Rusev's Road to WWE Stardom: Chronicling the Bulgarian Brute's Journey

With his tank-like physique and eye-catching athleticism, one would never assume that Rusev's body would be the biggest obstacle in him making it to the WWE mountaintop.

Throughout The Bulgarian Brute's career though, it's been injury that continually halted his momentum. A broken neck, a torn bicep, a shredded knee all slowed this charging train.

Still, Rusev (real name: Miroslav Barnyashev) has managed to become one of WWE's most promising young stars.

The powerhouse is poised to win his second United States Championship. He is set to face Kalisto for the championship at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. After the underwhelming League of Nations disbanded, Rusev is back in the title hunt; the crowd is getting behind him once again. 

It could well be Rusev who is among the wrestlers who become the foundation for the new era that WWE proclaims it has entered.

The Bulgarian Brute arrived to this point having waited for bones to mend and tendons to heal. The road to the WWE stage has been lined with trips to the company doctor.

Early Promise, Early Struggles

Rusev traveled to California from Bulgaria with his sights set on a career in the squared circle. Gangrel and Hall of Famer Rikishi served as his first teachers, training him at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy in Sun Valley.

Even as a raw prospect just learning how to do rolls and tie-ups, it was clear that Rusev had great potential. 

Not only did his sturdy frame make him look like a gladiator, he moved around the ring with surprising agility. His power stood out, too. Rusev flung around his foes, a sight fans are used to seeing from him today.

Only three years after his professional debut, WWE signed him to a developmental deal in 2011.

Alexander Rusev (he later dropped the first name) then honed his craft at Florida Championship Wrestling, the precursor to today's NXT. Flashes of the character he would later play on Raw and SmackDown showed up here. He was indignant and cocky, belligerent and patriotic. 

He had yet to develop the presence he has now. And WWE had yet to find a manager that gelled with him.

The company paired him with a string of valets and advocates, from Raquel Diaz to Nick Rogers. None of those alliances clicked.

Rusev though, would later have other concerns. He tore both his ACL and MCL. After six months on the sidelines, he returned to FCW.

Injury derailed him once more; Rusev broke his neck. In an interview with WWE.com's Byron Saxton, Rusev said, "I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but eventually my right arm just stopped moving. I thought it was my shoulder, but the MRI showed otherwise."

As he recovered this time, he chose to travel eastward, looking to add to his arsenal.

A Monster Returns

In Thailand, Rusev studied Muay Thai—a fighting style that would shape both his in-ring offense and his overall gimmick. 

"I love the discipline and toughness of it so I traveled to Thailand to study ways to incorporate it into my style," Rusev told WWE.com.

When he returned, healthy and armed with Muay Thai techniques, he also donned a new look. Rusev wore leather gear that resembled a gladiator's war skirt. He had begun to add nuances to his in-ring persona, most notably holding his hands at the ready above his head as he sized up his opponent.

The true Rusev was beginning to emerge.

WWE also had him ditch Sylvester Lefort and instead have Lana accompany him to the ring beginning in late 2013. Her magnetism and sharp tongue added invaluable layers to his act.

The company booked him to dominate, to tear through the roster like a traditional monster heel. During a winning streak that stretched for two months, he knocked off names like Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and CJ Parker.

With no blown knees or neck issues to slow him, Rusev caught fire. WWE soon called him up to the main roster.

Rapid Rise

Rusev roared onto the WWE stage at the 2014 Royal Rumble, where it took four men to eliminate him. Continuing the roll he was on at NXT, WWE booked him to go on an undefeated streak.

His first 19 matches in singles action on the main roster were all wins. It took nearly a full year before anyone pinned him.

The Bulgarian Brute had long ditched the gladiator garb and now played more of a classic foreign heel. He loved all things Bulgaria (and Russia) and badly wanted to prove how inferior America was. Lana was there to speak for him, to bark an anti-American rhetoric. 

Rusev rode that act to the United States Championship, a title he held from November 2014 to WrestleMania 31, where he lost to John Cena.

Many fans have since blamed Cena besting him for the momentum he soon lost. As much as booking mistakes did slow him down though, so did injuries.

Before Elimination Chamber 2015, he suffered a leg injury in May that ended up being a fractured foot, per WWE.com. 

Not long after he returned, he hurt his arm mid-bout in October. WWE announced (h/t SEScoops' David Bixenspan) that "Rusev sustained a proximal bicep tendon rupture during his match with Neville at the WWE Main Event tapings."

Like during his days as a developmental prospect, he was on a stop-and-start journey. 

A soap opera-like feud involving Summer Rae and Dolph Ziggler didn't help. Neither did being a part of the flop stable that was The League of Nations.

But now a healthy Rusev is suddenly creating buzz again. Since winning the right to face Kalisto for the U.S. title, The Bulgarian Brute seems invigorated, once again flourishing as an unfeeling predator with The Ravishing Russian at his side.

If he can avoid trips to the surgeon's table in the coming years, then Rusev will undoubtedly make his mark on WWE history.

Match information and statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.