He performed on NXT until 2014 when he and his manager Lana were called to WWE's main roster. He is a three-time WWE United States Champion.
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Miroslav Barnyashev (born December 25, 1984, Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian professional wrestler who is best known for his time in the WWE under his in-ring name Rusev where he became the first and only Bulgarian wrestler to work there. He is currently signed to AEW where he wrestles under the ring name Miro. He holds both Bulgarian and American citizenship. In 2010, Rusev signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling, which was later rebranded as NXT in 2012. He performed on NXT until 2014 when he and his manager Lana were called to WWE’s main roster. He is a three-time WWE United States Champion. He was released by WWE in April 2020.
Rusev was born on December 25, 1984, in Plovdiv, which was then part of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. He attended a sports school while growing up and competed in rowing, powerlifting, and sambo as an adult. He started his wrestling career by taking training under Gangrel and Rikishi at the Knox Pro Wrestling Academy. He then became a part of an Independent wrestling promotion New Wave Pro Wrestling under the ring name Miroslav Makarov. In 2010, Rusev joined the Santa Maria, California-based independent promotion Vendetta Pro Wrestling (VPW).
| Name | Miroslav Barnyashev |
| DOB | 25 December 1984, 37 years |
| Height | 183 cm |
| Weight | 138 kg |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler |
| Professional Debut | 2008 |
| Wife | Lana |
| Professional Name | Rusev |
Rusev signed for WWE in 2010 and was assigned sent to its developmental territory under the ring name Alexander Rusev. In 2012, he travelled to Thailand, where he studied Muay Thai. He made his return to FCW rebranded as NXT in 2013 and lost his first singles match to Ziggler. In 2013, Rusev started appearing with Lana as his manager and later joined the WWE main roster in 2014. He went head to head with various superstars like Xavier Woods, R-Truth, Big Show, and others. Rusev bagged his first professional wrestling championship and became the first Bulgarian-born champion in WWE history when he won the United States Championship from Sheamus.
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In 2015, Rusev along with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Wade Barrett started a group named ‘League of Nations’. In 2016, Rusev won a battle royal by eliminating Zack Ryder to become the No. 1 contender for the United States Championship. He then went on to win the title for the second time by defeating Kalisto at Extreme Rules via submission. In 2017, He started his feud with Randy Orton and was defeated at SummerSlam in 10 seconds. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event in 2018, he faced The Undertaker in a Casket Match, but he lost.
WWE United States Championship (3 times)
Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2014) – Team Cena vs Team Authority at Survivor Series
| Movie Name | Year |
| Countdown | 2016 |
| Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon | 2016 |
| Another Version Of You | 2018 |
Rusev married American wrestler and model Catherine Perry also known as Lana. They got married on Jul7 29, 2016 and they reside in Nashville, Tennessee. Lana was born on March 24, 1985, in Gainesville, Florida. She is of Portuguese and Venezuelan descent. She spent several years of her childhood in the Latvia, where her father worked as a Christian missionary. From an early age, Perry aspired to become a ballet dancer like her mother. She attended the Riga Choreography School (the ballet school of the Latvian National Opera) and began dancing with the Latvian National Ballet at the age of 14.
Rusev received a call on April 15 that changed his life. His character, Rusev, was no more. He was informed that he was one of many performers being released by WWE in a cost-cutting measure as a result of the pandemic. He has since gone on to sign for AEW.
