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WWE sent wrestling Twitter into frenzy lately, after a long string of WWE Superstars and backstage staff was let go amidst the Coronavirus crisis. Popular and beloved Superstars like Drake Maverick, Heath Slater, and many others were released.
One big name among others on the list was that of Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute hasn't wrestled on WWE TV for a while. His last storyline in WWE saw him getting beaten up by Bobby Lashley on several occasions. As the releases were coming out, Rusev tweeted and bid goodbye to the fans. Soon after, WWE revealed that Rusev had been released.
Initially, Rusev's real-life wife Lana posted a heartfelt tweet following his release, but then went on to post a completely in-character tweet, and it seems Lana is trying her best not to break character at this moment. Her previous tweet was a vague post as well, where she didn't tag Rusev.
Lana's latest tweet features a clip from several years ago. The video shows Rusev belittling Lana on an episode of Monday Night RAW. She posted a caption alongside the video, making it clear at first that she doesn't want to be 'that' person during these times. She then added that she wants people to remember who Rusev really is. The tweet can be checked out below:
The response to the tweet was an incredibly mixed one. Many lauded Lana for trying to keep kayfabe alive with her heelish tweet, while others bashed her for being too insensitive.
Lana and Rusev made their way to WWE's main roster six years ago. Rusev's first appearance saw him dominating a bunch of Superstars in the 2014 Royal Rumble match. Soon after WrestleMania 30, Rusev and Lana made their way to WWE RAW where the former made quick work of Zack Ryder. The duo instantly became hated heels due to their anti-American gimmicks. This led to a rivalry between Rusev and WWE veteran John Cena, on the road to WrestleMania 31. At WrestleMania, Cena defeated Rusev in a United States title match.
Rusev later became a part of The League of Nations, also consisting of Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and Wade Barrett. The group disbanded soon after WrestleMania 32. In 2017-18, Rusev suddenly became a huge name on WWE SmackDown, courtesy his Rusev Day gimmick. He began receiving loud pops on a regular basis, and it seemed like a big push was on the horizon.
Things didn't work out that way though, and his popularity wasn't capitalized upon. At WrestleMania 34, Rusev competed in a Fatal 4-Way match for the US title, against Randy Orton, Robert Roode, and Jinder Mahal. The match was won by Mahal, much to the disappointment of the WWE Universe who was rooting for Rusev.
Soon after WrestleMania, Rusev's star began fading away and Rusev day became a thing of the past. Back in October, Rusev faced Seth Rollins in a Universal title match in the main event of WWE RAW. The match was interrupted by Bobby Lashley, who soon introduced a returning Lana. The two joined forces much to Rusev's disgust. Soon after, Lana and Lashley revealed that they were in love with each other, and Rusev spent months on end feuding with the former Intercontinental Champion.
The storyline left a bad taste in fans' mouths, as Rusev kept getting beaten up by Lashley. The December 30 episode of WWE RAW saw Lana's marriage with Lashley getting interrupted by a returning Liv Morgan, who professed her love for Lana. Rusev ended up crashing the wedding and standing tall with Morgan when all was said and done. The duo lost their feud to Lana and Lashley.
WWE then ended the storyline abruptly and we haven't seen Rusev on WWE TV for a while now. Lana has been doing an incredible job of keeping kayfabe alive for the past few months. Recently, things started getting sour between Lashley and her, with the former getting annoyed by her antics at ringside during his matches. On the latest edition of WWE RAW, Lashley had enough of her. He approached Lana and asked her to shut up. Following his win over No Way Jose, Lashley went up the ramp with Lana, as she raised his hand. Lashley wasn't happy at all though, and gave Lana a death stare.
Judging by what is happening between Lashley and Lana, it seems their on-screen marriage could be heading towards its end. Fans have been wanting these two to break off for the past several months, and it could happen soon if the current circumstances are taken into consideration.
As for Rusev, it would be interesting to see where he lands up now that he is no more a WWE Superstar. Rusev managed to make a name for himself in WWE, and here's hoping he does the same wherever he ends up going.
