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Rusev: Royal Rumble 2018
By the time of the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble, Rusev had shown that he could do way more than just portray the typical brutish foreign heel he had been playing since his call up to the main roster in 2014. His unlikely alliance with Aiden English allowed him to show more personality and character than before. Just by his entrance in the Royal Rumble, it was clear how popular Rusev Day had become.
Despite an impressive half-hour performance and clear crowd support, WWE failed to properly capitalize on Rusev's popularity and he found himself in rather disappointing storylines until his release as part of the infamous "Black Wednesday" of 2021.
Rusev is now in AEW under the name Miro. Although it took a little time for him to find his footing, Miro was able to capture the TNT Title and has appeared in various top tier matches. In addition to his work in AEW, Miro also hosts a popular Twitch channel and is a part-owner of the FCF Beasts indoor football team.
Elias: Royal Rumble 2019
By the time of the 2019 Men's Royal Rumble, Elias was one of WWE's most interesting prospects. Curiously, Elias' run in NXT was a flop, but in the year and a half that he had been on WWE's main roster, he had scored victories over the likes of Finn Balor, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman and even John Cena. He had become an organic crowd favorite.
In the 2019 Men's Royal Rumble match, it was clear that the plan was for Elias to return to his heel roots. Starting the match alongside Jeff Jarrett, whom many viewed as his spiritual predecessor, Elias eliminated him after a cheap shot and lasted a decent 15 minutes in the match. He went on to win a short feud with Jarrett and had a memorable encounter with John Cena at WrestleMania 35.
Unfortunately, Elias soon began to slide down the card and swung between face and heel roles with no clear direction. When an alliance with Jaxon Ryker inevitably broke down, Elias seemed to have abandoned his musical gimmick. However, a vignette in August 2021 was the last we've seen of Elias thus far.
As of this writing, Elias is still part of the WWE roster but there seem to be no clear plans on when or even if he is returning anytime soon. With the 2022 Royal Rumble fast approaching, it would perhaps be the most opportune moment for The Drifter to return again.
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