Rusev received the first-ever shot at the WWE Championship four weeks ago. AJ Styles was in the middle of a feud against Shinsuke Nakamura for the better part of the last few months.
This rivalry continued since the Wrestlemania season stretching all the way to Money in the Bank. Styles retained his title by winning the Last Man Standing match on June 17th.
It marked the end of a historic feud between the two veteran pro-wrestlers in the WWE. Going forward, Smackdown general manager started the process of finding a new number one contender for the WWE Championship. She announced a gauntlet match in the main event.
Rusev defeated the likes of The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe and Big E to emerge victoriously. This win earned him the title match at the upcoming PPV event of Extreme Rules. We need to mention this is the very first time he is getting a shot at the prime title present in the company. No one deserved it better than him after spending more than four years in the company.
WWE fans loved the talent of Rusev and wanted him to witness in the main event picture for a long period. The creative team has finally listened to this and passed him the opportunity. The question remains whether he will be able to capitalize on this.
Meanwhile, ESPN interviewed the new challenger for the WWE Championship. Rusev spoke on some topics including the mindset while challenging AJ Styles for his title. Rusev stated the main event spot is getting tougher day by day to achieve for a superstar. But he will continue to fight to retain this spot even after this PPV event, (courtesy ringsidenews.com),
“It’s about damn time. Becoming a heavyweight champion and holding the top title is on my bucket list. That spot is always getting tighter and tighter, but why not? A man can always dream.”
The Bulgarian Brute also seemed ready to make the most out of this opportunity. He was focused on taking the title away from the Phenomenal One at the upcoming show. Here are further quotes from him,
“I’ve been focused, and I’m in the zone. I’ve been training harder than any other day. It’s great. Finally being able to climb up all the way to the top. I’ve worked hard enough and done everything I’ve needed to do. It just feels good that I have this opportunity, and I’m not going to waste it.”