Rusev is in action again in WWE after almost three months sidelined by a neck injury. On Friday night, the former United States Champion faced Joe Hendry during a live event held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, but ended up defeated.
The match ended a period of 81 days without wrestling, counting from his last appearance, against Je’Von Evans, on the July 27 Monday Night RAW.
The return happened after the timeline initially expected behind the scenes. On Sept. 4, Fightful Select reported that Rusev was sidelined by physical problems, with the expectation of returning to television later that month. His first match, however, happened only now, at a non-televised event.
Rusev made his in-ring return at WWE’s live event in Honolulu, competing in his first match since July after being sidelined with an injury. https://t.co/M8fibJjcsT
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As previously reported by Wrestling Noticias, CJ Perry revealed in September that Rusev had already been medically cleared to compete. During the recovery, he also faced another health problem, which prolonged his absence.
WWE will hold another live event in Honolulu on Saturday, according to its official schedule. Rusev does not appear among the names previously announced for that second show.
With the return to the ring completed, the next step will be his reintegration into television programming. For now, the match against Hendry represents Rusev’s first since the injury, without a set date for his reappearance on Monday Night RAW.