Rusevs WWE career mightve looked successful from the outside, but behind the scenes, the man now known as Miro dealt with more confusion than direction.
Speaking on the Identity Crisis podcast with CJ Perry, the former United States Champion opened up about the frustrating creative inconsistencies he facedparticularly from Vince McMahon himself.
Perry brought up a 2019 meeting with McMahon after Rusev had dropped significant weight. Vince didnt hold back with his thoughts on the transformation and demanded the old version of Rusev back.
Rusev kept it short, confirming her memory was spot on, Thats what I said, yes. Perry also recalled how Vince justified the decision by saying he had too many babyfaces on the roster but no dominant villains. She noted that Eastern Europeans and Russians were still often cast as the bad guys in wrestling.
But the inconsistency didnt stop there. Rusev then recalled another encounter with McMahon, where he was suddenly asked to do the opposite.
Despite the Rusev Day chants echoing through arenas, Vince McMahon was never fully on board. He only saw Rusev as a powerhouse and nothing more, ignoring the overwhelming crowd support that came with the characters evolution.
WWEs back-and-forth with Rusev is a clear case of a system that can often get in its own way. One week youre a fan favorite; the next, youre back to brute mode. Through it all, Rusev stayed loyal to the processbut now, with his creative freedom outside WWE, hes finally showing the full range of what he can do.
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Do you think WWE held Rusev back creatively, or was it just bad timing? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
