Rusev Explains Why He Returned to WWE After AEW

Rusev has finally opened up about what led him back to WWE after a five-year stint in AEW, and it wasn’t some grand plan—it just gradually took hold.

During a conversation with Voxcatch, the former United States Champion admitted he didn’t initially consider coming back to WWE. The thought only began to take shape over time.

“It was something out of my mind at first and then slowly started to creep in… and then things happened, you know, and here I am.”

But don’t expect the same Rusev fans remember from years past. He says the version of himself returning in 2025 is far more mature, and that’s all thanks to the lessons he learned while wrestling in AEW.

According to Rusev, AEW forced him to stand on his own without the type of backstage infrastructure WWE provides. That challenge ended up being the ultimate test of everything he had learned during his early WWE run.

“I think maturity. When I was first in AEW, I got to learn a lot. Because in WWE, you have a lot of people that help you around with things. And in AEW, you’re on your own, right? And that was a great test for me—to test my skills. What did John Cena teach me? What did Big Show teach me? What did Mark Henry teach me? What did Jack Swagger? All these guys that I beat throughout these years and I’ve learned throughout. And Roman Reigns and all these guys that I beat and I’ve learned. Now it’s time for me to go out there and put this in my way. And it showed. I became champion there.”

Rusev’s WWE return wasn’t born out of desperation—it was a calculated decision made after proving he could thrive without the safety net. And now, he’s back with a chip on his shoulder and a locker room full of talent to dominate.

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