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Rusev, one of the most beloved superstars in the WWE roster today, finally won a championship after two long years. Rusev last held a title in 2016, when he won the US Championship and lost it to the Big Dog, Roman Reigns.
Rusev has consistently featured prominently on Smackdown Live throughout 2018. His tag team with Aiden English was a major success and even led them to a Tag Team Championship match.
Rusev's popularity led to him challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules in July, and he gave a noteworthy performance in his very first WWE Championship match-up (in a singles match).
Rusev's crazy popularity is finally being capitalized on, and it only means great things for the Bulgarian Brute. We look at five reasons why the Super-Athlete winning the US Championship this week on Smackdown Live was best for business!
#5: Successful Former Champion
Rusev became a 3x United States Champion after his victory over Shinsuke Nakamura. He held the title in 2014-15 when he went undefeated for over a year. He was finally defeated by John Cena at Wrestlemania 31.
Rusev had great success during his first run with the title and became one of the hottest acts in professional wrestling. His natural charisma and appealing personality made him a hit among the WWE Universe.
Rusev defended the title against the likes of Big Show, Mark Henry, etc. and became a major force to reckon with during his first reign.
His second reign in 2016 with the championship did not have major impact on the storyline but featured Roman Reigns competing for the US Championship for the first time ever.
Rusev and Roman Reigns had some great battles during their feud, and the Big Dog eventually dethroned Rusev as the champion. Rusev's past success with the championship, make him a great choice to hold the title going into the new year!
#4: Nakamura's abysmal reign needed to end
Shinsuke Nakamura won the US Championship, after defeating Jeff Hardy back in July. However, he had little to no defences on WWE Television, which led to the championship losing its prestige significantly.
Nakamura has not been able to replicate his success in NXT on the main roster, and that continued with his US title reign. Nakamura's matches with AJ Styles were hyped a lot but failed to deliver, and so did his reign with the US Championship.
It remains to be seen what Nakamura does next, as his character and personality have become stale in his two-year stay on the main roster.
Rusev defeating Nakamura for the championship was a perfect move and should have been done a long time ago. Rusev holding the championship will bring it more TV time, as well as some great segments and matches.
#3: Rusev Day was the most popular thing in WWE
WWE has a hard time with certain talent getting over. Even the very best like Seth Rollins had a hard time adjusting as a babyface and becoming a likeable personality.
Rusev and Aiden English, around Christmas last year, gave rise to astounding support from the WWE Universe. Rusev Day became the most popular thing in WWE, t-shirts were being sold like hot cakes, and things looked great for Rusev's career.
However, WWE failed to capitalize on this golden opportunity. Rusev featured in mega matches but failed to win on several occasions. He had a great showing in the Rumble match, entering first and lasting for a long time. He fought the Undertaker in Saudi Arabia and fought AJ Styles for the WWE Championship
Rusev is still crazy popular among the audiences with his Rusev Day gimmick, which means the US Championship will gain more prominence with his reign.
#2: The lack of babyfaces on Smackdown Live
Randy Orton turned heel in July, Daniel Bryan turned heel last month and AJ Styles is showing signs of a heel turn. All these have led to Smackdown Live short on credible babyfaces.
Mustafa Ali joined the roster earlier this month, but it will take some time for him to become a significant deal on the roster. Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy are the other two face superstars, who are great, but probably in the twilight of their careers.
Smackdown is frustratingly short on quality babyfaces, and Rusev's prominence is a simple solution for the same. WWE recognising Rusev's talents and pushing him as a strong babyface will be a fresh change.
With Rusev as champion, superstars like Andrade Almas, Samoa Joe, Randy Orton, etc. can have a sniff at the US Championship and produce some stellar battles in future.
#1: The Rise of Rusev as a main-event superstar
The McMahon Family ushered in a new era last week on RAW. Triple H assured the fans that they will be the ones who are in charge. WWE is finally listening to the fans, and this could only mean amazing things for Rusev, a beloved superstar among the WWE Universe.
Rusev's undeniable charisma has not gone unnoticed with the fans. His potential and talent in the ring have made him a major fan-favourite over the years, and many fans are dying to see the Bulgarian Brute in the main event.
A US Championship run is always seen as a stepping stone towards the main-event, and Rusev could very well be on the same path. WWE should strap a rocket on Rusev's back and push him to the moon before it's too late!
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