Hi Scott,
Leading into this Cena vs Rusev feud, I had higher hopes for Rusev than what Wyatt got last year. I mean in that feud, Wyatt lost, won by bullshit means then lost the feud, ultimately. I really didn't feel it benefited him at all.
Now this year we're going to see FOUR straight ppvs of Rusev getting emasculated, it's almost as if they needed the extra time to kill him off because he hasn't died handily a la Wyatt last year?!
I don't get this thinking that "being in the ring with John Cena is a great rub", it SHOULD be but Wyatt took some building back up again after (has he really recovered now even?), I fear the same for Rusev, unfortunately.
And what's the point in an "I Quit" match?! Really? I get that there is some doubt in some people's minds, but c'mon, really?! They're going to finish four months worth of feud with the most predictable match of the lot!
Keep up the (sports)-entertainment,
Jimmo
Yeah, as I've said before, I think the US title open challenge is doing more for Cena's opponents than this boring Rusev feud is. It seemed to be a gimmick that was picking up momentum, too, which is why it's so baffling that they seemingly have Cena existing in two forms at the same time. Also, if they split up Rusev and Lana it's death for both acts. Talk about decisions that no one asked for, ever.
Meltzer & Alvarez actually tackled this on last night/today's show.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is they're breaking up Rusev & Lana to push Lana. Alvarez says on the show that he was told that Vince doesn't believe that attractive blondes are/should be heels and is completely baffled by any type of heel reaction she gets.
So I would almost guarantee Lana throws in the towel in the 'I Quit' match, Rusev loses again, he loses his shit, they break up, and then they both are going to have to fend for themselves.
It's very easy to see the same thing happening to Rusev that happened to Wyatt, if not worse.
Two Cenas? That would be kind of awesome.
ReplyDeleteAt least Rusev got the win in the first match between the two, which is more than Wyatt got.
ReplyDeleteEasy solution: Lana shouldn't dye her hair blonde...
ReplyDeleteIn the last 5 years, has any guy come out of a Cena feud looking stronger than before they started? The only guys I can think of are Brock and Punk who were both established main eventers before the feud.
ReplyDeleteBryan.
ReplyDeleteHow much of that is due to Cena winning, and how much of that is due to the fact that they have no plans for any of these guys after a Cena feud.
ReplyDeleteThere's a way to have Cena beat Rusev and Rusev come out of the feud still looking like a badass top heel and a threat in the title picture, but it's like they never have a plan past Cena for any of these guys.
Rusev loses, and he and Lana just kinda go their separate ways. No explanation given at all. This is WWE we're talking about after all...
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because he beat Cena. Edge could beat Cena. Punk could beat him. Lesnar too.
ReplyDeleteI don't even understand what they do with Lana. First off, is she still Russian without Rusev? And if not how do you explain the dropping of the accent? Second, what does she do? She's not a wrestler, so are they going to develop her into one, and if not, what babyface is she going to manage that puts her/him over as well as her act with Rusev has gone over.
ReplyDeleteRusev is just the third (fourth? fifth?) coming of the "unstoppable heel" like Umanga and Koslov. Once they get beaten, WWE doesn't know how to keep them credible and they end up just getting jobbed out.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, what do you do with a solo Lana? She is not a wrestler, so it's not like she'll be in a Divas feud, and her gimmick doesn't really fit with any other wrestler.
ReplyDeleteI heard she and Miz are in a Direct-To-DVD movie.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not time for a Rusev/Lana split until at least Wrestlemania 32. And yeah, the blowoff should've definitely been here, a fourth Rusev/Cena match just seems like overkill. They've gotten all the mileage out of this one already. I think Rusev should move on to Ryback or something. Give him something to do.
ReplyDelete"Give him something to do."
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, give him a big win to keep him looking dominant after the Cena loss. Just because he loses to Cena doesn't mean the floodgates should be open and he now can lose to anyone like just another midcarder.
Well yeah. The idea being he beats Ryback by submission keeping the Accolade as a strong finisher.
ReplyDeleteNo, she's in a movie with Edge.
ReplyDeleteMiz is paired with Summer Rae in Marine 4 and then with Paige is some Christmas move they're filming now.
I'm on board with that.
ReplyDeleteHow did Kofi lose his accent? How was the anonymous general manager revealed? It'll be tossed away in a one line joke.
ReplyDeleteYou could be right, but Kofi's accent wasn't his entire character and the Raw GM felt like they pulled a WCW, wanted to do some big return/debut/surprise deal, started the angle before they had any contracts signed, it fell through and they just mercy killed it.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cena should start an on screen relationship with Lana. And still be acting like a good guy. While everyone besides kids boo him. Actually..... yeah... just keep being Cena but add Lana just to give us the middle finger.
