Rusev

Miroslav Barnyashev (December 25, 1985) is a Bulgarian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Miro where he is a former AEW TNT Champion. He was previously signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring name Rusev. In WWE he is a three-time WWE United States Champion. Barnyashev is the first Bulgarian to have wrestled for WWE.
== Early life and athletics career ==
Barnyashev was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He attended a sports school while growing up and competed in rowing and powerlifting as an adult.
== Professional wrestling career ==
=== Early career (2008–2010) ===
In the mid-2000s, Barnyashev emigrated from Bulgaria to the United States with the ambition of becoming a professional wrestler. He originally lived in Virginia, before relocating to Torrance, California, where he began training as a wrestler under Gangrel and Rikishi at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy. Barnyashev debuted on the independent circuit on November 22, 2008 under the ring name "Miroslav Makaraov", defeating Aerial Star.
In 2010, Barnyashev wrestled for Vendetta Pro Wrestling as "Miroslav". While wrestling for VPW, he was managed by Markus Mac. He and several other VPW wrestlers appeared in the music video for the song The Whole F'n Show by Kushinator (the entrance music of wrestler Rob Van Dam).
=== World Wrestling Entertainment ===
==== Developmental territories (2010–2014) ====
In September 2010, Barnyashev was signed to a contract by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He was assigned to the WWE's Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental territory, where he adopted the ring name "Alexander Rusev". He wrestled his first televised match on the July 17, 2011 episode of FCW, defeating Mike Dalton while being managed by Raquel Diaz. Shortly after debuting in FCW, Rusev tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and his meniscus and spent six months rehabilitating.
Rusev returned to FCW in March 2012 with Nick Rogers as his manager. In the summer of 2012, Rusev suffered a broken neck, temporarily paralyzing his arm. While rehabilitating, Barnyashev travelled to Thailand, where he studied the martial art Muay Thai. In August 2012, WWE rebranded FCW as WWE NXT.
After recovering from his injuries, Rusev made his NXT television debut on the May 30, 2013 episode, competing in a battle royale to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship that was won by Bo Dallas. Rusev's first NXT singles match came about on August 21, losing to Dolph Ziggler. Shortly thereafter, Rusev adopted Sylvester Lefort as his manager and formed a short-lived tag team with Scott Dawson named the "Fighting Legionnaires"; they feuded with the team of Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady. On the October 30 episode of NXT, Rusev ended his affiliation with Lefort by attacking him during a tag team bout.
Rusev proceeded to adopt Lana as his "social ambassador", a pairing compared by WWE to Ivan and Ludmilla Drago from the 1985 film Rocky IV. In matches taped before his main roster debut, Rusev defeated main roster wrestlers Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Sin Cara in singles matches, which aired on NXT in January and February.
Rusev continued to appear sporadically on NXT after joining the main roster in April 2014. He made his final appearance on July 24, 2014, getting disqualified against NXT Champion Adrian Neville in a non-title match.
==== Hero of the Russian Federation (2014–2015) ====
Rusev made his main roster debut at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 26, 2014. The sixth entrant to the titular match, Rusev was eliminated by a joint effort of four wrestlers. After months of self-promotional videos and speeches by Rusev and his manager Lana, Rusev's return match on the main roster came about on the April 7 episode of Raw, where he squashed Zack Ryder.
In May 2014, Rusev adopted a Russophillic, anti-American gimmick that saw him announced as having relocated to Russia, and as having been named "Hero of the Russian Federation". In the same month, his ring name was shortened to simply "Rusev". Over the next several months, Rusev feuded with Big E (whom he defeated at Payback and at Money in the Bank), Jack Swagger (whom he defeated at Battleground and again at SummerSlam), Mark Henry (who he defeated at Night of Champions) and Big Show (who he defeated at Hell in a Cell). Lana dedicated Rusev's string of victories to President of Russia Vladimir Putin, drawing attention from the mainstream press - including The Washington Post and The Daily Beast - and criticism after she was interpreted as having referred to the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 before Rusev's match at Battleground in an attempt to generate heat. On the October 6, 2014 episode of Raw, Rusev and Lana were confronted by The Rock in a surprise appearance; with The Rock driving Rusev from the ring.
On November 3, Rusev gained his first professional wrestling championship and became the first Bulgarian-born champion in WWE history when he won WWE United States Championship by defeating then-champion Sheamus in a post-Raw match that aired on the WWE Network.
At TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs 2014, Rusev successfully defended his United States Championship, forcing Jack Swagger to tap out to his Accolade submission maneuver.
Rusev was the runner-up in the 2015 Royal Rumble Match before being hurled over the top rope by the victorious Roman Reigns. On Royal Rumble Fallout, The Super Athlete interrupted an interview with John Cena, sparking a heated confrontation that has evolved into a very personal rivalry.
With the help of Lana and a low-blow, Rusev was victorious with The Accolade over an unconscious Cena at WWE Fastlane. Despite initially rejecting the Cenation leader's overtures for a rematch, The Super Athlete found himself in a precarious position on the March 9 episode of Raw as Cena locked him in a suffocating version of the STF. As a result, Lana agreed to give Cena another chance to win the WWE United States Championship at WrestleMania 31, in exchange for Rusev's release from the hold.
Lana's decision to grant Cena a rematch caused a dispute between her and Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute refused to answer questions regarding their relationship, showing up on Raw the next week for the WWE United States Championship Match contract signing with a Russian lawyer by his side in place of The Ravishing Russian. After a miscommunication with Lana, Rusev was defeated by Cena and lost the United States Championship at WrestleMania 31.
He failed to regain the championship the following month at Extreme Rules in a Russian Chain match; during the match, Lana garnered a positive reaction from the crowd, leading to Rusev banishing her from ringside and causing dissension between the two. Rusev lost to Cena once more at Payback on May 17, 2015 in an "I Quit" match after Lana conceded the match on his behalf. On the following episode of Raw, Rusev ended his affiliation with Lana. During the episode, Rusev confronted Lana after she publicly kissed Dolph Ziggler in the ring. After receiving a slap by Lana and a Zig Zag from Ziggler, Rusev was left knocked out in the ring while his former manager and his rival Ziggler exited the ring together.
====Split from Lana (Early 2015)====
On the May 25, 2015 episode of Raw, Rusev reverted to being billed from Bulgaria and began carrying the flag of Bulgaria to ringside. Later on in the show, Rusev unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile with Lana.
Rusev was scheduled to meet Ziggler at the 2015 Elimination Chamber, against R-Truth, King Barrett, Ryback and Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match for the vacant Intercontinental Championship. On May 28 on Smackdown leading to the event, Rusev lost to Ryback by disqualification. As a further result from the match, Rusev suffered a legit foot fracture. He was unable to compete at Elimination Chamber and was replaced by Mark Henry in the chamber match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship eventually won by Ryback. While recovering from his foot injury, Rusev would continue to unsuccessfully attempt to sway Lana away from Ziggler.
Rusev would align with Summer Rae, to continue their feud with Lana and Ziggler. Rusev would fight Ziggler to a double count out at SummerSlam, but would lose at Night of Champions due to interference from Summer Rae. Rae would announce her engagement with Rusev on an October edition of Raw, but Rusev dumped her, since it was reported on TMZ that Rusev and Lana were engaged.
====League of Nations, United States Champion (2016-2017)====
Rusev would be aligned with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, King Barrett, and Alberto Del Rio to form the new stable The League of Nations, where Sheamus used his stable to keep the title from Roman Reigns. Rusev would reignite his feud with Ryback, whom he defeated at TLC, where Lana interfered.
Rusev would enter the 2016 Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at #2, but would be eliminated by the new and defending champion Roman Reigns, the man who eliminated Rusev the year before to win.
Rusev and the League would feud with New Day, after picking losses against them, however, they defeated The New Day at WrestleMania 32. The League would dissolve on the Smackdown before Payback.
Rusev then won a battle royal on the May 16 episode of Raw to become #1 Contender to Kalisto's WWE United States Championship, last eliminating Zack Ryder. Rusev defeated Kalisto via submission at Extreme Rules to obtain his second title. Retaining his title against Titus O'Neil at Money in the Bank and Ryder at Battleground, Rusev entered a feud with Roman Reigns, resulting in their SummerSlam clash never happening due to Rusev's ribs cracking. They had a proper title match at Clash of Champions, which Rusev lost. Rusev and Lana requested a rematch, which Reigns accepted, that took place inside Hell in a Cell, where Rusev was defeated.
