WWE Star Has Been Ready for TV Return for Months Amid Continued Absence

Rusev says he has been ready to return to WWE television for about two months, after a prolonged absence tied to an injury and later illness. The former United States Champion has been off WWE TV since the July 27, 2026 episode of RAW, when he lost to Je'Von Evans. Rusev’s actions after the match suggested he might have ignored the defeat, but his wife, CJ Perry, later said he experienced numb hands during the bout. Rusev says he was kicked in the head, finished the match, then left to get medical attention backstage. After nearly three months sidelined, he wrestled again during WWE’s Hawaii live tour on Oct. 16-17, and reports say the company planned the TV return since September.