Arn Anderson Criticizes WWE For Not Turning Rusev Babyface Sooner

During the ARN Podcast, Arn Anderson covered the SummerSlam 2015 PPV. On the show, Seth Rollins defeated John Cena in a Winner Takes All Match for the WWE World Heavyweight and US Championships, and The Undertaker defeated Brock Lesnar in the main event. Also on the show, Rusev faced Dolph Ziggler in a match that ended in a double count out.

Anderson talked about Rusev Day and how Rusev should have become a babyface much sooner. He also criticized WWE for not pushing his babyface turn much faster than they did.

"Well, I didn't particularly want Rusev to turn babyface myself, but the fans, when they call for it, jump on it," Anderson said. "Don't wait for three weeks, don't wait for two weeks, don't wait a month. If they suddenly are clamoring for a particular talent for whatever reason, even if it was something that just happened last week that made them think completely different about the talent and so this week just seemingly out of nowhere, they start cheering for a guy.

"I say put the flames to it, put the pedal down, and go with it. Don't wait until it cools off again and then wonder why it didn't get over. And that's what I saw happening, and it was one of those things that – Rusev Day got over. But it just kind of sat there in neutral for so long that it just kind of teetered out. The best word I can say, when you get a guy like that who the fans suddenly get behind, the office should get behind them too."

During an interview with our very own Nick Hausman on the Wrestling Inc. Daily, Aiden English mentioned how he would have booked the ending of the Rusev Day storyline. English believed he and Rusev could have continued with the storyline for a longer time.

"We were both fighting to keep it going," English said. "I think we could have had a much longer run with it. I thought we could have had a really good go as a full baby-face act because we were kind of teasing that towards the end, and it was working. I thought, hey, we might as well try to get a full run out of it. I know they were calling us heels for a long time, everything like that, but it's like might as well try because people are into it. So I wish we would have gotten something like that, but if it's gonna end up, if you're going to end anything, make it worthwhile, make it go somewhere."

English continued to mention how he believed the story could have made a major star in himself. He said he knew he was ready for an opportunity and a push, and would pitch it to the office.

"They could have had the opportunity to. I'm going to be selfish here – they could have had an opportunity to make somebody new in me with that kind of split," English said. "I was ready for that opportunity and I was pitching things like that. I'm not talking about an eight-month WrestleMania cage match kind of thing, but I mean, we could have gotten a PPV out of it. We could have gotten several weeks. You could have built me up. I didn't mind the story of me trying to drive a wedge between him and his wife.

"That's easy to tell, but there's so much more nuance you could have done to it. And then we could have had either at least one or a series of matches that would have gladly put him and made him a big babyface star, and built me up as this new heel that maybe I could have gone somewhere as well. That's what I tried to fight for, and that's what I really would love to see."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit ARN Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.