Rusev Must Debut New Finisher at WWE Fastlane to Beat John Cena

When Rusev squares off against John Cena for the United States Championship at WWE Fastlane on Sunday night, the Russian sympathizer must debut a new non-submission finisher in order to beat the challenger clean.

Rusev desperately needs a clean pinfall victory over a bona fide legend such as Cena, and adding a new move to his arsenal would be the boost his character is looking for heading into WrestleMania.

Cena is one of the most popular wrestlers of all time. Whether the WWE Universe likes him or not, there is no arguing the impact he has made on the business and the clout he carries with hardcore and casual fans alike.

On the other hand, Rusev has been booked as one of the strongest heels in the company over the last year, and this marquee feud with Cena is the opportunity the WWE needs to add further legitimacy to his character moving forward.

At Fastlane, Rusev must win clean to get people to care about the probable rematch at WrestleMania 31. Since Cena hasn’t tapped out in years (his last submission loss was against Kurt Angle at No Way Out in 2004), it’s time for Rusev to add another finisher to his move set.

Just as Daniel Bryan added the running knee to his move set in order to take down Cena at SummerSlam 2013, Rusev needs something that can take down the 15-time champion without making him submit. The Accolade is a great submission hold, but unless Cena is passing out, that won’t be enough to stop Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect.

Not only would a new finishing move help Rusev beat Cena, but it would also help add depth to his character, especially if he pulls the move out in a desperate moment. As we saw with Seth Rollins, he did the same with the Phoenix Splash in the Triple Threat title match at Royal Rumble.

The most intriguing possibility is the classic piledriver. According to John Powell of SLAM! Wrestling, the WWE outlawed the move in 2000, but it has been used in the past with special permission. The most notable recent usage of the move in the WWE was CM Punk hitting Cena with it on a February 2013 edition of Raw. In a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, the usage of the piledriver infuriated WWE chairman Vince McMahon.

The difference here is the clout Cena holds backstage to get the permission that's needed to make this happen. Rusev is one of the most talented performers on the WWE roster, and he has the legitimate strength that's necessary to pull off this move safely. If Punk could perform it with Cena successfully, Rusev should be able to do the same in a safe manner.

Other wrestling companies, such as TNA and Ring of Honor, use the piledriver all the time, but in WWE, the move has built an aura due to the ban. With Rusev and Cena clearly engaged in a bitter battle that has become personal, pulling out a long-forgotten move to finish the match would show the lengths Rusev is willing to go to beat Cena.

The Russian sympathizer would not make this one of the finishers he uses on a regular basis, but it would be the spot he has in his back pocket to pull out during the biggest matches. Wrestling fans are smart to the business, and there would be excitement every time he went for a banned move.

Rusev ignoring the rules in regard to the storyline and hitting the piledriver on Cena would only add to his heel persona.

With the fans believing Rusev is a legitimate tough guy for using a move banned by the WWE on Cena, he could win the Fastlane match clean and go on to lose at WrestleMania without any long-term damage to his character.

Beating Cena in a non-clean fashion (disqualification or count-out) would do nothing for Rusev's character, but a pinfall victory would prove he belongs at the top of the card. Hitting the piledriver to beat Cena would only enhance the match and create a moment the WWE Universe would never forget.

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