Will Rusev Get Undertaker's Blessing at WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble?

However the problem is not the intent, it’s the outcome. Undertaker has not really put over any younger talents in quite some time. He was laid out by The Shield in 2013 and he teamed with Daniel Bryan in the same year. The Deadman also infamously faced off against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31. That match is infamous not because of the action; Taker looked good and so did Wyatt.

It’s infamous because virtually nothing happened for Bray after that. Facing The Undertaker did not ignite Wyatt’s career as many hoped it would. He was not cast aside in favor of someone else and he did remain on TV. But there seemed to be no concentrated effort to elevate Bray past the mid-card. It was as if his match with Undertaker did not happen. But how fair was that assessment?

Were fans right in thinking that one match with The Undertaker would be enough to fast-track Bray Wyatt to the top of the card? Perhaps the expectations were much too high at that time. Maybe it was indeed just another match for The Deadman, a way to take the edge off of his shocking loss to Brock Lesnar the year before at WrestleMania 30. Could it be that The Undertaker is no longer in the star-making business?

Check out Rusev’s SmackDown entrance after WrestleMania 34:

Rusev Entrance - SmackDown After Mania: April 10. 2018 (HD)

There is no disputing Undertaker’s influence in WWE. Many Superstars have felt it throughout his career. However even an endorsement from The Phenom himself is likely not enough to firmly convince anyone in the McMahon family to creatively go left when the planned direction is to take a right.

Perhaps Undertaker has never had that amount of stroke. It could very well be that no one ever has. So where does that leave Rusev at the Greatest Royal Rumble? The match with Undertaker will surely be one and done. There probably will not be a return match and there’s a small chance that Rusev could actually win. Barring any outside interference from possibly John Cena, The Undertaker will toss Rusev into the coffin and slam the lid closed. But what happens after that?

The fact is Rusev should be a babyface. There is just no reason for him to remain heel while he’s getting the biggest reaction of the night. But WWE likely has plans for him behind the scenes and those plans perhaps do not involve a face turn. Working The Undertaker, while seemingly good for Rusev in the short term, may not do much for him in the long run. It certainly will not bring about a change of character. So why do this at all?

It’s impossible to know why WWE moved forward with this match. Rusev’s fans are surely ecstatic that it is indeed happening. He’s their guy and to them, everyday is Rusev Day. But other than that, what good can come of his match with the legendary Phenom?

Rusev is in a good place right now. He’s finding himself, he knows who he is and more importantly, he’s getting over. He’s working for a company that trusts him against one of the all-time great legends of the industry. What else could anyone ask for? That is a question WWE may or may not answer on April 27.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Wrestling Rumors. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com