Rusev lost his U.S. championship to Shinsuke Nakamura during the Royal Rumble pre-show last night (Sun., Jan. 27, 2019) at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. He lost in part because his lovely wife, Lana, got hurt during the match taking a bump off the apron.
She wasn’t recovered in time for the women’s Royal Rumble later in the show, though she made a valiant effort to join the match anyway. When it was clear she couldn’t, Becky Lynch campaigned to replace her, was allowed to do so, and eventually went on to win the match.
Both Rusev and Lana had a great response to it:
So technically @LanaWWE won!!! Congrats honey. I love you. We are going to wrestle mania
— Rusev (@RusevBUL) January 28, 2019
Your welcome @WWE Universe! My pain is giving @BeckyLynchWWE the opportunity to go to Wrestlemania. #RoyalRumbe
— Lana Day (@LanaWWE) January 28, 2019
If Lynch chooses to challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw women’s championship and it headlines WrestleMania 35, we know who to thank for it.