Interview: Rusev on Vince McMahon and Casket Match Against Undertaker

Recent episode of the Inside The Ropes podcast had Rusev as the guest discussing Vince McMahon’s reception to Rusev Day, his thoughts on the Casket Match against The Undertaker, who was responsible for giving his spot back in the match, and more.

On Vince McMahon’s reception to Rusev Day, Rusev stated Vince has been very supportive of the gimmick.

“How does Vince McMahon feel about Rusev Day? He’s supportive, he’s trying to teach me a lot. You know I’ve never been a good guy so he’s trying to teach me how to — you know what he wants and how he sees things so, yeah he’s been very supportive.”

On being stranded on a desert island with one person from WWE:

“Vince McMahon any day. He’s a character, man. He’s a smart dude, he knows a lot and just being able to sit and listen to his stories and learn from him would be a great experience.”

On his Casket Match against The Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, Rusev stated he initially felt Vince McMahon was just playing a joke on him backstage.

“So I was supposed to be in it. Vince told me one time, you know ‘you’re gonna work The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia,’ and I laughed at him because I thought he was joking. I’m like, ‘whatever,’ and he’s like, ‘it’s gonna be a casket match.’ I completely laughed at him and was like, ‘yeah and I’m winning, right?’ He was like, ‘alight I’ll talk to you later.’

He left and I still completely thought it was a joke and there were other people in the room and they thought that I was being an asshole. I was like ‘he was joking with me,’ and he was like, ‘no, it’s booked.’ The next day there was a big advertisement ‘Rusev vs The Undertaker’ I was like, ‘oh my god… what a… so stupid.'”

On being pulled from the Casket Match and getting his spot back:

“Then they took took me out because we’re kinda going a different direction. We’re kinda doing the good guy thing and [McMahon] thought I shouldn’t be buried if I was a good guy. Then he took me out and he put in Jericho. Then The Prince of Saudi Arabia called and said, ‘no.’ He wanted to see Rusev in that match so Jericho was out again and they added me back to it. I was back in the match and the match was great. Just going out there and wrestling a true legend and learning a lot from him it was a great opportunity.”