In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Rusev acknowledged that he experienced “a little ring rust” upon returning to a more active WWE schedule. He credited his ongoing program with Sheamus for helping him get back into form ahead of their match tomorrow at Clash in Paris.
“I had a little rust, to be honest, a little ring rust, if you will,” Rusev stated. “Because in AEW, I did not have as many matches… So I had to shake a little bit off the rust, but that served me well. The more I fight Shamus, the better I feel, the more aggressive I get, the more I get into my flow.”
The rivalry is set to conclude in a “Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook Match,” a no-disqualification, no-count-out brawl. The stipulation was added by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce on the August 18 episode of Raw to bring a decisive end to their series of increasingly chaotic encounters.
The feud has been a central part of Raw for months. After an initial confrontation on May 26, the two traded victories on June 30 and July 21. Their third match on August 4 ended in a double count-out, which ultimately led to Pearce’s decision to book the Donnybrook Match.
Despite his professional respect for the matches helping his performance, Rusev’s recent comments have been dismissive of his opponent and the host city. In an interview today, he called Sheamus an “even bigger dumb ass than before” and referred to the French audience as “full of cowards.”
Looking ahead to the match, Rusev predicted a violent encounter. “I expect nothing less but pain. I expect nothing less but a very hard, physical match with Sheamus,” he said, adding that it will be the most brutal match he has ever had. The two will face off at the Paris La Défense Arena on Sunday, August 31.