Analyzing What Russian Chain Match Stipulation Adds to John Cena vs. Rusev

WWE reached into wrestling's past to find a perfectly apropos stipulation for when John Cena and Rusev go to battle again: a Russian Chain match. 

The company has now bolstered their United States Championship bout by playing up Rusev's character, hinting at Cena's history, forcing the violence to escalate and wrapping up a trilogy in style. The Russian Chain match is not one wrestling fans see much today. WWE chose an opportune time to dust it off, though. 

Cena and Rusev now prepare for the rubber match in their ongoing series. Not only does the trajectory of their narrative call for a more brutal collision, but so does the WWE calendar.

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view often forces feuds to don hardcore stipulations before they're ready. That's not the case here: Cena and Rusev have an excess of hate for each other.

And as Dr. Steve Maraboli said, "When you hate something, you chain yourself to it."

The most obvious advantages of tying Cena and Rusev together with a length of chain are how it will change the nature of each man's offense and turn up the volume on the clash's intensity.

The Action

The Russian Chain match is in the same family as the Strap match, the Dog Collar match, Texas Bullrope match and any other contest where the two warriors are tied together. Cena and Rusev will not only be forced to remain within striking range of each other but will have a disturbing weapon to use.

This type of match features one man whipping another with a chain. 

Beyond that bit of punishment, the wrestlers can also choke each other with the chain and wrap it around their fists to strengthen their punches.

Credit: WWE.com

WWE's PG TV rating will likely take away the choking option, but we have seen enemies whip each other during this more family-friendly era. And now, Cena and Rusev can borrow the unsettling power of that image, much like Sheamus and Mark Henry did back in 2013.

The Russian Chain match allows these rivals to be more savage as well as offer something unusual. Fans see dropkicks and clotheslines every night; the sound of a chain thrashing against flesh is an unfamiliar sound sure to perk up the audience's ears.

The Theme

This match has long been a brutal favorite of the squared circle's Russians (both real and fake) including The Great Malenko, Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff. 

The stipulation played up how merciless and vicious these Russians were. It was billed as a dangerous, barbaric contest, which only added to the aura of these men.

To have Rusev now follow other Russian wrestlers' leads is both a tribute to them and a way to add to his character. WWE can talk up how Rusev trained with chains or create a mythos around the Russianness of this kind of match.

It's easy to show how nasty he is if he's grinding the chain across Cena's brow. It's easy to show how hard-as-nails he is if he's getting back up after taking a chain-lined punch.

As for Cena, there's a chance here to allude to his past as the leader of The Chain Gang. Perhaps Cena will have to tap into his darker side to overcome Rusev again. Maybe we'll get to see a one-night glimpse of him in a heel-like mode.

There are certainly a good number of elements for WWE to play with here to make this third clash feel much different from the first two.

The Climax

A number of stipulations would have felt like fun diversions. The Russian Chain match, however, has a finality to it.

Thanks to the addition of a chain and all the lacerations that will come with it, Cena vs. Rusev is no ordinary title bout.  

Credit: WWE.com

This is too violent a match to follow up with a fourth go-round. Like the Hell in a Cell, this bout promises to end things for good. The fact that this type of contest is so rare only adds to that feeling. 

Should he survive this, Cena can move on from Rusev. If The Bulgarian Brute decimates the champ at Extreme Rules, it will spell the end of this story.

The Russian Chain match is the harrowing, risky arena into which these two gladiators step as they go to war one last time.