#3 Rusev
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Rusev has undeniably improved his wrestling skills over the past couple of years. Along with that, his new Rusev Day gimmick has not only catapulted his own image, but also that of his wife Lana and former team member Aiden English.
Rusev has gotten some of the best matches on SmackDown Live this year and was involved in the ring with AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, The Miz, and Almas to name a few good competitors.
Yet, a piece is definitely missing from the superstar’s overall impact this year as a great competitor. That piece is most definitely a championship win in the year. He won many number one contender matches and even got a few title shots but failed in all of them.
Keeping Rusev in the title picture has been a good move for WWE, but he should have won a title this year to stay relevant enough as Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 2019 are fast approaching.