WWE Armchair Booking: How to Maximize Rusev After Split with Lana

Losing Lana doesn't have to be what sends Rusev into WWE obscurity; it can be the catalyst for him to surge forward.

The Bulgarian Brute finds himself without the United States Championship in his paws, his undefeated streak has been morphed into a string of pay-per-view losses, and, most recently, he watched Dolph Ziggler take his manager from him. That all adds up to Rusev being left threadbare, fans wondering if he will tumble out of the spotlight.

His recent struggles, though, should be a launchpad, not a hindrance. They offer WWE's writing team a chance to craft a narrative of a raging beast taking out his pain on anyone unlucky enough to be within striking distance.

Rusev and Lana's alliance had been splintering for weeks when The Ravishing Russian called it quits for her client at Payback. The powerhouse berated her; she claimed to just be translating his surrender.

His mistreatment reached too high a level on Monday's Raw. Lana went running into Ziggler's arms. 

He now doesn't have his mouthpiece. That means, too, that he doesn't have to build his character around anti-American/pro-Russian rhetoric. 

Spiraling into Madness

Rusev's recent struggles have left him red-faced and with his fists clenched in anger. WWE needs to worsen things for him, building on his escalating rage. It can be what leads him to start destroying again rather than knowing defeat all too well.

When he climbs inside the Elimination Chamber in search of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, make sure to have him leave a wake of havoc.

Give him a spot where he superkicks R-Truth through a Plexiglass pod. Have him rattle men against the steel gratings. And when it's time for him to suffer elimination, give him the treatment John Cena got in 2009.

In the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out that year, it took three signature moves to keep Cena down. A spear, Codebreaker and the 619 came at him from three rivals and were enough to get a three-count. Do the same with Rusev to keep him strong; pile on the finishers before ousting him.

Afterward, he should refuse to leave the structure before flattening everyone still in the match.

During the Money in the Bank ladder match the next month, more disappointment and more destruction await. He delivers a powerbomb onto one ladder and superkicks someone off a top rung of another. He doesn't take home the briefcase, though.

And he loses to Ziggler when they finally meet one-on-one. 

For one, that result gives The Showoff something to build on. For Rusev, it further unravels him. Other wrestlers will soon suffer as a result.

On the Attack

It's time, then, to repair Rusev's image. Have him recapture some of the momentum he had pre-Cena.

Turn him into an unchained beast filled with fury.

On the Raw after Money in the Bank, Ryback is taking on Diego of Los Matadores. The Big Guy is dominating when Rusev arrives and cold-cocks him. The announcers wonder if Rusev is looking to rekindle their feud just as Rusev knocks out Diego as well.

He leaves without explanation.

On SmackDown, two other rivals get the same treatment. Rusev makes this a habit, attacking both heels and faces. That nets him a few new enemies and results in some of them seeking revenge in one-on-one action. 

Each time out, though, Rusev drops them. The Bulgarian Brute gets dominant wins over Jimmy Uso and Tyson Kidd. He forces Neville to exit the ring on a stretcher.

Soon after, Randy Orton is in a face-against-face battle with Ziggler. The setup is that both men are looking to climb into title contention. They agree to face off on Raw to give each other a chance to impress WWE's decision-makers.

Ziggler pins Orton. The Viper is busy pouting near the announce table when Rusev pulls Ziggler out of the ring and hurls him into the ring post. He stomps on him and presses his foot against his throat.

Credit: WWE.com

At first, Orton ignores it. Things had been heated between him and The Showoff earlier in the night. He's still upset about losing.

Eventually, though, he steps in. He confronts Rusev, telling him that he is going too far. A brawl breaks out. 

Colliding with The Viper

Orton is an ideal opponent for Rusev. He's high enough on the food chain that a number of pay-per-view victories over him would have a major effect. And The Apex Predator is in a position where he can lose a feud or two.

Having 12 world title reigns on your resume helps offset a few losses.

Orton tells Rusev he is tired of seeing him tear through the roster with no consequences. He says it seems no one is either willing to or capable of standing up to Rusev but that he will.

Credit: WWE.com

Rusev's motivations begin with him being mad over Orton interfering in his business, but things grow more intense soon after. Orton chases him out of the ring when The Bulgarian Brute is shouting his way through a promo one night. They brawl backstage that same evening.

That fight ends with Orton delivering an RKO through a table.

Rusev then promises to wreck The Viper. He explains that Orton has chosen to anger a bull and that he will get gored as a result.

That leads the two rivals to SummerSlam, the first of their major battles together. This is a physical match, one where Rusev leaves Orton hurting and struggling to breathe. Rusev follows up his pinfall victory with a post-match attack, focusing on Orton's damaged ribs.

The babyface then has the next few rounds of their rivalry to make the powerhouse pay.

This is a chance for Rusev to work with a major star, to cap off a story of his own mental collapse with the beginnings of a new narrative of monster and antihero trading shots. Orton can then do for Rusev what Cena never did—put him over.