Let's be honest, when it comes to the talent, WWE Creative have a healthy habit of messing up on more than a couple of occasions.
2014 has given us a few prime examples—Cesaro's supposed push that never occurred being perhaps the biggest one of all.
However, when it comes to examining the career path of Rusev so far in the WWE, you have to argue that the company have done a pretty good job of keeping him on track thus far.
Having his unpinned streak continue is smart. After all, nobody he's crossed paths with yet has really deserved to beat him.
Having him take down the likes of Big Show and Mark Henry was clever, too. They're not the most prominent guys on the roster anymore, but they're certainly pretty good at putting people over.
Following Raw this past Monday, Rusev's career took yet another gigantic leap forward, claiming his first silverware on the main roster.
The WWE's handling of Sheamus as United States champion hasn't been great, so having him drop the belt to Rusev could well give the title the boost it really needs.
Having an anti-American figure claim the championship will create a fascinating dynamic for the belt and opens up all sorts of possibilities for what could happen next.
Sheamus and Rusev as a duo would be a fantastic feud, not least because they're both incredibly physical inside the ring. Neither are likely to take a backward step, and Sheamus seems like the kind of wrestler that brings the very best out of Rusev.
From here on, Rusev could go completely anti-USA, getting a stack of heat in the process. Changing the name of the belt to the "Russian Federation Championship"—or something along those lines—would be clever, and it could open the path for an American to launch a crusade against Rusev in the coming months.
We've seen such a move happen in the past. Lance Storm decided to stick the Canadian flag all over the belt when he won the title, and it certainly helped to get him some major heat.
Why not do the same with Rusev?
It isn't just the logic that seems right in this decision to pin the belt on Rusev, either. His dominating performances inside the ring have deserved a championship run, too.
Sooner or later, the WWE had to subside and give him a further push. It will be interesting to see how long he gets the belt for before finally losing it—and his unpinned streak, you would imagine.
Rusev clearly has the talent and the gimmick to move toward the top of the card, but it's vital he goes nowhere near John Cena. Hulk Hogan sent out this tweet on Monday night, which will have no doubt worried many wrestling fans:
Sad day for America and WWE Universe,Rusev as US Heavyweight Champion makes me sick,John Cena where are you when we need you brother. HH
— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) November 4, 2014 This isn't a slur on Cena, but Rusev and Cena shouldn't be anywhere near each other over at least the next six months.
As we saw with Ryback's heel turn, he was thrust into a feud with Cena way too soon, and he ended up tumbling down the card without much success. That can't be allowed to happen with Rusev—the WWE have invested way too much time and effort into making him a success just to have him lose to Cena.
If they find the perfect feud for the Russian, there's every chance the U.S. title will once again become an important and much sought-after championship in the WWE.
Giving him the belt was the latest in a series of strong moves relating to Rusev's booking—the challenge now is for the WWE to continue that trend now he's the champion.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1vIyHXK
via IFTTT November 05, 2014 at 05:02AM
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