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What's the story?
Rusev faced The Undertaker in a casket match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in April 2018.
Speaking in an interview during WWE’s European tour, “The Bulgarian Brute” has revealed what his legendary opponent said to him after their match.
In case you didn't know…
The Undertaker is one of the most iconic WWE Superstars of all time. Nowadays, at the age of 54, he only competes in 3-4 matches per year, so it is a big deal to any Superstar when they are asked to work with “The Deadman”.
Rusev, accompanied by Aiden English, put up a good fight in the nine-minute match, but the encounter ended with The Undertaker hitting his trademark Chokeslam on his opponent, as well as a Chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver on English, before closing the casket with both men inside.
Fans had low expectations for the match, especially considering that ‘Taker’s previous one-on-one battle – three weeks earlier, against John Cena at WrestleMania 34 – did not even last three minutes, but the general consensus amongst fans was that it went better than anticipated.
The heart of the matter
Speaking to Express Sport, Rusev said it has been fun to work with the likes of The Undertaker, Triple H and Hulk Hogan – three men who he watched growing up – during his WWE career so far.
Regarding 'Taker, he added:
“And 'Taker is such a special character and he’s been here for like 30 years or whatnot. He’s a legend, he’s an icon, so getting to work with him and talk to him afterwards and pick his brains, it was a great opportunity for me. He told me that I’m really good. I’m not even messing around, he told me I’m really good.”
What's next?
The Undertaker will return to in-ring action on June 7 when he faces Goldberg in one of the marquee matches at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. As for Rusev, he has been lost in the SmackDown Live shuffle since the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up, so he will likely find himself involved in the 50-man Battle Royal at the event.
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