My Friday column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at the risk and reward of Lana as a single competitor in WWE. Here’s an excerpt:
And just like that, it appears Lana is back on the priority list for WWE.
She has returned to television, regularly antagonizing Brie Bella the past few weeks. It’s a return she desperately needs and has to be better than the past 12 months.
The year 2015 was a bad one on-screen for Lana and her real-life fiance Rusev. It was a great year personally as the couple got engaged and made TMZ headlines in October. The happy real-life news brought about the end of a terrible six months of television attempting to split the pair in the storyline. The attempt seemed logical due to the increasing popularity Lana was getting from crowds chanting her name while Rusev is a traditional heel in professional wrestling with his anti-American rhetoric.
The split also featured Dolph Ziggler and Summer Rae getting involved with the emotional turmoil. Unfortunately, the logical plot attempt of Lana splitting from Rusev was a road filled with potholes and detours. Injuries at separate times to Rusev and Lana were followed by Ziggler needing time off to film a movie, and a general lack of talent from Summer Rae. All this distracted from any real momentum.
The TMZ headlines of legitimate love between Rusev and Lana was an extinguisher to put out the dumpster fire that was the love square involving Ziggler and Summer Rae. While it put out that fire, rumored heat still lingered behind the scenes with management unhappy about the posted pictures of engagement which spread across the Internet.
For those of you keeping score — 2014 was a solid rookie year for the new heel duo. It was followed by a terrible 2015 story. Then, as the story gets forced to an end because of real-life happenings, those developments seemed to anger management and cause a disappearance, mainly Lana, from TV.
It’s a shame how ridiculous things have looked to the audience for the two characters. Nothing to help their credibility took place in 2015. I know the “E” stands for entertainment, but why strip one of the best young heels in Rusev, after a solid 2014 undefeated showing, down to an emotional disaster like he’s on the Bulgarian version of Maury?
Lana’s appearances on WWE television since October have been random, if any. Rusev has been having a guy’s night being seen only with his League of Nations partners.
CLICK HERE for the risk in the first match and limit of her future because of Rusev.
