.

This is just fantasy booking here.. Because I really, really don't want Rusev (or Cena for that matter) to say I quit in a conventional sense.

 

[PeterSellersSTL]

Rusev is smoldering with subdued charisma, I'm not too worried about the guy. It's Lana I'm worried about. What exactly are their plans for her? It sounds like they're planning a complete reset of her character and she's not even a wrestler.

I really wish they'd keep them together but with or without her the Rusev Legacy will continue. Where does Rusev go after Cena is the real question. WWE is really lacking in the face department.

 

[stingray11214]

Look, the breakup is going to happen whether we like it or not. The reason is that WWE needs a marketable Diva. Lana is that person in spades. And, she will do it as CJ or whatever she was called in her Florida State days. She will be taken off TV, sent down to NXT, and come back as a Diva who is beelined to the Divas Strap. She has the skill set for a smooth transition from Manager to Superstar. Hell, some of you might be calling her the Greatest of all time if Bernkastel sets up another Women's WZ Tournament.

But, this is about Rusev, and that die was cast when they put him up against Cena. No way in hell will Cena lose an "I Quit" match. Rusev will probably wind up a lower mid-carder, and become a jobber to the stars until he is eventually released and goes the Indy Route, while his RL partner is running around as Divas Champ.

 

[DCLXVI]

I really can't see this what is next for Rusev after his inevitable loss in the "I Quit" match coming up... Lana may have some involvement to cause their final break up, but Cena as a character is not going to quit. Rusev was built very well with a year of dominance, before going into the Cena program. The WrestleMania match was okay... now feud their has gone a PPV or two too long, especially after that horrible "Russian Chain Match" on Extreme Rules. Wasn't anything "extreme" about it accept that it made me extremely sleepy.

It would be a shame if they were to spend all that time building Rusev only to culminate in a Cena burial. Then again, I didn't think this throwback Russian-anti-American stereotypical gimmick would have lasted this long. The best thing Bray Wyatt has done up to now was the Cena feud and it took months to reestablish him afterwards - and while some people may be tired of Bray's promos - the guy has a promo toolbag as good as a Hollywood actor and had vignettes running constantly to dig his way out afterwards. I don't see them giving Rusev that kind of time. I think Rusev needed a big feud or two against some credible guys (other than beating up Jack Swagger 100 times) before hitting the Cena ceiling.

As for the Lana break up, they've obviously been teasing it for months. I know she was filming a movie or something for them, so I figured it was for time off for that. She's a model/actress, not a wrestler, so I don't see them putting her back to square one and going the Diva route. I am absolutely clueless what they will do with her. I actually find Rusev believable as a pissed off organic foreign heel who has shown he can sell moves and deliver when he needs to. He is also in the prime of his career. Lana is kind of distracting for me lately and I am not feeling their chemistry. I guess we are supposed to be sympathizing with her getting yelled at by Rusev then she suddenly doesn't hate America anymore, manages someone else and is just a pretty Face valet? Wouldn't make sense, but it is WWE. Either way, they don't need to drag this out any longer (*cough* Mizdow). Speaking of Swagger earlier, wow... they took him from being on RAW to who the fuck knows.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Sometimes the creative team seems to have a very short attention span and at times can give up on a talent before he really gets going. That hasn't happened with Rusev. He's been booked strong from the beginning.

Very true. While folks on this forum were criticizing Rusev for being boring, I was getting more into what he was doing week after week. He is a heel who acts like a bad guy but wrestles like a face, systematically breaking down opponents and applying his finisher without ever rushing into it. He's got his own individual ring style, and I can appreciate that.

The growing popularity of Lana seems to have developed spontaneously, which is a nice change from the company trying to direct it into being. Fans were starting to cheer her even before she began waving and smiling at them. It will be interesting to see if she's still special after she parts from Rusev.

Rusev's future is harder to guess. If WWE Creative can't come up with something, he's going to be just another USA-hating foreigner whose program ceased to be of interest once it ended.

While Rusev seems capable of speaking for himself, I'd put him with a talker. A Paul Heyman (seems as if we have him in mind to accompany a bunch of wrestlers, no?) or Zack Coulter would fill the bill. I can just see Zack coming back and leading a team of Rusev and Jack Swagger; the anti-American and the "real" American. The contrast might make for an interesting program.

Honestly, though, I like Rusev as a singles performer. Give him a manager, sure, but let him handle matches by himself. I think he's got the goods to do it, although reading that he just lost cleanly to Ryback might not bode well for Rusev's status as a main event performer.

