Rusev insisted that the injury that kept him off WWE TV for nearly three months didn’t hurt his chase for the Intercontinental Championship or any of the goals he still has in WWE.
On TMZ’s Inside the Ring, Rusev was asked about being out of action right as he was going after big opportunities. He said injuries are part of the business, and he has dealt with others in his career.
“I don’t think I can get upset by that,” Rusev said. “Life is life. It’s a high-impact sport, especially if you do it the right way.” He said things happen when you work that way. “I’ve broken my neck before, tore my knee, shoulder surgery. I don’t think it slowed down my momentum at all.”
He is confident that he will get back into title contention as soon as he returns to WWE TV.
“When you’re good, you’re good,” he said. “You come back and plug yourself right back in and kick ass and take names. It didn’t slow my momentum at all.”
Rusev has been chasing the Intercontinental title for more than a year. He joked that he could win the belt before or after his son is born.
“I’ve been following the Intercontinental Title for over a year now, and I believe when the time is right, I will bring it back home,” Rusev said. He added that it might happen “before my son Bear or after Bear.”
The mention of Bear comes a few days after the announcement that Rusev and CJ Perry are expecting their first child. In an interview with People, the couple revealed that their son will be named Bear Petrov Barnyashev and is due on April 28, 2027.
Chasing the title was a priority for Rusev before he got hurt. Back in April, he was in the Intercontinental title ladder match at WrestleMania 42 and talked to TMZ about how he was getting ready for it.
Rusev suffered the injury in a match against Je’Von Evans on the July 27 edition of Raw. CJ Perry revealed that he lost feeling in his arms during the match, and everyone was worried about him.
Fightful Select reported this week that WWE has been discussing his return to TV since September. Rusev is training in the ring again and has worked house shows.