Love Triangle Is Hurting Dolph Ziggler-Rusev Storyline

On paper, a match between Rusev and Dolph Ziggler offers a lot of promise.

Ziggler is the popular, bump-crazy veteran whose athletic style meshes perfectly with that of the bruising powerhouse.

Unfortunately, the buildup to that match hasn't meshed at all.

There's nothing wrong with soap opera in professional wrestling. In fact, this is an almost mandatory requirement in a typical broadcast. But the cheesy love triangle pitting the serious Rusev against an elite wrestler like Ziggler is beneath both performers.

If a match between Ziggler and Rusev is announced for Battleground, it would be as good as anything on the show. However, the added elements of jilted lovers and scorned exes will make it difficult for fans to take the match seriously.

Ziggler is hardly coming off as a likable figure. His weekly makeout sessions with Lana—with whom he has no chemistry—are not only uncomfortable, but they almost paint Rusev as a sympathetic figure.

After injuring his leg, Rusev was bound to crutches over the past several weeks and forced to watch helplessly as another man moved in on his woman. Though Rusev is a strong heel, nobody wants to kick a man when he's down.

The cold, emotionless qualities that played into Rusev's mystique as a monster are now gone. Instead, he's the petty, sensitive ex-boyfriend.

The introduction of a compassionate Summer Rae as Rusev's rebound only punctuates his downward spiral.

The growing jealousy between Rusev and Lana undermines the essence of their previous relationship. Lana and Rusev were not an item but a powerful partnership that was strictly business. What made Rusev scary was that Lana was there to prevent him from paralyzing his opponents.

Together, they looked to rule the WWE while rewriting foreign policy one Accolade at a time.

To paint them as bickering former lovers reduces the value of all that they accomplished together. Imagine if Rusev and Lana starred on Total Divas, and how negatively that would affect their credibility.

This storyline is no different—it's just on another network.

If long-term plans call for a reunion between Rusev and Lana, both can be salvaged if the emphasis is on world domination instead of serial drama.

The longer this feud continues, the more fans will forget how close Rusev once was to the main event.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.