Why ‘Rusev Day’ Was Held Back by Vince McMahon

Former WWE Superstar Aiden English, who is now known as Matthew Rehwoldt, recently spoke about the “Rusev Day” phenomenon in 2017 and why Vince McMahon was hesitant to push him and Rusev as babyfaces.

In an interview with WrestlingNewsCo, Rehwoldt explained that he doesn’t believe WWE wanted to “stomp” the storyline and split them up. “No, because that’s bad business,” he said. “If they truly felt that way, they would have split us up, squashed it, and Rusev would have gone on to do something else.”

Rehwoldt acknowledged that WWE acknowledged the popularity of the “Rusev Day” movement by continuing to book them, put them on shows, and give them promo time. However, he believes that once Vince McMahon views a wrestler in a certain way, it’s challenging to change that view.

“I don’t feel it was a case of them spiting us,” Rehwoldt told WrestlingNewsCo. “I think there’s a misnomer that if there’s a popular idea they didn’t intend, they just want to stomp it. No, because that’s bad business. If they truly felt that way, they would have split us up, squashed it, and Rusev would have gone on to do something else.”

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“They kept booking us, putting us on shows, and giving us promo time,” Rehwoldt continued. “So, they acknowledged that there’s something not to ignore. However, where the issue came in, and I stand by this, is that once Vince views you in one way, it’s very hard to change that view, especially if he likes you as XYZ.”

Despite the lack of support from McMahon and the WWE creative team, Rehwoldt and Rusev kept on pushing without the guarantee of a storyline payoff, something that Rehwoldt is proud of to this day.

The “Rusev Day” movement became a classic case of a wrestling act gaining momentum without the backing of the machine, and it remains a fan-favorite to this day.

What are your thoughts on the “Rusev Day” phenomenon and Aiden English’s explanation of why Vince McMahon was hesitant to push them as babyfaces? Leave a comment.