Rusev debuted at the 2014 Royal Rumble before embarking on a long undefeated streak. Later, he was promoted to the main roster and went head to head with some of the best in the business.
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Rusev was one of the most interesting characters in WWE for a long time. Ever since his debut with his manager (now wife) Lana, he evoked a response from the crowd no matter what. He openly pledged allegiance to the flag of Russia and that sure ticked off most people in whichever arena he was in. In short, Rusev could not be ignored. After a short stint in NXT, he debuted at the 2014 Royal Rumble before embarking on a long undefeated streak. Later, he was promoted to the main roster and went head to head with some of the best in the business. No matter what, he is viewed as one of the most consistent performers in the wrestling world and in this article, we will take a look at some of his best rivals.
If you go head to head with John Cena, then you know that you are of great value to the company and that is what happened to Rusev. He crossed paths with Cena at the very first Fastlane pay-per-view. Cena was the face of the place and was viewed as indispensable for years. When the two men stepped foot inside the ring for the first time, Rusev came out on top thanks to some underhand tactics as he used a low blow. The leader of the Cenation then took on Rusev at WrestleMania 31 and came out victorious in a hard-fought match.
Read more: Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs The Undertaker and other rivalries in WWE
Kalisto was the perfect opponent for Rusev. A small and agile man taking on a powerhouse of a man. Rusev started feuding with Kalisto when the latter was the United States champion. Kalisto was coming off a successful title defence against Ryback and Rusev was the next man in line. The fact that this rivalry pitted a small man against a larger one is what made this rivalry so unique. Rusev and the Luchador went head to head on various occasions but when it mattered the most, the Bulgarian Brute won the match and in the process become a two time United States champion.
Shinsuke Nakamura was at an all-time high in the company after his 2018 Royal Rumble win. The Japanese superstar was on course to take on AJ Styles at WrestleMania but in the short term, we saw him go to battle with Rusev. And that did not disappoint. Nakamura and Rusev put on a great show and had the fans on the edge of their seats throughout the match and both men had an answer for everything the other one threw at them. However, Rusev lost out to Nakamura but his name was highlighted and was on the lips of the fans for a long time.
