The Rusev Dilemma

[achromat666]

Everyone complaining about Rusev possibly losing to Cena....you do realize this is a soap opera, that bad guys are created to wreak havoc on the good guys and ultimately the good guys triumph in the end, otherwise the audience hates the product and quits watching.

The fact WWE gave Rusev a win over Cena at FastLane is a huge bonus for him, and give Cena credit, he's a company guy who loses when asked (think Hulk Hogan gives that loss ). Yes, it's to build to a W-Mania match with Cena winning but you have to see the forest for the trees.... 1) Cena's match will be among the four biggest on the card, likely tied with Taker-Wyatt and just underneath Sting-HHH & Lesnar-Reigns in terms of importance to the card's promotion 2) If you are working with Cena in that scenario and are allowed to have a strong showing even in a loss it's a great thing for you.

fans get so hung up on wins and losses....it's how you are portrayed over all in the storylines and how competitive the match itself is that matters, much more than actually winning. Otherwise Randy Savage wouldn't be a HOFer, he'd be a slightly more memorable version of George South, the prominent career jobber in the NWA and AWA, after all, Savage spent most of his first two years in WWE getting beaten by Steamboat and Hogan, at least in match results, yet he was portrayed in such a way that he was ELEVATED in the minds of the audience. Same with Sting vs Ric Flair, Sting became a sensation and hugely popular star based largely on the fact that he came really close to beating Flair in great matches without actually winning. Think about that for a minute. It was years before he won a meaningful match vs Flair and in the end lost more high profile bouts between the two than he won, yet that feud made him a superstar.

Edge's work with John Cena took him from tag team guy and mid carder to full blown lead heel and main eventer, a major elevation for him as a legit top tier singles star, although he lost most of their matches.

If Rusev is promoted strong going into the match and after the event and especially if he is given the chance to have a strong showing in their actual Mania bout he will get a huge boost from this, even if he loses to Cena.

My issue has nothing to do with whether he loses to Cena or someone else, it's the value that has been placed on his undefeated streak. The point of my OP has nothing to do with Cena. It has everything to do with how monsters with Undefeated streaks are typically booked, and how badly they're generally handled after the streak is done.

Yes a match with Cena at WM is a big rub for Rusev, but what will they do with him afterwards? I don't see a long feud with Cena and he's beaten most everyone else on the roster. Undefeated streaks paint you in a corner from a booking standpoint and I have no confidence that they'll handle Rusev well once it's broken.

In this case it's not the fans that have placed the huge value on the win loss either, it's the writers. Rusev is being defined by it and while he's certainly better than the likes of Ryback who started out being booked exactly the same way they never handle talent well once that is done. They generally fall down in the card and get lost.

 

[DCLXVI]

I like Rusev a lot, he is the modern incarnation of The Iron Sheik. I did not see this gimmick lasting as long as it already has. His promos are some of the most authentic sounding on the roster... he actually comes off as a pissed off foreign fighter. Before he used Lana more as a mouthpiece (bada cssshhh) with the predictable crap but he has came a long way. Comparing him to Golberg isn't really fair either because this guy can work lengthy matches and actually sells.

I'm interested to see where this goes because he just took out Cena and I didn't see this lasting as long as it has. If he loses, have him move on and not fall into a pitfall of losing every match... I don't think he has to have Lana like he did before.

 

[LuckyLouie]

They managed this gimmick perfectly for him to transition into solo career without Lana. He is from Bulgaria, he has a Bulgarian flag tattoo, he doesnt speak Russian at all. So I am sure this is a sort of Lana controls him kinda thing. When they let Rusev be the Bulgarian Brute, we will see a little more of him. When is that going to be. I dont know but I have a feeling John Cena will have something to do with it.

 

[rge2010]

I think when Cena defeats Rusev at Wrestlemania, Rusev needs to be humbled and start some kinda comedy character.

The stuff Kozlov did with Santino was hilarious - drinking cups of tea and stuff. I think Rusev would fit in well Adam Rose?

 

[MCMG]

One loss won't hurt him that much. Especially if it's against Cena. The guy is still an antagonist with a great mouthpiece. He is still a big guy, too. The undefeated streak is nice but it has to end at some point and now, at Wrestlemania, to John Cena is a decent time. Cena wins and the next night Rusev takes him out. Sure he wouldn't be undefeated but he would be the guy to injure John Cena. That counts for a little momentum. Plus, the commentators can reiterate that the only person to pin him was a 15-time World Champ and one of the best ever.

The alternative is prolonging it. Rusev stays undefeated for a little longer but who stops him? Reigns is the only name I can think off and there is the chance people just get bored of the streak. There would be very little unpredictability in all his matches. We know he isn't going to lose on TV, even to guys like Ambrose or Reigns, so that hurts the match.

I like the undefeated streak, it has been great booking. I wouldn't mind if it were to last longer but ending it at Mania can allow Rusev to progress with his career. Something Ryback and Goldberg could never ever do (I am in no way suggesting Rusev is at Goldbergs level). There were both merely ass-kickers who squashed people. Rusev is so, so much more.

 

[Dave]

I think when Cena defeats Rusev at Wrestlemania, Rusev needs to be humbled and start some kinda comedy character.

The stuff Kozlov did with Santino was hilarious - drinking cups of tea and stuff. I think Rusev would fit in well Adam Rose?

I really hope you're kidding. But I can tell by what you're saying that you're not. And that is sad.

Rusev is one of the most believable heels that the WWE have did right in the last few years. They have given him the whole arsenal of heel dynamics, from being a foreigner who is proud of his heritage and rubs it in everyone's face, to having the dominant undefeated streak. And truth be told, it is really paying off.

So going down the comedy role right after that would be the biggest booking disaster in his career. He is a legitimate talent that could be a main stay in wwe for years as long as they ha due this part of his career well. Look at Santino and Koslov now... That is not the route to go down with someone who can genuinely be a big time player in the WWE.

 

[BeastFromTheEast]

If Rusev loses, they should try something like having him snap and go insane. Emphasize the viciousness and violence of his attacks. Even Lana can no longer control him.

^^^^This a million times over. I see this as being the only way of keeping him as a true threatening monster once the said streak comes to an end. It may even elevate his character and give it some more depth.

 

[MasterDebator]

This is less a problem concerning Rusev and more an issue with WWE's booking. Character development and depth are often substituted for a dominant winning streak. Couple that with a tired, weak focus on heritage and culture and you have an enormously under-written character who has gotten over on sheer in-ring intensity, talent, and presence (and a wildly attractive mouthpiece).

Winning streaks inherently set wrestlers up for a letdown.

Also, side-note: Rusev, up until Fastlane, exhibited almost ZERO heel qualities. Are we supposed to expect he's going to earn longevity based solely on being Russian?