WWE Missed Opportunities: Ryback vs. Rusev Feud Should Have Meant More

Rusev has been embroiled in a feud with the top WWE Superstar of the last decade, John Cena, for months. This has included several battles over the United States title, with another to come this Sunday at Extreme Rules.

However, just prior to getting locked into a program with Cena, Rusev had many run-ins with Ryback, and it looked like the two were on a collision course for a major pay-per-view match. In fact, a match at WrestleMania wasn't out of the question, if WWE could have built the program long enough.

Instead, the Ryback-Rusev feud was inexplicably dropped in order to interject Cena into the mix.

It's clear that WWE has a desire to make Rusev one of the most dominant heels in recent memory—his submission victory over Cena at Fastlane was evidence of that. But what if it was Ryback who got the best of things, had WWE gone that route?

It took Ryback a great deal of time to return to the top of the card following a failed tag team run with Curtis Axel. At one point, it seemed as though he would never be a top star again.

Placing him against Rusev made sense for both men, as they were two of the top young Superstars on the roster looking to crack the main event scene.

What would it have done for Ryback if he was the first man to defeat Rusev? What if Ryback was able to put America on his back and defend the country's honor at WrestleMania 31? He would have instantly been in the conversation for future WWE world champion.

Instead, Rusev's first loss came at the hands of Cena, a feat he doesn't really benefit from at this point in his career. Cena, a 15-time WWE champion, needed the United States title even less.

Though the feud between Rusev and Cena is ongoing, Rusev and Ryback were pitted against one another on the most recent edition of SmackDown. Even with a big match against Cena lined up, Rusev and Ryback were both protected by the booking of the match when Ryback won by disqualification.

"

Ryback vs Rusev, the match that should've happened at Mania. #RAW

— Jake Walsh (@JakeWalsh95) April 21, 2015"

Yes, technically that's a loss for Rusev, but since it didn't come by pinfall or submission, WWE will act as though Cena is the only person to defeat him to this point.

Could there still be money in a future program between Ryback and Rusev? Possibly, but WWE may not ever see it that way.

But if Ryback is ever going to get back on the level he was at toward the latter part of 2012, getting a clean victory over Rusev would be a good way to do so.

However, with the two Superstars going in much different directions at this point in time, circumstances could be very different if and when they lock up again. By that time, it may not matter, at least not as much.

Is this a missed opportunity? That depends on how you view the direction WWE chose to go in, but it definitely seems as though a quality program could have been made out of Ryback vs. Rusev.

That chance was there, but WWE missed it.