The mystery surrounding Rusev’s recent absence from WWE programming has now been clarified.
According to a report from PWInsider, Rusev is not sidelined due to injury, discipline, or any backstage issue. Instead, WWE is deliberately keeping him off television as part of a broader creative strategy. The company’s current philosophy is to avoid featuring talent who are not in the “primary mix” of active storylines, so they are not perceived as filler or “wasted” appearances.
The idea is to preserve certain wrestlers, keeping them fresh until the creative team has a meaningful narrative ready that allows for a stronger and more impactful return.
Rusev has been largely absent since November 21, when he lost a quarterfinal match in the Last Time Is Now tournament to Jey Uso. His only appearance since then was a match taped for Main Event on December 1, where he faced Otis.
Before his hiatus, Rusev was positioned prominently in the Intercontinental Championship picture following his victory over Sheamus at Clash in Paris in August. He made his high-profile WWE return on the Raw immediately following WrestleMania 41, signing a two-year contract shortly after his release from AEW.
Rusev is not alone in being temporarily shelved. The report notes that The Street Profits are also being held off television for similar reasons. The team has not competed outside of Main Event since losing a WWE Tag Team Championship match to The Wyatt Sicks in October. WWE is reportedly waiting for the right moment to reintroduce them with a refreshed direction.
In related absence news, Aleister Black has been off WWE television since the January 2 episode of SmackDown, where he lost an Ambulance Match to Damian Priest. While Black’s hiatus was always planned creatively, it was later revealed that he also suffered a small tailbone fracture during the match, which he is currently recovering from while off-screen.
For Rusev and others in similar positions, the takeaway is clear: WWE is playing the long game — opting to wait rather than rush them back without a story worth telling.
