Opinion
Is Today Truly Rusev Day?
Rusev Day is over. The gimmick that came from out of nowhere has taken the WWE Universe by storm. That kind of magic is rare so when it happens, fans from all walks of life can appreciate it. They cheer it, they chant it and they can’t get enough of it.
But in this modern era of pro wrestling, what does it truly mean to get over? At first glance it does seem that all a guy needs is a trendy catchphrase to set the world on fire and suddenly he’s thrust into the main event scene.
After all, where would Stone Cold Steve Austin be without “Austin 3:16?” Would The Rock have become The Rock without “If you smell what The Rock is cooking?” How could Daniel Bryan have beaten the odds without the Yes Movement?
History may very well be repeating itself. WWE may have a new headliner on its hands, a rejuvenated Superstar who’s ready for his day in the sun. Is Rusev taking his first steps on a year-long road that could lead him to world title immortality at WrestleMania 35?
Is that really what’s happening? Rusev’s WWE career began in 2010 and during the past eight years, he’s been the heel that fans love to hate. He’s big, he’s scary and he’s ferocious. Rusev is everything a monster villain should be and much more.
Rusev is easy to hate. He has no redeeming qualities as a heel; he’s merciless, vile, and he never does the right thing. He spewed venom at America and everyone that stood up for the red, white and blue. All Rusev wants to do is crush and he usually always crushes the guys that fans love.
He did his job and he did it very well. WWE pointed him at its top babyfaces and Rusev wreaked havoc on all of them. Vince McMahon loves the big mean antagonists and Rusev definitely fit the bill. What more could anyone ask for in a heel?
But somewhere along the way, Rusev fell into a rut. Fans were no longer impressed. They were complacent. He was still big, still mean and still scary. But he was also treading water. It’s not as if the crowd didn’t appreciate him anymore; they just didn’t seem to care.
However the Rusev Day gimmick has changed all of that. Suddenly all of the potential that fans saw in him from day one has once again manifested itself. Rusev is a heel but he’s become a favorite for many that believe he deserves to finally get a shot at the top. But would it work?
Fans saw something of themselves in Daniel Bryan’s character. He shouldn’t have a chance. Life had beaten him down so many times, how could he ever hope to rise up? Why did he keep fighting? It was obvious that WWE didn’t want him on top, so why should he even try?
But every time fans looked into Bryan’s eyes, they saw it. They saw him. Bryan was special and everyone knew it. Behind his calm demeanor was a man that was raging to succeed. He knew what he could do and he knew how good he was in the ring. He would not be denied and fans could see that. They lived through him and without their support; he never would have made it.
The Peoples Champion was hated from the start. The Rock was a smiling babyface that wanted approval but did not get it until he turned against the fans. Rock made them love him because of his natural charisma and he kept them interested because of his unpredictability.
He was good in the ring and better on the mic. Rock was a star and every time he was on camera, he chewed up the scenery. The Rock was on the road to big things and the fans knew it. He exuded an air of confidence that only the truly great talents share. Rocky was an entertainer. He was born for the bright lights and no one worked harder to get to the top than he did.
Steve Austin became Stone Cold thanks to the 3:16 promo. He grabbed the fans’ attention and he never let it go. He struck at just the right time and gave the crowd the kind of hero they had not seen since Dusty Rhodes. Austin was a man’s man and he captivated the crowd with every word and every match. He was real. He was believable. Like The Rock and Daniel Bryan, Stone Cold was inspiring.
When was the last time Rusev inspired the crowd? When fans look at The Bulgarian Brute character, do they see greatness? As he’s flanked by Lana and her phony accent, does Rusev come across like the real deal? At what point did Rusev’s job as the big nasty heel suddenly morph into that of the wildly popular Superstar on the verge of big things? Is Rusev Day truly that monumental?
Or is the crowd just enjoying the gimmick? Maybe Rusev is getting over because its fun to chant for him. The fans that toss beach balls around during the show are the same ones that randomly chant nonsense during matches. They cheer heels, boo babyfaces and often try to take over the show.
So if Rusev is indeed put to the test and given the platform to prove himself, will fans go along for the ride? Will they support him the way they did with Austin? The Rock? Daniel Bryan? Is it possible that Rusev is over only by today’s standards? Could it be that’s actually good enough?
Rusev is selling merchandise and that’s a good thing. He’s becoming more valuable to WWE. Rusev the man had done more than enough to succeed. He put the work in. He shared the ring with the best and he held his own. Every time he’s had the chance to impress, he’s done it.
After eight years maybe this is the best time to see if he really can connect. Maybe he is more than just a catchphrase. Maybe it truly is Rusev Day after all.
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MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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