"ANOTHER IDEA STOLEN FROM AEW" - Fans in uproar after WWE star disrespects ex-promotion and Tony Khan's decisions

A former AEW name who recently returned to WWE seemingly took a shot at the Tony Khan-led promotion on this week's RAW. Fans on social media have now shared their reactions to the talent in question, Rusev, returning to the Stamford-based company with a gimmick similar to the one he had in his prior workplace.

The Bulgarian Brute made his WWE comeback on Monday Night RAW after WrestleMania 41, interrupting a tag team match between The New Day and The Alpha Academy and laying out Akira Tozawa and Otis in the ring. His return to the sports entertainment juggernaut came just a couple of months after news broke of his AEW departure, following an extended period of absence from programming.

This week on RAW, Rusev cut a promo in a video package reflecting on having fixed and healed himself outside of WWE, and issued a grim warning to the rest of the locker room. The former TNT Champion's characterization and motivations had marked similarities to his "Redeemer" persona from All Elite Wrestling.

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Fans on X/Twitter were quick to respond to the former Miro seemingly retaining his All Elite character and presentation in the Triple H-run company. Several viewers also reacted to Rusev referring to an "abyss" he fell into after initially leaving WWE, concluding that the line may have been intended as a shot against the Jacksonville-based promotion.

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"We got redeemer rusev," observed a viewer.

"So he took his [All Elite Wrestling] gimmick to wwe huh lol," wrote a user.

"Rusev calling [All Elite Wrestling] the abyss HES A GOD LMAOOOO," wrote another user.

"So AEW is the Dark Abyss? [laughing emojis]," tweeted a fan.

"The best version of Rusev his Redeemer gimmick I am glad he is keeping it here in WWE he crushed it in [All Elite Wrestling] with this," tweeted another fan.

It remains to be seen what WWE has planned for Rusev moving forward on RAW.

Another ex-AEW name jumped ship back to WWE recently

Rusev is not the only former All Elite Wrestling talent to have returned to WWE as of late. After weeks of speculation, Aleister Black finally arrived at the April 25 edition of SmackDown after WrestleMania 41, interrupting and laying out The Miz.

Black's departure from All Elite Wrestling was reported in February.

About the author

Anurag is an AEW writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. He holds a BA and MA degree in English along with a TEFL certification to teach English. Before Sportskeeda, he worked as a Content and Correspondence writer at Nayabad Titas, a theater group. He has also worked as a English language tutor.

To ensure complete accuracy, he uses internet resources, social media platforms, and especially pieces composed by his peers to find solid, verified information that he presents as objectively as possible. Thanks to his academic background, he can research different subjects thoroughly.

Anurag's interest in wrestling began as a child. He watched RAW and Smackdown frequently from age 10 or 11 and was officially hooked by the YES Movement story in WWE heading into WrestleMania 30.

As a lifelong wrestling fan and lover of stories, Anurag would read news, articles, and other content about the talent and events he enjoyed watching. His understanding of the business continued to grow with time, and his interest in the art and sport of wrestling led him to pursue a career as a writer.

Apart from writing, he loves to read books, watch movies and television programs, play and listen to music, and write poetry and fiction.

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Edited by Anurag Mukherjee