Mark Henry vs. Rusev: Winner and Post-Match Reaction

In one of the hardest-hitting matches on the WWE’s 2014 Night of Champions pay-per-view card, Rusev was able to hold off the World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry and capture another marquee victory.

WrestlingINC.com had the result and their quick take: 

The WWE Universe began trolling fans of Henry: 

Billy Kidman gave Rusev props begrudgingly: 

After winning his long-term feud against Jack Swagger and his manager Zeb Coulter, Rusev and his handler Lana added another monumental victory to the Super Athlete’s resume.

Beating Henry is no easy feat.

The feud began when Henry took exception to the anti-American remarks made by the Russian sympathizer Rusev. During one of the many rants from Lana and Rusev that took place on the Aug. 18 episode of Raw, Henry finally had enough and made his way to the ring. The former Team USA Olympic weightlifter threatened Rusev and claimed he was tired of them running their mouths.

For weeks, the two men have been doing everything in their power to distract each other and get the upper hand leading into the PPV. While Henry has looked stronger during the build for the show, Rusev landed several sneak attacks and has built even more legitimate heat with the crowd.

The result of this program has been one of Henry’s best runs as a face and Rusev becoming one of the top heels in the company. Rusev’s character is a throwback to the gimmicks of the late 1980s, but it is working on almost every level.

As great as this storyline has been between Rusev and Henry, it’s time to move on for both men.

For Rusev, one realistic possibility after disposing of Henry is John Cena, according to F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com. On the surface, working a program with Cena would legitimize Rusev’s place as a top heel, but this is the worst-case scenario for the Russian character.

Cena is a burial machine. Just as Henry himself was built up as a top heel and fed to Cena simply to tap out, the stage has been set for Cena to move on from Lesnar and get his mojo back against an unstoppable force like Rusev.

On the other hand, the loss for Henry on Sunday will give him the green light to return to the tag team division with Big Show. The two men could easily form chemistry and be the top faces in the lackluster division within two weeks.

This was a great stopgap feud, but it’s time to move on.

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