Rusev's 1st Pinfall or Submission Loss Creates More Main Event Opportunities

Rusev is too big to fail.

It's been more than one year since his main roster debut, yet he has never been pinned or submitted. His wins are dominant, but his losses? Mere technicalities.

Rusev was kept strong in the Royal Rumble. He tied for the elimination lead until being the last man thrown out. Months earlier at Survivor Series, he was counted out after missing a table splash.

There are no winners against Rusev—just losers, survivors and escapees. At this point, WWE is too invested in the character.

He's just too big to fail, which is why he's ready to take his first legitimate loss.

Rusev is entering his most high-profile feud to date. Against top star John Cena, he stands to gain even more momentum. The two are presented as equals, two big bulls fighting for national supremacy in the name of the United States Championship.

Rusev's career is white-hot, but the more WWE insists on keeping him undefeated, the more his matches will be forced. The finishes will be compromised and predictable. WWE's insistence on keeping him virtually undefeated will soon take on a life of its own until it hinders his growth. 

To date, Rusev's biggest wins came against an aging Big Show and journeyman Jack Swagger. It's easy to keep Rusev undefeated against beatable foes. But against WWE's elite, there comes a temptation to book inconclusive finishes, thereby "protecting" both stars.

Regardless of the era, non-finishes rarely further a wrestler's career. In fact, they can be damaging to talented upstarts like Rusev.

Curtis Axel, who failed to catch on for many reasons, is known for boasting about his two wins over Triple H and John Cena. It's a tongue-in-cheek claim used to get heel heat since the wins came via referee stoppage and count-out.

Axel now spends his days piecing together television time with another tongue-in-cheek campaign to headline WrestleMania.

Fans can sense a quality win from the nosebleed section. Rusev is progressing nicely in his current run, but he can't continue to be defined by an unbeaten streak. It's no coincidence that his winning ways go hand-in-hand with second-rate opponents.

Once he finally starts to lose to elite competition, his true rivalries will begin. Going into his match against Cena, the storyline revolves around Cena's injured eye. WWE is laying the groundwork for a controversial finish involving Cena's scratched cornea.

Beating Cena on a technicality won't elevate Rusev as a top heel. A quality feud against WWE's biggest star of this generation will do just that.

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