News

Rusev Set For First WWE Match In Over 5 Years

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 29th April 2025
Rusev

Rusev announced his WWE return with a vicious attack and now his first match in the company in over 5 years has been confirmed.

Rusev was released by AEW in early 2025 after over a year of inactivity, along with several other wantaway stars as Tony Khan cleared the deadwood out of his company.

The Bulgarian Brute had been expected by many to be Randy Orton’s surprise opponent at WrestleMania 41, but that slot ended up going to TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, who lost in short order to Orton.

One night later on Raw, the new World Tag Team Champions, The New Day, were getting ready for an impromptu match against Alpha Academy after a fair bit of goading from Maxxine Dupri. However, that match never got started as the lights went out. Rusev then appeared with new music, and as The New Day bailed from the ring, the former WWE US Champion viciously assaulted Otis and Akira Tozawa.

Rusev Gets Tough First WWE Match Back

On the April 28 edition of Raw, Rusev’s first WWE match since his return was confirmed as he will face Otis on the 5th of May. A vignette also aired where Rusev spoke of falling into the abyss after leaving WWE before redeeming himself as he put the Raw locker room on notice.

The match against Otis will be Rusev’s first match in a WWE ring since the February 17 2020, edition of Raw. On that occasion, Rusev teamed with Humberto Carrillo in a tag team loss against Angel Garza and Bobby Lashley.