Projecting Rusev, Lana's Roles in WWE SmackDown Live After Split

The Superstar Shake-up has created opportunity for several WWE performers previously lost in the shuffle. Like Jinder Mahal and The Miz, both of whom have seen their profiles rise in the wake of the roster shuffle, Rusev and Lana have the same chance to increase their stars and achieve success they previously had been denied.

Both the Bulgarian Brute and Ravishing Russian have begin making their presences felt on Tuesday nights through pre-taped vignettes and promos.

What can fans expect when they return to the squared circle live on USA Network sooner than later?

For the happy couple, championship gold could very well be in their future.

Rusev: WWE Champion

Rusev has already made a point of recording video demanding a shot at the WWE Championship from SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon at Money in the Bank. He even went as far as to threaten to show up on the May 16 episode of the show.

The forethought by WWE Creative to position Rusev in that role, where he is very much insisting for an opportunity to challenge for a title he has never had the opportunity to compete for, suggests it sees him as a viable main event star.

Unlike Mahal, The Bulgarian Brute was previously positioned as a headliner. Even as United States champion during his initial run with the title, he brought credibility to the title that allowed it to attract John Cena for a substantial feud.

The question is not whether Rusev would be a credible challenger to the WWE title but whether or not he is a Superstar around whom SmackDown management feels comfortable building its upper card around.

It should.

Over the course of his four years on the main roster, Rusev has consistently demonstrated an ability to grow and evolve as a performer. Once a silent, destructive force in need of a mouthpiece in Lana, Rusev developed his in-ring game, working strong matches with John Cena, Roman Reigns and even journeyman midcarder Jack Swagger.

The crowd heat he was able to incur from his actions between the ropes suggested his days of needing Lana to get him over were to be short-lived. Eventually, he developed a promo style that would allow him to walk the fine line between seriousness and humor when applicable.

A well-rounded performer, he has been one significant push away from achieving sustained main event success.

For proof of the personality that lurks beneath the rough exterior of the former United States champion, look no further than his entertaining Twitter account.

Now on a brand willing to give hard-working Superstars such as Mahal, Tyler Breeze and Fandango the opportunity to break out in a way they were never afforded during their time on Raw, Rusev has the ability to rise to the level a star of his quality should have been at a long time ago.

Lana: Alternative To The Women's Revolution?

The Women's Revolution that overtook WWE in 2015 and exploded the following year has done wonders for the art of women's wrestling. It has presented female performers the chance to prove their abilities are every bit as good as their male counterparts when given the same opportunities to deliver lengthy matches with strong accompanying stories.

It has also allowed said performers to develop characters for themselves that extend beyond the norm.

Now a member of the SmackDown Live brand, and with little proof suggesting she and Rusev will remain an on-screen pair going forward, the time has come for Lana to develop an on-screen persona separate from that of the one-dimensional Ravishing Russian she has portrayed since 2014, step out of her comfort zone and go between the ropes for the start of an in-ring career that could eventually generate her championship gold.

Any success she finds as an in-ring performer will not be in the traditional sense.

Inexperienced in comparison to Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Natalya and other SmackDown stars, recent vignettes announcing her SmackDown Live debut suggest her performances will be very character-based.

A dancer whose sensuality is apparent more so than her knack for in-ring competition, it appears as though she will be assuming the role of "attractive blonde" that Emma was originally slated to fill as Emmalina.

Given her lack of in-ring experience and no discernible chemistry with the aforementioned women of the blue brand, introducing Lana as a character rather than a traditional wrestler may be the best chance she has of succeeding right out of the gate.

In the 2004 WWE direct-to-video release of The Rise and Fall of ECW, Paul Heyman repeatedly hammered home the importance of accentuating the positives and hiding the negatives. Lana has long been an engaging personality and character. Her in-ring work is a mystery, so why emphasis it?

Let her become a character, get over in that role and slowly bring her in-ring skills into the equation. It is a strategy that will best suit her and allow her to stick out from the pack, which is exactly the misstep WWE Creative made with the charismatic Carmella.