Rusev and CJ Perry Expecting Their First Child, a Baby Boy
Congratulations to Rusev and CJ Perry. The couple are expecting their first child, a baby boy, and they shared the news in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on October 27.
Perry, who WWE fans know as Lana, also posted a video on Instagram of the moment she showed Rusev the positive pregnancy test.
Due date and name
- Due date: April 28, 2027
- It's a boy, and the couple have already picked his name: Bear Petrov Barnyashev. Barnyashev is Rusev's real surname, and Petrov is a family name.
Their IVF journey
The couple were open about how they got here. They started IVF in 2025, and Perry said their embryo transfer took place on August 10, 2026, followed by pregnancy tests on August 19 and 21. She described the process as a "wild and emotional journey."
"The first time we heard his heartbeat, I couldn't stop giggling," Perry told PEOPLE. "We've been blessed with such a miracle."
Rusev, a huge football fan, has already been joking about the future: he says he wants to move to Spain so his son can join the Real Madrid academy.
Rusev and CJ Perry
Rusev and Perry met in WWE, where Lana became one of the best-known managers of the last decade as the voice of Rusev's early run, and they married in July 2016. Perry left WWE in 2021 and later wrestled in AEW, while Rusev returned to WWE in April 2025 after his own AEW run.
Where Rusev is in WWE right now
The news comes as Rusev is working his way back to WWE TV. He has not been on Raw since July 27, when he was hurt in a match with Je'Von Evans, but he returned to the ring at live events in Hawaii in mid-October. WrestleVotes reported that the tag team spot Big Cass filled alongside Ethan Page on this week's Raw was originally meant for Rusev. Read our Rusev return update for the latest.
From all of us at WrestleSeek, congratulations to Rusev and CJ on the wonderful news.