On the November 21 episode of Raw, after being locked out of his locker room, Enzo Amore would run into Lana in the hallway before being angrily confronted by Rusev. Rusev would challenge Amore to a match later that night, quickly defeating him. The following week on Raw, Amore would defeat Rusev by disqualification. On the December 5 episode of Raw, Rusev and Lana would have an argument backstage, with Amore standing up to Rusev. Lana would invite Amore back to her hotel room after telling him that she believes Rusev is only taking her for granted. This would later be revealed to be a setup, as Rusev would attack Amore at the hotel. At Roadblock: End of the Line, Rusev would face Amore's tag partner, Big Cass, defeating him by count-out. The following night on Raw, Rusev would face Cass again, this time defeating him by disqualification. That same night, Amore would have to attend sensitivity training from the incident on the November 21 episode of Raw. At the training, Amore would be attacked by Rusev and Jinder Mahal. On the January 2, 2017 episode of Raw, Rusev teamed with Mahal in a Two on One handicap match, defeating Big Cass. Rusev continued to team with Mahal, where on the January 23 episode of Raw, Rusev and Mahal, alongside Braun Strowman and Titus O'Neil, defeated Enzo and Cass and The New Day.
At Royal Rumble, Rusev would enter the Rumble match at number eighteen, lasting over 20 minutes before being eliminated by Goldberg. On the February 27 episode of Raw, Rusev and Mahal began to show tension after Rusev inadvertently distracted Mahal, causing the two to lose to The New Day. At Fastlane, general manager Mick Foley placed Rusev and Mahal in singles matches that night after Mahal revealed his desire to return to singles competition. Rusev and Mahal both lost their respective matches against Big Show and Cesaro. Both Rusev and Lana disappeared from television following Rusev requiring surgery for an injury.
====Rusev Day (2017–2018)====
On April 11, Rusev was moved to SmackDown brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up. On the April 25 episode of SmackDown, Rusev made his first appearance on WWE programming since Fastlane, appearing via satellite, and declared that he would not make his debut on SmackDown unless he was given a WWE Championship match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on June 18. He was not granted his request, but on the July 4 episode of SmackDown, he made his first appearance for the brand and confronted the returning John Cena, setting up a flag match for Battleground, which he lost.
In August, Rusev started a feud with Randy Orton and was defeated by Orton at SummerSlam in 10 seconds. On the September 19 episode of SmackDown, Rusev got his revenge on Orton by defeating him in the same time, after a distraction from Aiden English. Soon after, Rusev assumed a new character where he would proclaim that everyday was "Rusev Day". This act would become incredibly popular with the fans, despite the fact that Rusev played a villainous character. At Hell in a Cell on October 9, Rusev lost to Orton again, thus ending their feud.
After his feud with Orton, Rusev began a team with English, with the two participating in a fatal four-way tag team match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship at Clash of Champions in December also involving The New Day, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin and the champions The Usos, which The Usos won. Rusev entered the 2018 Royal Rumble match on January 28 as the first entrant, lasting over 30 minutes before being eliminated by Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy. On the March 27 episode of SmackDown, Rusev teamed with Jinder Mahal to defeat Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, adding him to the WWE United States Championship match at WrestleMania 34. At the event, Rusev was pinned by Mahal, losing the match. At the Greatest Royal Rumble event, he faced The Undertaker in a Casket match, but lost. On the May 8 episode of SmackDown, Rusev defeated Daniel Bryan to qualify for the men's Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank, which was won by Braun Strowman. On the following episode of SmackDown, he won a gauntlet match to become the number one contender for AJ Styles' WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. At the event, he was defeated by Styles.
In July, Rusev Day started a feud with Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega, thus turning them face in the process for the first time in his career. Rusev and Lana lost a mixed tag team match to Almas and Vega at SummerSlam but defeated them in a rematch on the August 21 episode of SmackDown. At Hell in a Cell, Rusev and English unsuccessfully faced The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, English attacked Rusev, ending their alliance. English would later claim to have had an affair with Lana, leading to a match on the October 23 episode of SmackDown, where Rusev defeated English, ending their feud.
