Rusev has opened up about why he chose to step back into WWE, revealing that a loaded roster and the return of a full touring schedule played a major role in his decision.

Speaking on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, the former champion said the current landscape made it impossible to stay away. He made his comeback on the April 21, 2025 episode of Monday Night RAW, storming back onto television after five years and laying out Alpha Academy.

“I wanted to wrestle. I wanted to mix it up with the best. I know that the roster is stacked. I don’t remember the last time it was this stacked, but I just want to mix it [up] with everybody. I wanted to wrestle more and more, and all these European tours and everything. I love all that, I love the grind,” Rusev said.

He also spoke passionately about the old school schedule that helped shape his career. For Rusev, the constant travel and repetition were not a burden but a badge of honor.

“Because when we first started, we were five days on the road, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, you go home Wednesday, you’re out on the road again on Friday. And that’s just how life was, as hard as it was, that’s how you get better, just by putting in the work. Because every day you work different towns, you travel. Now the people can only hear about that and be like, Oh, really, that’s what it was. It was so cool. Wrestling, getting beaten up, getting the rental car driving three hours to the next down, getting the hotel, waking up, working out, doing the same thing, makes you feel like a real professional wrestler. I missed the grind,” Rusev explained.

Rusev did not shy away from discussing his 2020 release during the pandemic. He admitted the timing was difficult, but said he quickly pivoted by building a Twitch audience during his non compete period before eventually signing with AEW. What began as a short term deal turned into something longer, though he always kept the door open for a WWE return.

“Well, look so I got fired. It sucks, right? Nobody wants to get fired, especially in the pandemic. There was just something else. But I jumped right away, I started doing the Twitch thing, because I had the three months no compete and jump on Twitch. I had fun on Twitch. I was making money. I was playing video games. I was having fun. I was gaining my audience, little by little, and that was fun. And then AEW came through, and I started wrestling there. The same thing. I just wanted a short contract, just to feel them out. Everything was great, signed a bigger contract. Did I ever think I was going to come back to WWE if I wanted to? I really meant that if I wanted to. If I didn’t want to, I didn’t have to come back. But I love WWE. I love what they’ve made for me, and I love how they’ve taught me since I was a young kid. And I just love the organization,” Rusev stated.

After being off television since November 2025 following a match with Jey Uso, Rusev is once again back in the mix. WWE has already hinted at a potential showdown with Oba Femi. Earlier in 2025, he was locked in a hard hitting feud with Sheamus that culminated in a Donnybrook Brawl at Clash in Paris.