Just when fans thought the surprises were over after an epic WrestleMania weekend, WWE pulled out one more stunner on the post-Mania edition of Monday Night Raw. In one of the night’s most jaw-dropping moments, Rusev—formerly known in AEW as Miro—made his long-awaited return to WWE after a five-year absence.
The return came during a segment featuring the newly crowned World Tag Team Champions, The New Day, who had just captured the titles from the War Raiders on WrestleMania Saturday. As they basked in their Vegas celebration, they were cut off by Maxxine Dupri, flanked by Otis and Akira Tozawa of Alpha Academy. Dupri wasted no time throwing shade, reminding the champs of their previous, embarrassingly short loss to Alpha Academy. With a little verbal baiting—labeling them the “Minute Men”—Dupri goaded The New Day into an impromptu title defense.
But the match never got underway.
As the bell was about to ring, the arena lights cut out. Moments later, a thunderous new theme hit—and out stormed Rusev to a roaring crowd. Ditching his AEW persona and returning to his WWE roots, the Bulgarian Brute wasted no time making an impact. The New Day wisely bailed from the ring, leaving Otis and Tozawa to face the wrath of the returning powerhouse.
Tozawa was quickly dispatched, and fans were treated to a brief but intense staredown between Otis and Rusev. Just as Otis tore off his shirt to throw down, Rusev unleashed a brutal headkick, followed by a signature Machka Kick and the Accolade submission to put Otis out cold.
This surprise return comes just two months after reports confirmed Rusev’s quiet departure from AEW, where he had been competing as Miro since 2020. His last in-ring AEW appearance was back in December 2023, with a one-off match in Qatar earlier this year being the only other time he stepped into a ring post-AEW.
Now back in WWE—and clearly not wasting any time asserting dominance—Rusev looks poised to shake up the RAW roster in a big way. Whether he’s targeting The New Day, Alpha Academy, or has his sights set even higher, one thing is certain: Rusev Day is back, and the WWE landscape just got a lot more dangerous.
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