Will Rusev Be The Last U.S. Champion?
WWE superstar Rusev is on a tear. As reported by the Inquisitr, Rusev recently won the United States Championship from Sheamus, adding fuel to the fire of an anti-American heel storyline. In a move consistent with his devotion to his adopted home country of Russia, Rusev has threatened to turn the title over to President Valdimir Putin. Now, some are calling for WWE creative to use this opportunity to retire what has become a stale championship.
After months of irrelevance, the U.S. title suddenly matters in Rusev’s hands. Prior to Rusev, the belt was held by just two men over 18 months. Sheamus held the belt for six months, while Dean Ambrose’s reign lasted just 11 days short of a year. Ambrose’s stint with the belt was particularly uneventful. According to Wresting News Depot, Ambrose only defended the belt 14 times, winning only four of those matches clean.
Now, for the first time in years, fans actually care about the U.S. title. No one wants to see the company’s national championship handed over to a foreign power.
Bleacher Report recently called the current storyline a “creative goldmine“.
“Like menial labor for an undocumented immigrant, the U.S. title was treated as an afterthought before Rusev had it. But now that he does, WWE’s pro-American fanbase will not stand for it. WWE needs to milk this dynamic for everything it’s worth. The political and socioeconomic implications have come together to create something special.”
Yet it may be in the WWE’s best interest to do exactly what the fans don’t want to see. The U.S. title has been rendered essentially worthless in recent years. Far more valuable to the company would be a villain the fan base truly despises. The WWE has seen a dearth of talented new heels in recent years, relying on Triple H and Randy Orton to carry the fight to the top babyfaces.
Currently, only Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt have proven themselves as young heel talent. And even then, Wyatt’s popularity has him teetering on the edge of a face turn. It remains unsettled as to how long the WWE can keep billing him as a true bad guy.
Enter Rusev. With a politically charged story line sure to peak the ire of the WWE fanbase, the Bulgarian Brute stands poised to extend his run past the midcard and straight to the top of the show. Can the WWE take advantage and sacrifice an unnecessary championship along the way? Can Rusev deliver on the promise of his first full year in the spotlight? Only time will tell.
[Photo courtesy of WWE]
