What direction should Rusev's character go in

[kangkong]

He did the serious unstoppable super athlete Russian nationalist route, and now he's doing a more lighthearted and comedic version of his character, but the ceiling for both of those is really upper-midcard and nothing that's gonna elevate him to the main event scene with the more interesting and original characters. I always felt like Rusev was good but the directions they take with this character were just lazy. He's growing to become the Ken Shamrock of this era, where they just rely on certain character traits but don't do enough to develop them



I say they go with this direction:



Russian Mafia Rusev
He trades in the sweats for a suit and gold chain, his flag for brass knuckles

He rides around in fancy black cars, fancy mink coats, and sunglasses, but when dirty work needs to be done, he takes off his suit jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and beats people up. Basically like Evolution Triple H, but with a Russian swag

Maybe call up some European guys in NXT like Tommy End to be his hired goons with the leather jackets and scary tattoos

(Tommy End)

(Tim Wiese)

(Otis Dozovic)

Have him be an overall boss who with Lana (who basically plays the same character she played in 14/15 and is the boss bytch of the organization) can manipulate or intimidate anyone and bribe authority figures



Some of the best characters in wrestling history drew inspiration from movies/TV shows, so I'm thinking he'd incorporate elements of Kingpin from Daredevil or Pablo from Narcos






What direction do yall think he should go in

 

[Riley Escobar]

 

[Nero Christ]

if they wouldn't go the cartel route with Del Rio, then they ain't doing the mob stuff with Rusev

as for your question, they should just let him go out there and be himself...a tweener who is an a$$hole egomaniac but does stand up and protect his wife and shows he is a respectable family man.

 

[Box Cutta]

I remember someone on here had me dying, saying that he should be a lower-ranked Russian mobster who came out in Adidas track-suits and walked around backstage asking "divas" if they wanted to meet for a "photoshoot"....

 

[HYDRO]

I remember someone on here had me dying, saying that he should be a lower-ranked Russian mobster who came out in Adidas track-suits and walked around backstage asking "divas" if they wanted to meet for a "photoshoot"....

Drop the Mafia shyt and just have him be a sleeze bag

Have him with his hair all greasy, pulled back, expensive sun glasses and always got the tract suit open at the top so his hairy ass chest poking out

 

[Lord Scion]

Rather than flashing a picture of Putin like they used to, start demonstrating their unbridled American patriotism by showing a picture of Trump.

 

[kangkong]

if they wouldn't go the cartel route with Del Rio, then they ain't doing the mob stuff with Rusev

as for your question, they should just let him go out there and be himself...a tweener who is an a$$hole egomaniac but does stand up and protect his wife and shows he is a respectable family man.

That's not a gimmick though, a respectable family man?? They were kinda doing that anyways before and like I said its midcard fodder and not main event material

And I don't know if the cartel shyt was ever in the books for ADR though, he was just supposed to be a rich Mexican aristocrat. They got great conceptual gimmicks going on with Wyatts and Sanity so as long as the vision is executed, they can PG it up a little as long as its dope

 

[Nero Christ]

That's not a gimmick though, a respectable family man?? They were kinda doing that anyways before and like I said its midcard fodder and not main event material

And I don't know if the cartel shyt was ever in the books for ADR though, he was just supposed to be a rich Mexican aristocrat. They got great conceptual gimmicks going on with Wyatts and Sanity so as long as the vision is executed, they can PG it up a little as long as its dope

a mobster gimmick with WWE booking screams failure

but a family man gimmick with a violent twist sort of like Viggo in A History of Violence could work. I know Viggo was a former gangster but still, I just don't think the mobster gimmick is gonna work now a days but who knows

 

[Silkk]

Damn they dropped the ball on this dude something serious

 

[Nintendough]

Rusev trash

 

[MushroomX]

What the Fans want: Mobster
What Vince wants: Bulgarian Trashman

 

[Beautiful Bobby Eatin]

Drop the Mafia shyt and just have him be a sleeze bag

Have him with his hair all greasy, pulled back, expensive sun glasses and always got the tract suit open at the top so his hairy ass chest poking out

They did this with Fandango in NXT and it was very entertaining. Give him a gold chain barely visable in the chesthair and an obsession with playing Fifa to boot

 

[The Prince of All Saiyans]

sounds like you want him to be a pawn shop owner

 

[HYDRO]

They did this with Fandango in NXT and it was very entertaining. Give him a gold chain barely visable in the chesthair and an obsession with playing Fifa to boot

Give him an office with a casting couch lol

 

[TRIPLE M]

nikita kolloff run
has to be built as a monster, have him win the andre battle royal
than do a faceturn against another monster like lesnar and have him go over clean