WWE superstar Rusev sat down for an interview with Emily Mae of WrestlingNews.co, offering insights into his mindset, his renewed rivalry, and his candid opinions on the host city’s culture.
Rusev expressed his readiness and excitement for Clash in Paris, stating, “I feel excited. I feel ready. I’ve been kind of looking forward to this for a long time.” He acknowledged his previous encounters with Sheamus, noting, “We already fought a couple of times. We couldn’t resolve it. We still have more and more and more, but tomorrow we’re going to give it all out.” He emphasized the no-rules nature of the Donnybrook match, promising, “Tomorrow, nobody’s holding back. It’s an old weapons match, no rules match, and something’s gonna give, and that’s gonna be Sheamus, because I love winning and I hate losing, but I love winning.”
(Click below to watch the interview)
When pressed by Emily Mae about potentially using Parisian elements like croissants or the Eiffel Tower as weapons, Rusev quickly dismissed the lighthearted tone. “You clearly taking this as a joke, and I don’t understand why you’re taking this,” he asserted, adding, “It’s going to be a serious match. It’s going to be a very painful match. None of these other matches on this entire card will be as painful as our match. I can guarantee you that.” He detailed the expected brutality, foreseeing “marks, it’s going to be bruises, it’s going to be cuts, it’s going to be hard punches, there’s going to be chair shots. There’s going to be anything and anything, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to joke about this. It’s going to be a very brutal match that I’m going to win at the end of the day.”
Emily Mae inquired if the culture and art of Paris had inspired any new strategies or attitudes for the match. Rusev’s response was sharp and dismissive: “The only thing that French people can inspire me is to surrender, but I’m not a coward, so I’m not going to do that. Maybe that’s Sheamus type of people, but not me.” He continued, “I’m not inspired by any of the French people, neither by their food. Maybe the architecture, but that’s clearly stolen from somewhere else, isn’t it?” He did, however, admit to enjoying some local Middle Eastern food.
When asked about his long history with Sheamus, Rusev was unequivocal in his assessment of his rival’s current state. “Sheamus, you keep hearing it, and I keep hearing, oh, Sheamus has changed. Sheamus is now this. Sheamus is that. And I do agree. I came back and it’s so Sheamus. I agree he has changed. He’s an even bigger dumb ass than before.” He concluded, “There’s one thing you need to know about Sheamus: he’s even dumber than before.”
Finally, Rusev addressed WWE fans and their embrace of his return. While acknowledging his long-standing connection with fans (“We’ve been together for a long time. We rose, we fall, we rose again, and here we are”), he drew a distinction for the French audience. “Tomorrow they’re not going to be any of the WWE Universe out there is going to be just French WWE Universe, and they’re full of cowards. And I don’t like cowards, so I didn’t care. I don’t care about them. I care about myself and my victory.” He finished with a bold prediction: “I am going to win tomorrow. I am going to beat Sheamus. I’m going to make them pass out, tap out, submit and lose at the same time.
This interview is exclusive to WrestlingNews.co. If you use these quotes, please include a link back to this page.
