Opinion

Is WWE Finally Ready For Rusev Day?

Published

5 years ago

June 24, 2018

After winning a 5-man Gauntlet Match and pinning The Miz on Tuesday night, it looks like it’s time for Rusev to grab the main event spotlight. The Bulgarian Brute, who is over as one of the more popular performers on the company roster, will get a shot at A.J. Styles and the WWE Title at Extreme Rules.

It’s a long time coming for Rusev, who took the company by storm when he made his move to the main roster in 2014. Booked as a dominant heel in feuds with John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, and Roman Reigns, Rusev was the perfect fit as an anti-American wrestler who reminded many of villains of the past like Ivan and Nikita Koloff, Baron Von Raschke and The Iron Sheik.

Rusev is the first Bulgarian-born performer to crack WWE’s main roster.

WWE is doing the right thing by moving away from the Styles-Shinsuke Nakamura feud, concentrating on other rivalries heading toward SummerSlam and Survivor Series. Rusev is still booked as a heel wrestler, but his “Rusev Day” gimmick and his connection to his real-life wife Lana has made him an instant hit with WWE’s fan base.

It was only two month ago fans and the wrestling media were talking about the former United States champion leaving the company following WrestleMania 34 and an on again, off again match with The Undertaker at The Greatest Royal Rumble show in Saudi Arabia.

Rusev’s path to the main event has been skewed, much like many other heel wrestlers who were booked improperly during their careers. Nikita Koloff was one of the better heels of the late 1980s until he became a babyface after Magnum TA’s near-tragic accident. WWE booked Bray Wyatt as an unstoppable force upon his arrival, but his popularity with the fans softened his dominance. The same holds true for Braun Strowman, Kane and Undertaker and Sheamus upon his arrive on the main roster.

WWE must work double-time to promote this as Styles versus a rising superstar. It’s a feud opposite of the Styles-Nakamura confrontation where agility and history dictated one of the better stories told in some time. Rusev is big, strong, powerful and skilled as a beast. Styles is crafty, a ring technician and one of the smaller heavyweight champions of his generation.

Opposites attract, which is something WWE is counting on in this confrontation. Can Rusev reach the top of WWE’s mountain, or will he become another big man who grabs for the brass ring, only to be turned away? Will the company make this more than a one-match event? More importantly, does this kind of a feud capture the fans’ attention enough to divert attention from a Jeff Hardy-Nakamura feud for the United States Title?

The most important part of how this feud is booked is Rusev and his ability to sell the match and a feud with Styles, who he shook hands with after the Gauntlet match. WWE hopes it has struck lightning in a bottle with this confrontation. Fans hope they will see a superior main event at Extreme Rules.

Personally, I hope we see a change of champions, where we can finally say it’s “Rusev Day” and have it mean something more than just a catchphrase.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka from WrestleMania 34

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2023

Chris King

WWE WrestleMania 34 Charlotte Flair Asuka

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

We look back at Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 34. ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ put her unprecedented and historic undefeated streak of 914 days on the line against ‘The Queen’s’ SmackDown Women’s Championship.

For years, this was considered a dream match while Asuka dominated the roster in NXT, while Flair won numerous championships on the main roster on both Raw and SmackDown. The Empress made her long-awaited debut on the September 11th episode of Raw and began to tear through the competition.

Asuka outlasted all twenty-nine other women in the historic first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match to challenge for the title of her choosing. At Fastlane, she made her choice.

The WWE Universe was so excited for this match myself included. Both superstars delivered a fantastic performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All executing counter after counter. Asuka showed off some nasty-looking kicks to her opponent, and Flair hit a thunderous Spanish Fly off the top rope. Flair was seconds away from defeat at the hands of The Empress but she locked in Figure Eight and Asuka was forced to tap out.

I can’t even begin to explain how shocked I was at this outcome, as nearly everyone expected The Empress to continue her undefeated streak and walk away with the women’s title. This controversial decision was the downfall of Asuka’s momentum. She would ultimately win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2018 TLC pay-per-view in the triple-threat ladder match.

Fast forward to this year when Asuka has recently returned with her Japanese-inspired persona Kana. Kana is dangerous and ruthless and is heading into a championship with Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. The Empress has regained all her momentum and is highly favored to walk away with the Raw Women’s Championship. Let’s hope that Asuka and Belair can tear the house down and deliver an A+ grade match both women are fully capable of.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

King: Dominik Mysterio Needs To Do This At WrestleMania

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

Published

2 months ago

April 1, 2023

Chris King

Chris King is here with what WWE should do with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania in his long-awaited match against his father Rey Mysterio Jr.

On this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Rey Mysterio finally snapped and beat some sense into his disrespectful punk-ass kid Dominik. The member of the Judgement Day came out to push his father again for a match on the Grandest Stage of Them All, this time with his mother and sister at ringside. The ungrateful punk told his mom to “Shut Up,” as a father even I wanted to jump through the screen and whoop his ass.

Back in October of last year, Mysterio made the emotional decision to possibly quit the company but, instead, Triple H persuaded the Lucha libre superstar to move over to SmackDown to avoid his son. This came after Dominik shockingly turned on his father at Clash at the Castle. Mysterio did everything he could to refuse his despicable son’s challenge for Mania but, a man can only be pushed so far. Mysterio will be inducted into the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame and I expect Dominik to embarrass his father during his speech to further this personal feud.

Yes, the WWE Universe hates Dominik and wants to see him get the ever-loving crap kicked out of him but, this feud is missing a special ingredient to capitalize on the biggest heat possible. Throughout this feud, Dominik has made mention of the legendary Eddie Guerrero on several occasions going back to the “iconic” 2005 feud.

I know WWE might not want to go this route but, Dominik MUST come out to Eddie Guerrero’s theme at Mania. The disrespectful punk needs to come out in a lowrider to garner nuclear heat. It doesn’t matter if The Judgement Day comes out and causes interference for Dominik to get the win, all that matters is that both superstars get the biggest payoff of this nearly year-long feud. Just imagine the Roman Reigns heat after he defeated The Undertaker and multiply that by ten. Dominik portrays the perfect heel and he truly is the missing ingredient that The Judgement Day needed to grow and evolve into a top faction.