Triple H has made a huge mistake with Rusev

WWE Superstar Rusev recently returned to WWE on RAW after WrestleMania to the cheers of many. The former AEW wrestler had been a fan favourite during his first run in the company and immediately started a feud with the Alpha Academy.

After targeting Otis and Akira Tozawa for weeks after his return, he finally made his in ring debut during the May 5, episode of Monday Night RAW. Otis performed well enough in the match but the Bulgarian Brute ultimately overcame the Alpha Academy member.

Speaking on the Wrestling Time Machine podcast on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, wrestling journalist Bill Apter expressed his disappointment over Rusev's return to the ring. Apter was disappointed that Otis went toe-to-toe with the Bulgarian during their match.

"No, I was not a big fan of [the match]. I wanted Rusev to come back looking magnificent, not a 50/50 type of match or a 50/75 type of match. I wanted to Rusev to come in and wipe whoever it was out. He got killed during most of the match. I was looking just like what are they doing? He hasn't been back here in five years and they're trying to get him over and he's getting killed, absolutely getting killed," Apter said. [From 3:23 onwards]

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Rusev should've squashed Otis in his in-ring return, according to wrestling veteran

His co-host on Wrestling Time Machine, Mac Davis, differed on Rusev's debut though. Davis enjoyed the 39-year-old's in-ring return and felt that he looked like the monster he's being presented as. Apter chimed in that he loved the way he was presented after the match but would've preferred a squash win for him.

"You know what? In this business that hasn't changed at all, when you bring somebody new in, you want the fans to remember him the next day or right after that show. And I don't remember anything except him kicking the butts of the the opponents after the match, not during," Apter said. [From 7:54 onwards]

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Ever since returning to WWE, the Bulgarian Brute has stated that he's targeting talent that have unfulfilled potential. This has been his basis of targetting the Alpha Academy but now that he's taken both Otis and Tozawa out, he can shift his focus to someone else.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Arsh Das

Triple H has made a huge mistake with Rusev - Here's why (Exclusive)

Rusev should've squashed Otis in his in-ring return, according to wrestling veteran