ReplyDeleteIt's gonna be worse, because Rusev has NOTHING beyond "unbeaten heel" and "monster."
ReplyDeleteWell, now he's no longer unbeaten and he's not gonna look like a monster after Cena does his thing at Payback.
Wyatt still had some intrigue after he got his Cena Experience. Rusev is gonna be a hairier Santino Marella.
As long as it involves Zack Ryder in a wheelchair at some point
ReplyDeleteJust have Lana suddenly start speaking without an accent and have Triple H come out and say, "What a minute, didn't you used to be Russian?"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42738tjCjZI
Oh that goes without saying.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing we get the Lana throws in the towel finish so Rusev can have a reason to dump her in a finish NO ONE wants to see. Yet he can't afford to tap nor can Cena afford to lose to him right now defeating the purpose of restoring the prestige of the title. Why book yourself into a corner like this? Let the feud cool off a bit, then revisit it at Night of Champions or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI never get why they break up successful relationships so quickly. Lana/Rusev are perfect together and should stay together for a long time to come. Same thing with the Wyatt family.The 3 of them are better off together than apart. Same thing with the Shield (although that has worked out pretty well for Rollins. And at least Reigns and Ambrose have an identity).
ReplyDeleteAs someone mentioned they are going to push Lana, but I imagine they will change her character and will kill the momentum that she does have. Rusev is great, but not the same on his own.
Just so dumb.
After this Cena feud is over, Rusev will go beat up Jack Swagger or someone to get his "heat back" and then end up where monsters go once they start to lose....endless midcard. He can join Ryback there.
"Why book yourself into a corner like this?"
ReplyDeleteBecause we're talking about people who write a wrestling program who have no idea how to write a wrestling program.
Yeah a breakup between them should definitely be a slow burn story like Virgil/Dibiase where you're just begging her to slap him after months of verbal abuse. They've escalated the conflict too quickly.
ReplyDeleteKofi being Jamaican kinda was his entire character for the first part of his WWE career.
ReplyDeleteYeah...but I was thinking that's just common sense writing period but it's not like it's the worst idea they've ever had.
ReplyDeleteagreed about Lana and Rusev, but it doesn't surprise me. They ALWAYS do this with hot females who start to get over.
ReplyDeleteAmazingly enough Russo of all people booked this perfectly with Sable not blowing through the eventual split too fast.
ReplyDeleteRusso with Vince McMahon Training Wheels on wasn't that bad.
ReplyDeleteDo wrestling monsters even make sense in this day and age?
ReplyDeleteI mean, it was a perfect gimmick for the day of the territories, when a big monster could come in, raze hell for a bit, destroy some jobbers and midcarders, and then be vanquished by the big babyface of the moment and sent out of the territory because once he's beat the mystique is gone. Then he could go somewhere else, do the same thing, repeat, etc. And if by chance he came back to that territorie with the same gimmick they could play it again since it had been some time since he'd appeared.
How does this work now on the day of half-a-dozen weekly hours of wrestling programmes and no promotions to go around refreshing the act?
It might be the time to let that gimmick rest in peace.
Especially compared to what we have now.
ReplyDeleteLana's been training to be a wrestler since she signed and the plan was she'd eventually do that. I don't think they expected her manager role to take off like it has, and they've been actively trying to quell her by taking away her speaking time, own entrance, etc...
ReplyDeleteIt sucks she has to break from Rusev, but like others stated here, the hot popular female ALWAYS turns face in these situations. Not that it matters in the Divas division now, at least. But, I expect Lana will quickly die there. Wrong side of 30 now.
I blame that on creative.
ReplyDeleteRusev is going to end up like Nikolai Volkoff in the late 80s. No longer a credible threat and maybe put into a tag team with another foreigner.
ReplyDeleteWyatt needs to re create the family and add more than Harper and Rowan. Go full Ravens flock wit this shit and have Zack Ryder in a Lodi like role (jobber of the group) and other guys who are on main roster doing nothing. A cult leader is supposed to have alot of followers.
ReplyDeletelol i loved Kofi's Jamaican accent than 2 weeks later it was gone.
ReplyDeleteRusev destroys Ryder (while in a wheelchair) because Lana is hanging out with Cena.
ReplyDeleteWhat world does Vince live in where attractive blondes can't be heels?
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. The problem isn't losing to Cena. The problem is no follow-up.
ReplyDelete