Rusev WWE Return: Latest Update on His Comeback to TV After Three Months Away
Rusev has not been seen on WWE TV for three months, but his return is getting closer. According to Fightful Select, WWE has been discussing his in-ring comeback since September, and he has already been back in the ring at live events.
Here is why he has been away, what has happened since and where he could slot back in on Raw.
Why Rusev has been off WWE TV
Rusev's last TV match was on the July 27 Raw at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, where he lost to Je'Von Evans. During the match he landed awkwardly, and his wife, CJ Perry, later explained that his arms went numb. He rolled out of the ring while the referee considered stopping the match, then rolled back in and finished it before going straight to the medical staff.
Fightful Select reported at the time that his hands went numb after he landed on his neck, and that he was also placed in concussion protocol. He was given a few weeks off, returned to the WWE Performance Center, and then got sick, which kept him out longer.
Some fans took the way he left the ring that night as a sign he was unhappy. Perry pushed back on that, saying he finished the match for the story and that the injury was real. She also said in September that he had been medically cleared.
Back in the ring in Hawaii
Rusev made his in-ring return at WWE's live events in Hawaii in mid-October. On October 16 in Honolulu, he lost to Joe Hendry. He also teamed with Ethan Page against Penta and Rey Fenix on the same trip.
House shows are where WWE usually gets a wrestler back up to speed before putting him on TV, so those matches were a good sign. Now Fightful Select says his TV return has been discussed internally since September and that he has been training in the ring. No date has been set.
Where Rusev could fit in
Before he got hurt, Rusev was in an alliance with Ethan Page, and the two were chasing the Intercontinental Championship. Both were in the Intercontinental Championship No. 1 Contender's Gauntlet on the July 13 Raw, and the Hawaii tag match shows the pairing is still together on the road.
Since then, Page has found a new partner. On the October 19 Raw, Page and Big Cass attacked Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable, Dragon Lee and Rey Mysterio after Gable retained his title, and the two face Gable and Lee in a tag match on Raw tonight, October 26.
That makes the most obvious spot for Rusev a return alongside Page, which would turn the duo into a trio and give Gable a real numbers problem. This is our own reading of the situation, not a reported plan, but it is the easiest way to bring him straight back into a story that already exists.
Rusev in 2026 so far
It has been a tough year on paper. Rusev, who came back to WWE in April 2025 after his time in AEW, is 5–11 in televised matches in 2026, according to our records, and he has not won on TV since early July. That is a sign of how little WWE has done with him this year, not of his ability. A fresh start after three months away is a chance to change that.
See his full record, title history and match log on his profile, or compare him with Ethan Page.
When will Rusev return?
There is no confirmed date yet. He is cleared, he has worked live events and WWE is talking about bringing him back, so it looks like a matter of when, not if. With Crown Jewel on November 7 and Survivor Series on November 28, a return in the next few weeks would be the natural time. We will update this story when there is news.
