5 reasons why Rusev won the US Championship on SmackDown Live
It was a long time coming. Fans were thrilled, both live in the arena and across the world, when Rusev went back and forth with Shinsuke Nakamura in a Championship match and stood tall, as your brand new US Champion.
The question everyone is asking is 'why'! Why did Rusev emerge as the United States Champion, on this Christmas special episode?
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To answer your question, I shall delve into the matter and explore five topics. Let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment. Chime in with your own comments and conspiracy theories in the comments as well.
As always, here is a little disclaimer before I begin my article. This is purely speculative and I probably know only as much as you do, at this point in time.
That said, here are five reasons why Rusev became the United States Champion, this week.
#5 Nakamura's US Title reign was a disappointment
Nobody disputes how much talent Shinsuke Nakamura has. If you've followed his career in NJPW and NXT, you know just how gifted and exciting a performer he can be.
It's just that he has not been given the right opportunities to shine in the WWE main roster, and his most recent US title run has been a disappointment.
And this is because of no fault of Nakamura's. Shinsuke Nakamura has just not been booked in meaningful programs ever since he became the United States Champion.
While practically every other Championship was defended at TLC, the United States Championship was not, unfortunately.
Rusev's reign will aim to erase the forgettable run that the former Champion had with the title. Let's hope that he isn't forgotten like his predecessor was.