10 Best Matches Of Rusev's Career, Ranked

Rusev has had a very interesting WWE careers so far. After a short stint in NXT, he debuted at the 2014 Royal Rumble before embarking on a near-year long undefeated streak as an anti-American monster. Since then, he has kind of had a roller-coaster path to the present.

We've seen Rusev as a comedy character, a tag team wrestler, a solid mid-card act, a guy who can rise to a WWE Title shot, a Total Divas star, and more. Along the way, he has carved out a niche as one of the company's most solid and consistent wrestlers. To celebrate that, here are his best matches.

10 Sheamus vs. Rusev - WWE Network 11/3/14

There may have been better matches from a technical standpoint but this is too important to not include. After months as an unstoppable force, Rusev was granted a shot at Sheamus' United States Championship. Something that made this unique was that it didn't air on Raw.

Instead, it was a WWE Network exclusive coming as soon as that night's Raw went off the air. It was a hard-hitting affair that saw Rusev win the first title of his career. This wasn't seen by a lot of people but if you get the chance, it's worth a watch.

9 John Cena vs. Rusev - Fastlane 2015

Nearly a year into his undefeated run, Rusev met his greatest challenge at the inaugural Fastlane. John Cena was the top guy in WWE and had been for years. He stopped hot streaks in the past for guys like Umaga and Bray Wyatt. Would Rusev be next on the list?

Yes and no. In this, their first meeting, Rusev bested Cena. He used a low blow to help secure the victory but it was still the biggest of his career to that point. Cena eventually did stop Rusev at WrestleMania and again in subsequent rematches. However, this first encounter remains their greatest.

8 Kalisto vs. Rusev - Extreme Rules 2016

2015 didn't end on a high note for Rusev but he turned things around in early 2016. That put him back in line for the United States Championship. This time, his opponent would be much different. Kalisto is one of the smallest guys in the company but he was coming off of successful title defenses against "The Big Guy" Ryback.

The dynamic of Rusev being such a powerhouse and Kalisto being small is what made this work so well. It's a tried and true formula in wrestling for a reason. Rusev won out, using a brutal version of the Accolade to earn the title for the second time in his career.

7 Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs. The New Day vs. Rusev Day vs. The Usos - Clash of Champions 2017

No matter what happens in Rusev's career, he always remains popular with the fans. The Rusev Day pairing with Aiden English was a craze that swept the WWE Universe. Here, they competed for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles against three other talented tag teams.

The Usos came in as champions, while New Day and the duo of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin were formidable opponents. However, the crowd seemed way behind Rusev Day. They erupted when Gable got trapped in the Accolade. Alas, the Usos retained in one of the most fun and chaotic tag matches you'll find anywhere.

6 Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - Fastlane 2018

Shinsuke Nakamura won the 2018 Royal Rumble match and was on the road to a WrestleMania clash against AJ Styles for the WWE Title. At the time, Rusev was mostly working as a tag team wrestler alongside Aiden English. On paper, this should have been an easy win for Nakamura.

Instead, we were given one of the best surprises of 2018. Nakamura and Rusev seemed evenly matched, having an answer for everything the other one threw at them. Rusev nearly won after stopping Kinshasa with a Machka Kick. However, Nakamura countered the Accolade and won soon after. An underrated gem.

5 Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. The Bar vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Usos - WrestleMania 35

We're back in the world of multi-team clashes. Rusev has proven himself to be great in the tag division and this was no different. He and Shinsuke Nakamura turned out to be a far better duo than most expected. That's especially true when you consider their partnership came after a rivalry.

This was a case of four teams getting 10 minutes to work with and cramming a ton of action into it. There was nonstop action. Aleister Black and Ricochet impressed with their teamwork, the Bar beat everyone up, Rusev had the crowd in the palm of his hands, and the Usos were their usual great selves. They retained at the end of this show-stealer.

4 Big E vs. Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Samoa Joe - Smackdown 6/19/18

Following a lengthy feud with Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE Champion AJ Styles needed a new challenger. That's where this match came into play. Five of Smackdown's top stars competed in a Gauntlet Match to determine Styles' next opponent.

This 45-minute match saw Daniel Bryan start against Big E. He beat him and barely survived against Samoa Joe, who attacked him after getting eliminated. The Miz snuck in to steal the pin on Bryan. Rusev was last out and in surprising fashion, he beat Miz. The crowd exploded as Rusev was earned his first shot at the WWE Title.

3 AJ Styles vs. Rusev - Extreme Rules 2018

Speaking of that first shot at the WWE Title, Rusev made sure he delivered something special. Most fans found that Styles' series with Nakamura was disappointing. As much as they loved Rusev, this didn't have those lofty expectations. Thankfully, that worked in their favor.

Rusev and Styles were able to go out and just put on a damn good match. Rusev was the bruising big man and Styles played the resilient good guy who had to chop him down to size. It's a simple, yet effective formula. Styles ultimately won with the Phenomenal Forearm.

2 Cesaro vs. Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens vs. Rusev - Raw 7/25/16

The first episode of Raw following the 2016 Draft was one of the best in history. It started with a bang as well. Two Fatal Four Way matches were announced as part of a mini-tournament. The first saw Rusev, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and the debuting Finn Balor go at it.

This stellar match was great from start to finish. Everyone played their roles perfectly, from Rusev as the bruiser to Owens as the smug villain to Cesaro dominating at points to Balor shining as the new guy. It was Balor who picked up the win.

1 Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Rusev - Raw 7/13/15

In case you haven't noticed, Rusev is a master at the multi-man match. During 2015, John Cena continually issued open challenges for his United States Title. Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Rusev argued for a shot and were placed against each other to earn it.

Fans were blown away by how great this turned out to be. They wrestled for nearly 25 minutes and it felt like three guys trying to make a statement. Rusev secured the win, his biggest since beating Cena at Fastlane. Sadly, his immediate follow-up match with Cena only lasted about four minutes.

NEXT: 10 Underrated Raw Matches You Probably Forgot About