====Final storylines and departure (2018–2020)====
After failing to win the WWE United States Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura at Crown Jewel, Rusev finally managed to capture the United States Championship for a third time in his career on the December 25 episode of SmackDown Live. On January 27, 2019, he lost the title back to Nakamura on the Royal Rumble pre-show. Two days later on SmackDown Live, Rusev confronted R-Truth, who had just defeated Nakamura for the WWE United States Championship, and pushed him into defending his newly-won title against him, but Truth retained his title. After the match, Nakamura attacked Truth, and Rusev joined him in attacking Truth, thus turning heel again in the process and later forming a tag team with Nakamura. On the Fastlane pre-show, Rusev and Nakamura were defeated by The New Day. At WrestleMania 35, Nakamura and Rusev would compete in a fatal four-way tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, but were unsuccessful. Rusev competed in a 51-man battle royal at Super ShowDown, but failed to win. Following Super ShowDown, Rusev began a sabbatical from WWE.
Rusev returned on the September 16 episode of Raw and was involved in a storyline where Lana was having an affair with Bobby Lashley. Seeking answers for Lana's infidelity, she would accuse Rusev of being a controlling sex addict, leading to the two divorcing on the December 9 episode of Raw, during which Rusev was attacked by Lashley. At the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view event on December 15, Rusev lost to Lashley in a tables match, following interference from Lana. On January 13, 2020 episode of Raw, Lashley defeated Rusev in a singles match following an interference from Lana and Liv Morgan, after the match, a mixed tag team match was scheduled between teams of Rusev and Morgan and Lana and Lashley. The mixed tag team of Rusev and Morgan was defeated by Lana and Lashley in the January 20 episode of Raw. Rusev teamed with Humberto Carrillo in a loss to Lashley and Angel Garza on the February 17 episode of Raw. This would end up being Rusev's final appearance in WWE.
On April 15, he was released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
===All Elite Wrestling (2020-present)===
Under the ring name Miro, he made his in-ring debut on the September 23 episode of AEW Dynamite during which he teamed with Kip Sabian in defeating Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss in a tag match. He won his first singles match on the November 4 episode of AEW Dynamite where he defeated Best Friends tag team member Trent. He finished the year with a victory on the December 22 episode of AEW Dark in which he defeated Sonny Kiss. 
Miro won his first championship in AEW the following year on the May 12 episode of AEW Dynamite after defeating Darby Allin to become the new AEW TNT Champion.
==Personal life==
Barnyashev was in a relationship with CJ Perry. The couple bought a house together in Nashville, Tennessee. Barnyashev and Perry married on July 29, 2016. The couple ended their relationship in the winter of 2023 but remained friends.
== In wrestling ==
*Finishing moves
**The Accolade (Camel clutch, sometimes preceded by a stomp to the opponent's back) – 2013–present
**Machka Kick (Jumping side kick) - 2014–present
**Bulplex (Oklahoma roll transitioned into a release German suplex) – 2011–2012; used as a signature from 2012–present
*Signature moves
**Body block to an opponent rebounding off the ropes
**Multiple knee lifts to an opponent draped on the top rope
**Running hip attack to a cornered opponent
**Samoan Drop
**Spinning heel kick
**Swinging side slam
**Fallaway slam
**Dropkick
*Managers
**Markus Mac
**Nick Rogers
**Raquel Diaz
**Sylvester Lefort
**Lana
**Summer Rae
*Tag teams and stables
**The European Ultras (w/ Sheamus & King Barrett)
**The League of Nations (w/ Sheamus, King Barrett & Alberto Del Rio)
**Rusev & Jinder Mahal
**Rusev Day
* Nicknames
**"The Bashing Bulgarian"
**"The Bulgarian Brute"
**"The Hero of the Russian Federation"
**"The Russian Tank"
**"The Super-Athlete"
**"Ru Ru"
**"Handsome"
*Entrance music
**"Mila Rodino" by Tsvetan Radoslavov (2011–January 29, 2014)
**"Roar of the Lion" by CFO$ (January 26, 2014–2020)
==Championships and accomplishments==
*All Elite Wrestling
**AEW TNT Championship (1 time)
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked him #65 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2014
*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE United States Championship (3 times)
**Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2014) Team Cena vs Team Authority
==External links==
* Profile
* 
* YouTube channel
Category:1985 births
Category:2008 debuts
Category:Bulgarian wrestlers
Category:Powerlifters
Category:Florida Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:New Wave Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Vendetta Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:WWE NXT alumni
Category:WWE United States Champions
Category:Living people
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:All Elite Wrestling current roster
Category:AEW TNT Champions