After months and months of inactivity, Miro reportedly reached a mutual agreement with All Elite Wrestling to part ways in February 2025. In April, Miro revived his Rusev ring name and returned to WWE, where he is now in line for a Good Old-Fashioned Donnybrook Match against Sheamus at WWE Clash In Paris. During a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Rusev opened up about his move back to WWE following a near five-year run in AEW.
"[I decided] after I learned that I'm the best in the world. Right after I decided that I was there for a few years, I beat up quite a few people, and I've gained my confidence way more than I had before in WWE. All the experience from the years before, what I've been taught by John Cena, the Big Show, by all these great amazing superstars that I fought in WWE, I had to put to test right when I was in AEW to form. I had to use everything I've learned. And after I did that, after I experimented, after I saw that I'm the best one there, I thought it was time to come back, no doubt. Because I still have the goal to be a World Heavyweight Champion here in WWE."
Rusev's initial run under the WWE banner spanned a decade, with his official main roster call up coming in 2014. Over the next six years, he became a three-time United States Champion before departing from the company due to talent cuts. Shortly after, he joined AEW and reinvented himself as "The Redeemer," which resulted in a reign as TNT Champion. After losing the respective title, however, Rusev's frequency of in-ring performance took a massive dive as he only wrestled 13 matches between late 2021 and 2023.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Denise Salcedo with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
