Rusev’s quick exit after losing to Je’Von Evans looked bad without any context. He popped back up, rolled out of the ring and headed straight backstage, but CJ Perry says there was no anger over the loss behind it at all.
Speaking on NotSam Wrestling, Perry finally explained what was happening in those moments after the July 27 RAW match. Rusev was hurt, in a lot of pain and simply wanted to get through the curtain and reach WWE’s medical team as quickly as possible.
“So he finished the match, but he was in a lot of pain. He just tried to get out of the ring as quickly as possible and get back to medical. That’s when the rumors started, blah, blah, blah, and Reddit. I saw the internet reported the true story recently because that’s the truth.”
That rush to the back immediately started a different story online. Some fans took Rusev getting up so quickly after the pin and leaving as a sign that he was unhappy about losing to Evans, but Perry says the finish itself proves otherwise.
Rusev could have told WWE he couldn’t continue and had the match stopped. Instead, Perry says he chose to get back into the ring, finish what they had planned and take the loss before worrying about himself.
“It had nothing to do with the loss. He could have had WWE stop the match and not lose, but he chose to roll back into the ring and do what’s right for business. Then he had to go to the back because he wasn’t well.”
For Perry, that’s the part of the story that got lost while everyone was watching the way Rusev left the ring. He was hurting badly enough that medical attention was waiting, but he still made sure Evans got the finish before leaving.
“It just shows wrestling—this is a contact sport, and I have so much respect for doing this day in and day out. So that’s what really happened.”
Perry’s version also matches the recent backstage word on what happened that night. Fightful Select reported that Rusev landed awkwardly on his neck during the match and his hands went numb, with the referee checking on him and asking whether they needed to stop.
Rusev decided against it. His condition got worse as the match continued, but he still made it to the planned finish with Evans. Once the three-count happened, there was no reason to hang around anymore, which explains why he was suddenly on his feet and moving toward the back.
Rusev hasn’t wrestled on WWE television since. He was given some time away after the match, later returned to the Performance Center and then dealt with an undisclosed illness, with his return expected once WWE’s doctors clear him.
The footage made it easy to tell one story: Rusev lost, jumped up and stormed off. Perry says the real story happened before he ever left the ring. He was hurt, could have stopped the match and avoided the loss entirely, but chose to finish the job first and get himself to medical second.
Did Rusev finishing the match despite being hurt change the way you look at his sudden RAW exit? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
