Why Has Miro's Entire Wrestling Career Been A Struggle?

• Rusev adopted an anti-American foreign heel gimmick on the main roster.
• He dominated the midcard and won the United States Championship.
• Rusev was thrown into the League of Nations to get Roman Reigns over.

Rusev spent about four years in WWE's developmental territory, putting together a gimmick that would find success on the main roster. He did that as the Bulgarian Brute with Lana (CJ Perry) by his side. Fans got their first real look at the big man at the 2014 Royal Rumble. Rusev was the sixth entrant in the bout, and as is the case with several heavyweights, it took multiple men to eliminate him from the match.

After weeks of promotional videos to hype up his arrival, Rusev made his presence felt by tearing through the midcard. His persona underwent an adjustment best suited to the Golden Era, as he adopted a pro-Russian and anti-American stance. In November 2014, Rusev beat Sheamus for the United States Championship, becoming the first Bulgarian wrestler to ever win a WWE championship.

On the Road to WrestleMania 31, Rusev built up a head of steam, with a strong showing in the 2015 Royal Rumble, and a tainted victory over John Cena at Fastlane. That led to Rusev facing Cena at WrestleMania 31, with him getting a special entrance that saw him pull up in an actual tank. This could have been the perfect opportunity to push Rusev into main event territory, but he was soundly defeated by Super Cena after a miscommunication with Lana. This marked Rusev's first pinfall defeat on the main roster, after which he was thrust into the League of Nations to get Roman Reigns over.

Miro's Rusev Day Was An Unfortunate Victim Of Vince McMahon's Booking Style

Rusev Got Over At The Wrong Time And Under The Wrong Booker

• Rusev was aimless after the League of Nations.
• Rusev added Aiden English to his act, and Rusev Day became wildly popular with fans.
• WWE and Vince McMahon actively suppressed the fan support he received, and his momentum petered out.

Once the League of Nations nonsense was over, Rusev spent considerable time just floating around the midcard aimlessly. He did win the United States Championship again and even feuded with Roman Reigns, but that was only to get the Big Dog over.

In April 2017, Rusev was drafted to SmackDown, doing the same old shtick he had been for years. But the tide began to turn after SummerSlam that year when he proclaimed every day to be Rusev Day. Aiden English was added to his act, and despite still being a heel, Rusev Day got over with fans in a big way. That did not rub Vince McMahon the right way, as he went out of his way to suppress whatever support Rusev had gathered. Reports have suggested McMahon did this because Rusev had gotten over organically, and not because of his booking.

Whatever the reason, Rusev Day eventually petered out as WWE made it obvious they were never going to capitalize on his popularity. Once that storyline was over, Rusev won his third United States Championship and lost it a month later. He briefly teamed up with Shinsuke Nakamura, before getting involved in a horrid love triangle including Lana and Bobby Lashley, with Liv Morgan also featured. That would be his final meaningful contribution to the promotion as he would be released in the budget cuts necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miro's AEW Run Never Got Off The Ground

Repeated Injuries Made Miro A Liability In All Elite Wrestling

• Miro debuted in AEW as Kip Sabian's best man at his wedding.
• He would beat Darby Allin for the TNT Championship and become The Redeemer.
• Between 2021 and 2025, Miro only wrestled 11 matches for AEW, with multiple issues and injuries.

Miro's AEW run got off to a strong start in September 2020, when he debuted as Kip Sabian's best man at his wedding. But things really took off in May 2021, when he defeated Darby Allin to win the TNT Championship. Miro became The Redeemer and God's Favorite Champion, with a custom championship and a dominance reminiscent of his first United States Championship run in WWE.

He dropped the title to Sammy Guevara in September 2021, and it would be all downhill from there. Miro repeatedly got injured in the years that followed and had issues with Tony Khan, leading to lengthy absences from programming. In September 2024, it was reported that Miro had requested to be released from his AEW contract, having only wrestled 11 matches since 2021; a shocking statistic. His profile was finally removed from the AEW website in February 2025, ending his five-year run with the promotion.

There have been rumors of WWE being interested in bringing the Bulgarian Brute back, but he is far past his peak. At 39 years old and with several injuries and other struggles behind him, any major promotion will be hesitant to rely on him in a meaningful spot.