Examining Rusev's Crushing Collapse on WWE SmackDown Live and How to Revive Him

Few Superstars have had as quick of a collapse in 2017 as Rusev, who has seen his stock drop considerably since joining WWE SmackDown Live in mid-April.

His fall from grace began long before he was sent packing to the blue brand, however, and can be traced back to his devastating loss to John Cena at WrestleMania 31. Although Cena clinching the United States Championship on that night led to him starting the U.S. Open Challenge, Rusev suffering his first one-on-one loss did damage to the once-undefeated star.

Once that feud concluded, Rusev was never again booked to look like a legitimate threat to anyone on the roster. He was sadly stuck in a storyline with Dolph Ziggler, Lana and Summer Rae for many months that ruined any shred of credibility he had left, and reports of backstage heat from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) ensured he wouldn't be prominently pushed.

After treading water in The League of Nations for the first half of 2016, he finally found his footing again when he recaptured the United States Championship that May. Although he had a solid run as champ, he was merely a placeholder before dropping the strap to Roman Reigns at Clash of Champions.

Since then, Rusev has been largely mishandled by the powers that be, from losing a pointless program to Enzo Amore and Big Cass to being beaten in 10 seconds at SummerSlam by Randy Orton. He has never meant less in his entire WWE career, but there's still time to revive him before he becomes damaged goods.

Credit: WWE.com

In theory, moving to SmackDown should have been the catalyst for Rusev's resurgence, but he has been positioned as an afterthought on the blue brand so far. Initially, it appeared he would contend for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, but that angle was dropped for unknown reasons.

Upon his return to the ring, he reset his sights on Cena, challenging him to a Flag match at the Battleground event. Not only was he defeated in decisive fashion, the bout was beyond boring and did nothing to cement Rusev as the star he should be.

His recent rivalry with Orton has also been abysmal, and it's unlikely that a victory vs. The Viper will be enough to salvage him at this point. He will need a significant character overhaul in order to thrive on Tuesday nights.

For years, the Bulgarian brute has portrayed an "evil foreigner" persona, but with Jinder Mahal and Kevin Owens doing the same shtick currently, it's difficult for Rusev to stand out. Meanwhile, his in-ring skills aren't exactly exceptional, and he isn't being paired with people who can bring the best out of him.

Anyone who has followed him on Twitter knows how hilarious he can be, which is why that side of Rusev must be tapped into on television for him to succeed.

Conspicuous by his absence on the second season of Southpaw Regional Wrestling was Big Bartholomew, a farmer obsessed with his chickens, played by Rusev. Of course, he shouldn't bring that gimmick to SmackDown, but it showed that he can be entertaining in the right role.

When Rusev resurfaced on SmackDown over the summer, the timing was perfect for him to turn face, especially considering he had parted ways with Lana. He could easily get over as a fan favorite if he's allowed to showcase more of his personality, not to mention he has already done everything imaginable as a heel.

Between Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura, the WWE may not want to experiment with Rusev as a face anytime soon, but that doesn't mean he should be wasted while he is a heel. He and Lana were an excellent duo, and with Lana not busy at the moment, reuniting them could help his cause.

Orton has largely been unmotivated this year, and Rusev would be better off feuding with someone he can excel against. That said, Styles would be an ideal opponent for him; the two could contest a solid series of matches and Rusev could regain possession of the star-spangled prize eventually.

As one of SmackDown's most underappreciated athletes, Rusev shouldn't be relegated to enhancement-talent status, and if built back up over time, he can reclaim his spot in the main event scene where he belongs.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and current graduate student at Quinnipiac University. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.