The 41 episode of Postrest Tourmania on Monday Night Raw was a night of surprises and suspense. One such example is WWE Rusev’s return five years later. Released by the company in April 2020, “Bulgarian Field Ute” resurfaced after months of speculation, destroying Otis and Akira Tozawa, and thus once again solidifying itself as a heel.
With Milo, now a former member, returning to WWE’s life, fans know a lot about the one-off AEW TNT champion, including countless injuries he has suffered throughout his career, a settlement with CJ ‘Lana’ Perry, and his support for rabies football.
He is a fan of both Bulgaria and Spain teams.
- Rusev has always been an avid sportsman.
- He played several sports when he grew up in Bulgaria.
- His love for football ranges from two teams.
Now a 2017 professional wrestler, Rusev has always competed against row, Powerlifting, and Sambo. However, when he is not walking between the ropes, Rusev finds himself watching football. There they support two teams: Bulgaria’s PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv and the popular Spanish team Real Madrid CF.
In addition to his devotional love for these two teams, Rusev is also partial owner of another soccer team, indoor Soccer team. As part of the fan-controlled football league, he is co-owner of the FCF Beast along with Marcus Peters, Marshawn Lynch, Lenny Montgomery and Todd Garley.
Rusev was trained by Gangrel and Rikishi
He studied at Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy
- Rusev moved to the US in the early 2000s.
- He wanted to be a professional wrestler.
- Gangrel and Rikis became his trainers.
Having built his career in the world of sports entertainment, Rusev moved from his beloved Bulgaria to the US in the early 2000s to realize his dreams, studying under WWE legends Gangrel and Rikishi at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy in Burbank, California.
Gangrel uttered the struggles Rusev faced, expressing his praise for how he came.
Rusev is 39 years old
He was born on Christmas Day 1985
date of birth | place of birth |
|---|---|
December 25th, 1985 | Plovdiv, Bulgaria People’s Republic |
1985 was the year that changed the game of wrestling as Vince McMahon approached completion when the industry monopoly launched WrestleMania. Also, the future Rusev has arrived this year as Miloslav Petrok Barnyashev was born on Christmas in Plovdiv, about 93 miles south of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Rusev, now 39, shares his birth year with other square circle greats, including Rome Reign, Cody Rhodes, John Moxley, Mark Briscoe and Penta.
Rusev gained heat by playing the Russian
The character was finally x
- Rusev adopted several Russian mantras in 2014.
- The character was correctly criticized and ultimately dropped.
- Donald Trump’s rise in power in the US led to his cancellation.
Called to the main roster of Postrest Tourmania Raw in 2014, Rusev quickly developed a new character, becoming a “hero of the Russian Federation” and effectively turned his back on the Bulgarian people. The new character saw WWE wobble at the edge of political correctness, especially when Lana mentioned the fatal crash on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.
The character was dropped by May 2015, and Rusev returned with the Bulgarian flag waving to ringside. He said it was Donald Trump’s ascension, who led to that cancellation on his way to his first US presidency.
The finishing move of the Rusev is the camel clutch
He calls it “a praise” and “game over.”
Move name | Move description | Year of use |
|---|---|---|
Praise/Game Over | Camel clutch | It existed since 2013 |
Machika Kick | Jump Super Kick | It existed since 2014 |
bulplex | Oklahoma rolls into German suppression of release | 2008-2012 |
Like most professional wrestlers, Rusev developed his finishing moves throughout his career. But in 2025 he will become taller, relying on both the camel clutch and the jump super kick (a praise and a machakka kick, respectively).
The former, which he named the game in AEW, is the most vicious of Rusev’s match-end attacks, traditionally preceded by brutal stomps on his opponent’s hips. Additionally, he is known to return to the hold, folding the enemy in half and falling onto his back.
Rusev is shorter than you noticed
He compensates for it with his weight
The height charged | Weights charged |
|---|---|
6’0″ | 304 lbs |
At just 6 feet tall, Rusev may not be the most impressive WWE superstar, but he packs the punch with a 304 pound billing weight. Combining the size of the Rusev gives him a force to consider. Therefore, where his career path led him, there is his continued success.
