WWE drops a huge Miro reference after his AEW departure

AEW lost Miro, and now the WWE Universe is expected to gain Rusev. The heavyweight grappler saw his run under Tony Khan end in frustration, and he made the trip to WWE HQ not long after leaving. While his return has not been confirmed, the sports entertainment giant is also continuing to fuel rumors and speculation.

The Bulgarian Brute signed a WWE developmental contract for FCW in mid-2010, two years before the NXT relaunch. Rusev worked the brand full-time, plus main roster live events, RAW, SmackDown, Main Event, and the 2014 Royal Rumble. His last NXT outing was a dark match over Jack Swagger in September 2014, two months after his last NXT TV match. The 300-pound grappler took a DQ loss to then-champion Adrian Neville, thanks to Tyler Breeze, who watched post-match as Rusev crushed the current AEW World Trios Champion known as PAC.

Rusev Day is close, according to a narrative making the rounds in the WWE Universe. The company is known to share throwback content related to Superstars rumored to return or planned for surprise comebacks. The Rusev vs. Neville episode was released and plugged today, which fans took notice of. While this may be a coincidence, the new NXT channel on YouTube has been uploading TV episodes in order, starting with the launch of the new era on June 20, 2012.

"In the main event, NXT Champion Adrian Neville takes on the monstrous Rusev, with No. 1 Contender Tyler Breeze keeping a close eye on the proceedings. Plus, Breeze returns to action after suffering an injury in a freak hand-modeling accident, NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defends her title against former BFF Summer Rae and much more!," reads the episode description.

Rusev and AEW's PAC had five more one-on-one outings in WWE after the NXT DQ. Neville won by referee's decision on Main Event in October 2015, two months before Rusev's wins at Main Event, RAW, and a non-televised live event. Their last singles bout was won by the former TNT Champion at a February 2016 live event.

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Lana update following WWE speculation and AEW exit

Lana (aka CJ Perry) has been the subject of WWE return speculation as of late due to the expected return of Rusev (aka Miro). The former RAW Superstar was also briefly with AEW while her husband was signed.

The former Ravishing Russian was not at WWE HQ with Rusev earlier this month. Multiple sources have reported that Lana is not expected to return when Rusev makes his comeback in the near future. However, it's been said that the door remains open for a potential deal down the line.

Lana and Rusev tied the knot on July 29, 2016. The former AEW foes split up in the winter of 2023, but just last month, they reconciled and renewed their wedding vows.