Rusev has been off WWE television for close to a month now, but his time away appears to be nearing its end.
The Bulgarian last competed on the July 27 edition of Monday Night RAW, dropping a match to Je’Von Evans. Evans escaped the Accolade, connected with a Stunner, and put Rusev away with the OG Cutter for the pinfall.
Rusev hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since, but Sean Ross Sapp reported during this week’s post-RAW show that the former United States Champion is expected back in roughly two weeks.
“Rusev will be back soon, by the way, in a couple weeks.”
If that timeline holds, Rusev would be back on television during the first half of September. No specific return date has been announced, and there has been no confirmation that an injury is behind his current absence.
This isn’t the first time Rusev has been sidelined in 2026. In January, after being off programming since November 2025, PWInsider reported that WWE had intentionally kept him off TV so he could return with a fresh creative direction.
Rusev returned to WWE on April 21, 2025 after spending nearly five years away from the company.