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What's the story?
The 'Bulgarian Brute' Rusev is one of the most popular stars in WWE at the moment. The reaction of the fans to him and his association with Aiden English has been positive, with their combined efforts making 'Rusev Day' popular with the fans.
Wrestling Inc recently talked to Rusev, where he revealed that he was not surprised by the fans' reaction to his persona.
In case you didn't know...
Rusev has been characterised as the typical foreign heel ever since he came to WWE. He portrayed the character of a foreigner who can only speak in broken English, coming to the United States to prove that his nation was superior.
During his time with WWE, he proved that he was one of the better stars on the roster after winning the United States Championship numerous times. He also proved his dominance with the title defeating the likes of Big Show, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger and John Cena repeatedly.
In recent weeks, Rusev's persona changed from foreign heel to a more fan favourite character, where he appeared as a happy and arrogant superstar, who is serenaded by Aiden English regularly.
The heart of the matter
Rusev's change in persona saw a change in the reactions of the fans towards him, with his 'Rusev Day' merchandise selling out from the WWE stores. The Bulgarian star, however, is not surprised about his sudden popularity.
In his interview with Wrestling Inc, he said that he was not surprised, given the reaction of fans to other foreign heels. He thought the reason the fans were reacting positively to him was that they saw him as more than a 'foreign heel' character. He said that the fans saw his passion for wrestling and were able to connect with him as a whole.
"They think I'm more than a stereotypical guy from a country that speaks broken English. They see more than that. They see my passion and connect with me, and I connect with them."
He went on to say that this change had come though he still spoke in broken English, and called the change in the reactions to him 'organic'.
"....now, instead of boos, you hear the Rusev Day chants. So, I'm still Bulgarian, and I'm still speaking, and I haven't changed anything. But it all happened organically, and that's how the best things happen."
Rusev remains one of the most popular stars on the SmackDown roster.
What's next?
Rusev is set to be a part of WWE's Blue Brand as he will look to pursue titles. He also mentioned that he wanted to make WrestleMania 2018 the turning point of his career with the help of the WWE fans.
Author's take
Rusev's rise in popularity is oddly reminiscent of Daniel Bryan's. What is worse is that WWE doesn't seem to see it, as he is not involved in any Title picture as we head towards WrestleMania. If they don't change things, WWE may be in danger of repeating past mistakes.
