Why Big Show Crushed Rusev At WWE Fastlane

This time last year Rusev was part of The League of Nations and received a Stone Cold Stunner at WrestleMania 32. This year it seems that there’s a chance the Bulgarian Brute could be missing that biggest event of the year after rumors state that he may be in hot water backstage.

Related: Rusev Reacts To The Reaction To His New Look, Another Star Missing This Week’s Impact Tapings

Sunday night at WWE Fastlane, Rusev faced off against the Big Show, and Big Show destroyed him. Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez speculated on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that there may be backstage heat on the WWE Raw star, perhaps because he recently cut his hair.

The Bulgarian Brute wasn’t on Raw this week and he sent out a tweet a few weeks ago that had some people believing he could be taking time off.

If the former United States Champion really is taking time off, it’s always possible that he could miss WrestleMania. The fact that he received three chokeslams and a Knockout Punch before he would stay down for the three-count made him look strong, and may have been a way to write him off WWE TV for a while anyway.

This time away could allow Rusev to regroup and return in a few months as a different character with a different mindset, something that he has needed for a long time.