Posted By James Walsh on 12/04/25


• Lana Reveals Why Rusev Left AEW For WWE Despite Earning More In AEW
Rusev spent a decade in WWE before being released in 2020 when the company made budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A few months later, he debuted in AEW, where he had a strong start and captured the TNT Championship. However, his momentum eventually stalled, and after disappearing from TV for an extended period, he quietly parted ways with the company. Earlier this year, he made his return to WWE on the RAW after WrestleMania.

Speaking on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Rusev’s wife Lana (CJ Perry) explained why he chose to leave AEW and return to WWE. She said that he simply wanted consistent TV time, which WWE is giving him.

“Both him and I love telling stories, and WWE is a storytelling factory. He is incredible at what he does. He’s the super athlete. He loves playing a villain. He absolutely loves WWE style storytelling. And so I think it was… and he wanted to wrestle every week on TV. That was a big thing for him.

He loves wrestling. It wasn’t about a check for him. So it was like, yeah, maybe he made more money at AEW or something, but it was more important for him to get out there and be wrestling. It was really hard for him to not be working.”

Rusev has been a regular presence in RAW’s mid card since he returned to WWE. He went after “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship and also participated in The Last Time Is Now Tournament.