On this week’s edition of “Monday Night Raw,” Rusev was involved in controversial segment that saw him tugging at the American flag. The Big Show dropped the flag as opposed to Rusev’s customary Russian draping, which resulted in him taking his frustrations out on it.
In response, a “member” of the U.S. armed forces rushed the ring, only to be held back by a WWE security guard. He ended up getting past the guard and going after Rusev, at which point, the Superstar kicked him and ran out of the ring.
As many would expect, the segment was a work and not real. Many in attendance noted the man was not ringside for most of the event, and only showed up just before the spot. Furthermore, WWE security made no attempt to hold him back until after he got in the ring.
Additionally, while many feel this may have been disrespectful, it should be noted WWE used a tactic often used in film in order to not desecrate the United States armed forces. The flag on the man’s sleeve was on the wrong arm, which is a practice usually used to avoid going against U.S. law of replicating a uniform.
The angle between Big Show and Rusev has already resulted in some controversy prior, as WWE received heat for having Show rip down the Russian flag and letting it hit the ground. It issued an apology in response.
Editor’s Note
I thought it was fairly obvious that was not a real member of the army, but I suppose others were not as receptive to it. Sometimes, it’s OK to push the limits on what you produce.