After a five-year hiatus, former United States Champion Rusev has officially returned to WWE television, and his comeback is already generating a lot of internal excitement.
Rusev made his surprise return on the April 21, 2025 edition of Monday Night RAW, interrupting an in-ring segment featuring newly crowned World Tag Team Champions The New Day and the Alpha Academy duo of Otis and Akira Tozawa. The Bulgarian Brute wasted no time making an impression, attacking both Otis and Tozawa and leaving them laid out in the ring—potentially teasing his next feud.
Backstage reaction to Rusev’s return has reportedly been very positive. One source noted that the locker room response was “notably warm,” with several WWE Superstars said to be eager at the possibility of working with him now that he’s back in the mix.
WWE has since announced that Rusev will compete in his first match in over four years next week on RAW, going one-on-one with Otis in what’s shaping up to be a physical showdown.
This upcoming bout will mark Rusev’s first WWE match since his departure in 2020, and early indications suggest the company may have significant plans for him moving forward.
(H/T: PWInsider Elite)
