Rusev Day has officially returned, and the former United States Champion made a thunderous impact during the Raw after WrestleMania 41.

As The New Day stood in the ring reflecting on their WrestleMania triumph, they were interrupted by Alpha Academy’s Maxxine Dupri, Otis, and Akira Tozawa, who stepped up to challenge the new World Tag Team Champions. Just as the two teams were about to clash, the lights in the arena momentarily went out. When they returned, Rusev made his dramatic return to WWE.

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston wisely exited the ring, leaving Alpha Academy to face the oncoming storm. Rusev immediately targeted Tozawa and Otis, taking them both down with brutal efficiency. After a brief staredown, Otis was dropped with a devastating kick before being locked in the Accolade to close the segment.

Deadline later confirmed that Rusev had signed a new two-year contract with WWE. In a further development, Rusev’s wife and former manager Lana has inked a WWE Legends deal.

“Rusev is back to crush the WWE and become World Champion,” Lana told Deadline. “We have been cooking this up from our Bulgarian kitchen since the day we left, and with the help of Paradigm, we were able to make this a reality! Machka Crush,” she declared.

Rusev, who wrestled as Miro in AEW, was released by WWE in 2020 and joined AEW later that year. He captured the TNT Championship once but had not been used following AEW Worlds End in 2023. By February, it was reported that both Miro and Ricky Starks had been granted their releases. Starks has since debuted in NXT and captured the North American Championship.

Rusev’s return had been teased in advance by Big E during a Fanatics event held as part of WrestleMania 41 weekend, but the moment still caught the audience by surprise.

According to Deadline, Rusev has signed a new two-year contract with WWE. His return comes after years away from the company and hints at a major push. The deal was negotiated by Paradigm Talent Agency, who also handled a separate agreement for his wife, CJ Perry, formerly known as Lana.

PWInsider had previously reported that Lana signed a WWE Legends contract earlier this month, and Deadline has now confirmed the report. Her agreement solidifies her continued association with the company in a promotional and legacy role.

Speaking to the outlet, Lana said, “Rusev is back to crush the WWE and become World Champion. We have been cooking this up from our Bulgarian kitchen since the day we left, and with the help of Paradigm, we were able to make this a reality! Machka Crush,” she added.

NEW! NEW! NEW!

Want to join the conversation? WNS has launched a brand-new commenting system! Signing up takes just 30 seconds. Once you create your account and verify your email, you will be able to comment on all of our latest news reports. Simply click the BECOME A MEMBER button below to get started.

RUSEV RETURNS #RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/1f6eGuuSG3

— Netflix (@netflix) April 22, 2025