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What's the story?
Rusev won a fatal four-way match that also included Zack Ryder, Jinder Mahal and Xavier Woods this week on SmackDown Live to book his place in the United States Championship match next week against Bobby Roode.
In case you didn't know...
Rusev's partnership with Aiden English over the past few weeks has made him one of the most popular stars on the SmackDown roster. It seems that his new Rusev Day gimmick has won over many members of the WWE Universe and they were in full voice at The Royal Rumble when Rusev entered the match at number one and lasted for more than 30 minutes before he was eliminated by Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt from Monday Night Raw.
It seems that WWE is finally picking up on the fact that Rusev is popular with the fans and they will be in full support of him next week, when he competes for the United States Championship.
Roode, on the other hand, managed to successfully defend his Championship at the Royal Rumble against Mojo Rawley, in an open challenge that kicked off the show.
The heart of the matter
Rusev could become a three-time United States Champion next week when he fights Bobby Roode for the Championship that he first won back in 2015. Rusev has had quite the climb to popularity over the past few months since he returned to the company and was drafted to SmackDown Live last year.
Even though Roode only won the Championship a few weeks ago, it seems that Rusev could be his toughest opponent to date. We are currently on the road to WrestleMania and it seems that Rusev now has the opportunity to pick up the Championship and guarantee his spot on this year's card.
What's next?
The match is scheduled to take place next week on SmackDown Live and will only be Bobby Roode's second title defence since he won the title at the beginning of January. This is the first time Rusev has had a title shot since his return to the company following his lengthy hiatus last year.
Author's take
Rusev is so over with the WWE Universe that he could easily become Champion next week, even though it's likely that he will be screwed out of his shot once again. It will definitely be a fantastic match between two of the most popular stars of the show and could be billed as the main event for next week's episode of SmackDown Live.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
