Former WWE Superstar Rusev credits extensive in-ring time with John Cena as pivotal to his development as a professional wrestler. Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Rusev detailed a rigorous touring schedule with Cena that extended far beyond televised matches, providing invaluable learning opportunities.
“I love that man, he taught me so much,” Rusev said of Cena. “People seen us probably wrestle like 10, 15 times on TV, but we wrestled probably 1500 times on live events. We traveled all over the world just to wrestle. And even in European tours, we used to do Red, then Blue, then Raw, then SmackDown, then maybe SmackDown, then again Raw. Like, we would just jump everywhere to do this match. And just learning from him, just listening, paying attention to what he does, why he does it, keeping my ears open, my mouth shut. And I’ve learned so much, man.”
Rusev’s early career also involved working with established veterans like Mark Henry and The Big Show, experiences he described as initially daunting but ultimately formative. He recalled an instance where The Big Show simply told him they would “see each other in the ring” without any prior discussion or rehearsal.
“Even leading up to that with Mark Henry, with the Big Show, with all these veterans that I got to operate with. Big Show would say, ‘Hey, I’ll see you in the ring.’ Like, that’s it? You’re just going to see me in the ring? Like, you’re 7-foot-2 and 500 pounds. But okay. I was so nervous. But all these veterans prepared me for that moment. And I’m very thankful for every single one of them,” Rusev explained.
Rusev and Cena clashed at WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara, California, where Cena defeated Rusev to win the United States Championship, a match that was part of a larger storyline involving Lana. WrestleMania 31, held on March 29, 2015, at Levi’s Stadium, also featured notable matches including The Undertaker’s victory over Bray Wyatt and the debut of Sting in WWE, where he was defeated by Triple H.
Despite returning to WWE in 2025, Rusev did not have the opportunity to face Cena again before his retirement. Cena has since transitioned into a role as a WWE ambassador following the conclusion of his in-ring career. When asked about the most significant lesson he learned from Cena, Rusev emphasized the importance of timing and adapting to the crowd.
“Just timing. Take my time,” he responded. “There’s no such thing as a TV match and a live event match. Like, there’s no such thing as a bad crowd. If they’re not reacting, it’s because you’re not giving them what they want to see. Him listening, ‘Okay, is it high pitch? Is it low-pitch? Who’s out there tonight? What’s the vibe?’ He’s always there watching and learning the crowd as much as everything else… [You’ve] got to take your time and listen to the crowd. I think that’s the most important thing. Just listen to the crowd. They’ll tell you what to do.”
Since his return to WWE in 2025, Rusev has been featured regularly on television, including a recent feud with Sheamus. He has also launched Kech Pro Wrestling, a training academy based in Nashville, Tennessee.
