3 Ways WWE has already proven Tony Khan wasted Rusev in AEW

Former AEW star Rusev has been presented as an unstoppable force in WWE since his return. He made his comeback to the company on RAW after WrestleMania. To assert his dominance, he immediately targeted and decimated the Alpha Academy. Fans were eager to witness Rusev's return to the WWE ring after more than five years.

After leaving the global sports entertainment juggernaut in 2020, the former United States Champion joined AEW and had an interesting run in the initial months. He wrestled as Miro and held the TNT Championship for many days. However, over time, things weren't looking good for Rusev, as he hadn’t been featured on television since December 2023.

Reports revealed that creative disagreements between him and the promotion were the primary reason for his hiatus. Initially, his contract was supposed to last until 2026, but Tony Khan granted him an early release in February 2025. Just a couple of months later, Triple H signed him once again.

Rusev has been receiving huge praise for his recent WWE run. While Tony Khan had the same opportunity to push him, he failed to do so. Let's take a look at some of the ways Triple H is booking the former United States Champion correctly.

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#3. Consistent push

Miro was one of the top powerhouses of the promotion during the pandemic era. While he was pushed as a top champion, his run was filled with loopholes. His promos were powerful, but they were never followed up by anything solid. After a while, fans lost interest in the former TNT Champion's push.

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Meanwhile, WWE introduced him impressively. The next week, he put out his mission statement and issued a warning to Alpha Academy. On this week's RAW, Rusev brutally decimated Otis. He kept his promise, and fans are more interested in his character than ever before.

#2. Tony Khan failed to capitalize on the 'Redeemer' gimmick

Fans loved the Redeemer gimmick in AEW. The God's Champion cut powerful promos during his run and also performed well in the squared circle. However, inconsistency affected his performance. Many believed WWE might not bring the Redeemer gimmick, but the promotion has booked the former United States Champion better than expected thus far.

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Meanwhile, Tony Khan didn't capitalize when the crowd was responsive to him. It will be interesting to see how long Triple H can keep the momentum going for Rusev.

#1. Rusev booked as an untamed monster

The former TNT Champion didn't tend to break any rules during his WWE tenure. However, the Bulgarian Brute doesn't seem to play by the rules. On the latest edition of RAW, he defeated Otis in a great bout. He made the Alpha Academy star submit and continued the hold.

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Later, RAW General Manager Adam Pearce and other officials tried to stop him, but the powerhouse refused to back down. The Anti-Authority gimmick could do wonders for the former United States Champion's run.

It will be interesting to see who will be the next in line to get decimated by the former AEW star.

About the author

Tejas has been an AEW writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling since 2021. Possessing a degree in Food Processing Technology, it was his brother who introduced him to Sportskeeda, and he has never looked back since.

Tejas’ writing style is analytical and descriptive style, mostly sticking to statistics. He believes in thoroughly checking all statistics and information before using them in his articles to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate stories. He also does not indulge much in speculation in his content.

His all-time favorite wrestler is Roman Reigns for his journey from being one of the most unlikable babyfaces at the start of his career to one of the greatest modern WWE superstars. If Tejas ever got the chance to go back to the Attitude Era and manage a superstar, it would choose high-flying, risk-taking diminutive entertainer Spike Dudley. Tejas would assure him that he would be involved in long-term storylines, something that he wasn’t part of during his time.

In his free time, Tejas enjoys singing and learning new things.

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Edited by Neda Ali