John Cena vs. Rusev WWE Fastlane Match Will Be for United States Championship

WWE raised the stakes for the match between John Cena and Rusev at Fastlane on Feb. 22.

According to Kenny Williams of WrestlingNewsSource.com, Rusev will be putting his United States Championship on the line.

Cena and Rusev exchanged words on Monday night's edition of Raw:

Having Rusev's title up for grabs adds a new wrinkle to their match. In a way, though, the announcement might have made the result that much more predictable, as few will expect Cena to win a secondary title like the United States Championship.

That would be a significant step down for a wrestler who's constantly in the World Heavyweight Championship picture and hovering near the main event of most pay-per-views.

Conversely, having Cena win the U.S. title would bring some prestige back to a belt that's long been irrelevant.

Vince Russo still remains convinced that Rusev winning will be the best result:

No matter what happens, the beef between Rusev and Cena is unlikely to be squashed at Fastlane. The two still look to be on a crash course for WrestleMania.