Rusev made his return to WWE during the RAW after WrestleMania 41, five years after being released from the promotion in April 2020.
On a recent edition of the “Wrestling Time Machine” podcast, former WWE manager Dutch Mantel shared his issue with Rusev’s comeback. He said,
“I did see Rusev by himself. He’s very if you just look at him, he’s a big guy but he’s short. He’s not really impressive that much just to look at. So unless he does it in the ring, where else is he going to get that ‘I’m unstoppable’ [aura]. That’s what they’re trying to make him.”
Rusev’s return comes after years as part of AEW, though he was not used in any matches for his final year with the All-Elite promotion.
On his first night back, Rusev attacked Alpha Academy (Akira Tozawa and Otis) and defeated Otis in his first match back with the promotion.
