WWE just announced that Rusev (Miroslav Barnyashev) has been released from his contract as the company continues to make financial changes in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rusev signed with the company in 2010 and debuted on the main roster in 2014. He was paired with Lana, who would become his real life wife, as a pro-Russia tandem and pledged their allegiance to President Vladimir Putin. Rusev had an undefeated streak and went into a high profile rivalry with John Cena at WrestleMania 31.
Rusev was most recently involved in a love triangle storyline with Lana and Bobby Lashley, including a memorable wedding ceremony in December 2019 on Raw. Rusev was a 3-time United States Champion. He also recently pledged $20,000 to laid off WWE employees.
Thank you All, Rusev out!
— Miro (@ToBeMiro) April 15, 2020