 

[kadroan]

It's pretty obvious that Rusev and Lana are on their way to a fallout. It started slowly with Lana upsetting Rusev by giving John Cena a US title match at WrestleMania. Then Rusev blamed Lana for the loss at said mania match. Now Lana has really been getting on Rusev's nerves by stealing the spotlight during his matches. Lana has always had a little bit of a following and the fans have become much more vocal about it in recent weeks. It's reminiscent of Sable and Marc Mero in 1997. In 1998 Sable and Mero split up and feuded for a few months. Once the feud was over Mero disappeared from the WWF and hasn't been seen since. I don't think Rusev's future is so bleak but I am a little concerned what will become of him once he no longer has Lana by his side.

I was very pleasantly surprised by WWE's handling of Rusev since his debut last year. Sometimes the creative team seems to have a very short attention span and at times can give up on a talent before he really gets going. That hasn't happened with Rusev. He's been booked strong from the beginning. He had a long undefeated streak and scooped up the US title along the way. Now the streak is gone, the title is gone, and soon Lana will be gone too. What will become of Rusev once his sex symbol mouthpiece is gone?

Hopefully Rusev doesn't just fade into the background. I think he will need a new mouthpiece. He's definitely the kind of guy that benefits from having someone in his corner. Maybe he can get another diva on his side. Anytime someone is in need of a manager people want to mention Paul Heyman. That could work. How about Zeb Coulter? Rusev has beat Jack Swagger's ass enough that maybe Zeb could come back saying he's tired of being associated with a loser and start backing Rusev. I hope Rusev aligns himself with someone after he's done with Lana. If not I fear for his future.

I guess he can be like how Bryan was when AJ didn't marry him and feud with her. Whatever face superstar she aligns with, they could feud against each other as Lana tries to make Rusev's life a living hell.

 

[Navi]

Lana has always been the standout of the pair. Rusev while a good wrestler is boring as shit. She is the one who always got the reaction from the crowds, and still is. Even him kicking her out of the ringside area gets more reaction than the end of his matches.

I have no idea what will happen to him after they split them up. He's not over enough with the fans, heel or face to make it on his own. I've seen him come out at live shows to no reaction from the audience at all. Even if they boo you then they care, no reaction is the kiss of death.

Still at a loss also to figure out what they're doing with him. The WWE built him up for a year as an unstoppable beast, and now he's lost two PPV's in a row. Can't see Cena saying "I Quit", especially as his motto is "Never give up".

The only thing that looks like will happen is Lana will say "I Quit". We have no idea what went on behind that closed door, which I found strange, as usually stipulations are made in the open. But Lana will quit, thereby breaking the two of them up. What happens after that is a mystery right now. One thing for sure, it will generate heat for both Cena and Rusev, as Lana seems to be a crowd favourite right now, and both men will probably get the blame for her leaving.

 

[TML3:16]

I really think this match doesn't do anything for Rusev or Cena. I'm going to go overboard with the booking, but I would have Rusev do something crazy to win. Not by causing Cena punishment, but like maybe handcuffing/tying Cena to the rope, grabbing a "fan" over the barricade, and putting him in the accolade until Cena says "I quit". This could do a number of things in my opinion, maybe Lana can begin turning face even more with her believing that Rusev's methods of winning was too far, and if she leaves, Rusev can still have his U.S title, and go on with a gimmick of doing anything he can to keep his title...

And Cena loses while still looking somewhat strong. They can continue the feud or end it there.

This is just fantasy booking here.. Because I really, really don't want Rusev (or Cena for that matter) to say I quit in a conventional sense.

I'd have him attack Lana and when Cena quits to save her they can say they tricked him and all the stupid americans who cheer her etc.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I'd have him attack Lana and when Cena quits to save her they can say they tricked him and all the stupid americans who cheer her etc.

Not a bad idea to kick start the heat.

I guess for one the pro-Russia / anti-America character can cool off a bit and just make him a Russian Killing Machine. He has the size and intimidation factor and just get head the same way Umaga did. Squashing and beating the cr@p out of his opponents.

 

[laodaron]

In order for the switcheroo swerve to really work, though, Lana and Rusev have to sell a massive rift before the PPV. He has to berate her on Raws, push her away, send her tothe back, and she needs to cry, show emotion, have her shown to be asking for help in the back because she's scared of Rusev, etc. Then Cena needs to promo on how Rusev doesn't deserve Lana, how much work Lana has done for Rusev, how she's dedicated herself to him, and how he can't appreciate what he has. Then have Lana come out and thank Cena on the Raw before Payback. Have her smile, and have her pose for the live crowd.

Then at the PPV, Rusev bans her from ringside, but then he looks REALLY hurt, so she comes out to check on him. Then he grabs her, and puts her into the Accolade while Cena is maybe handcuffed, tied up, somehow unable to GET to Rusev, so he yells I QUIT. Then Rusev and Lana get up, smile at each other, hug, and Rusev poses with his second chance as the US Title.