What’s the story?
WWE superstars Rusev and Lana recently appeared on the online podcast Talk Is Jericho hosted by Chris Jericho. The married couple talked about their start in the WWE, their gimmicks and about Vince McMahon initially being unsure of the success of the duo.
In case you didn’t know...
Rusev and Lana have been a staple part of Monday Night RAW since the brand split.
Rusev was booked as a monster heel during the first year of his career, going undefeated and losing the United States Championship only to John Cena at WrestleMania 31. This loss was Rusev’s first pinfall loss in the WWE.
The heart of the matter
During the interview, Lana revealed that she had lost hopes of landing a job with WWE when she came to know of the talent pool in the company. Lana said that she put on a Russian accent to boost her chances during her auditions.
Lana pointed out that it was the idea of the late great Dusty Rhodes to put her and Rusev together. She was quoted as saying:
"Yeah, he put us [together]. Literally, my first promo class, afterwards, I went up to him, and he was like, 'I want you to work with Rusenoff.'
And then, we played around with several things for a month or two, so many things."
Lana also stated that Triple H asked the duo to move away from their initial comedic gimmick and adopt a more serious stance giving rise to the moniker of “The Ravishing Russian.” Rusev revealed that working together brought them closer and they ended up dating sooner than they realised.
Rusev recalled an incident about Lana asking him about their relationship status:
“One day she goes and says… what did you say? 'Are we together?' And I was like, 'what do you think we've been doing for the past four months?' What is that even supposed to mean?
I've never understood that. In my country when you kiss somebody for four months, everything is straight and you're damn sure you're boyfriend and girlfriend!"
What’s next?
Rusev has had his issues with Enzo and Big Cass for the most of 2017, so far.
He has off and on teamed up with Jinder Mahal to take on the duo of Enzo and Cass. There are currently no specific plans for Rusev going into WrestleMania 33, but he will certainly make his way to the ‘grandest stage of them all’ in some capacity.
Sportskeeda's Take
Rusev and Lana are one of the more famous couples in the WWE roster. They are also a part of the cast of the sixth season of the E! hit reality series Total Divas. The story of how Rusev and Lana got together is heart-warming and they have managed to showcase their chemistry inside the ring as well.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
