Rusev is heading into WrestleMania 42 with something to prove, and he is not shying away from the doubts surrounding his place in a ladder match setting.

With questions being raised about whether the stipulation suits his style, Rusev addressed the criticism directly in a message shared on Instagram, making it clear he plans to turn those doubts into motivation on one of WWE’s biggest stages.

“Ladder match at WrestleMania. All week I keep hearing how “This is not Rusev’s type of match”. How my power fears their speed. I’m not afraid of my opponents, I’m afraid for my opponents.”

Rather than focusing on aerial ability, Rusev emphasized his strength and experience in overcoming adversity, suggesting his approach to the match will be very different from the rest of the field.

“It’s kinda hard to climb anything with a broken back, so I will handle the ground warfare and I will catch them from the sky one by one. I may not fly like those guys, but I’ve been climbing ladders my entire life. When I left my home country Bulgaria, when I slept in my car, when I broke my neck, or when I rode a freakin’ tank into WrestleMania.”

He continued by reflecting on the significance of the moment, framing the opportunity as something bigger than just another match.

“So this is kind of a poetic moment, ladder match, WrestleMania. This lone soldier (statue) behind me reminds me of me. Just sitting on top of the world looking down on everybody else. And you know when it’s your time.”

“This is my time. This is my match. And at this WrestleMania, Rusev will have his day, and become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.”

The Intercontinental Championship ladder match was officially announced during the March 30 episode of Raw by reigning champion Penta. The bout is set to feature:

• Penta
• Rusev
• Je’Von Evans
• JD McDonagh

The match marks the first time the Intercontinental Title will be defended in a ladder match at WrestleMania since 2016, adding another layer of history to an already high stakes encounter.

While Rusev may not be known for high risk aerial offense, his message makes it clear he intends to reshape expectations and bring a more physical, grounded approach to the chaos that comes with a ladder match.