Rusev has endured many injuries
He broke his neck in FCW
- Professional wrestlers can get injured during their careers.
- Rusev suffers from several illnesses, including a broken neck.
- On the main roster, he had an upper arm with a leg and a rip-split.
Considering the inherent dangers associated with professional wrestling. In the case of Rusev, he unfortunately suffered from an almost endless mix of physical illness, and his arm was temporarily paralyzed, especially after breaking his neck in 2012.
Other injuries Rusev suffered over his almost two-year career include torn meniscus in the previous cruciate ligament at FCW, broken leg and torn biceps on the WWE main roster, and hamstring injuries in AEW.
Rusev was runner-up at the Royal Rumble.
He came in second in 2015
input | It has been eliminated | Match time |
|---|---|---|
15 | Rule of Rome | 35:40 |
The 2015 Royal Rumble Match is one of the most hated in its magnificent history, with the aim of WWE constantly pushing Roman rule over it, and being overpowered by Daniel Brian just ten minutes later. But for Rusev, it was a memorable night.
After making his rumble debut, Rusev was thrown out by the ruler of Rome and lasted 35 minutes and 40 seconds before finishing as runner-up. Along the way, Rusev eliminated six superstars on its own: Diamond Dallas Page, Fandango, Kofi Kingston, Damian Misdow, Big E
Rusev is married to CJ Perry
Perry appeared as Lana in WWE
- Rusev married CJ Perry in 2016.
- She was the manager of Rusev for NXT and WWE.
- The pair split in 2023, but later resolved things.
In the summer of 2016, Rusev and CJ ‘Lana’ Perry tied the knot after only a few months of engagement and got married in an intimate ceremony. Their engagement baffled WWE’s plans given the on-screen storylines of the time.
They separated in September 2023 after seven years of marriage, but the pair were able to resolve things by early 2025 and renew their wedding vows.
Rusev won two mid-card championships
He was successful in both WWE and AEW.
Championship | Time held |
|---|---|
AEW TNT Championship | x1 |
WWE US Championship | x3 |
Ardent Clitics has been a regular supporter of Rusev. This has been regularly supported, given its awards such as Most Repherd (Pro Wrestling Illustrated, 2014), the most underrated (Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 2017), and Match of the Year (WWE Slammy Award, 2014). As Rusev is a four-time WWE and AEW champion, this list of admiration also extends to the ring.
In the latter, he held the TNT Championship once, and received a rave review of the character transformation. Meanwhile, in WWE, he won the US Championship three times. That first reign saw the pinnacle of Rusev’s unbeaten streak.
Rusev has dabbled in acting
He played himself in a film at WWE Studios
production | role | Release year |
|---|---|---|
Sisters in the series | boyfriend | 2016 |
Countdown | He himself | 2016 |
Scooby-doo! and WWE: Cursed Speed Demon | He himself | 2016 |
Another version of your | Kirology | 2018 |
East New York | Nikki Doshkin | 2022 |
Many professional wrestlers bring talent into the acting world, and Rusev is one of the latest to do so. He began his acting career in 2016 in a series of mundane roles that included countdowns produced by WWE Studios and a stint as himself with the Curse of Speed Demon.
In a later role, Rusev played Kirill in another version of You and Nikki Deshkin in an episode of East New York. Additionally, he appeared in the music video for Kushinator’s “The Whole F’n Show.” This was used by TNA’s Rob Van Dam.
Rusev became an American citizen in 2019
He detailed the process in a sincere social media post.
- Rusev acquired American citizenship in September 2019.
- According to him, it was a 14-year process.
- He described it as his “big achievement.”
After immigrating to the US from Bulgaria in the early 2000s, Rusev endured a 14-year process to officially become an American citizen. He won citizenship in September 2019 and detailed it like that in an emotional Instagram post, telling Popbreak that it was his “bigest achievement.”
