Major Update on Rusev's WWE Absence

There have been plenty of rumors regarding Rusev's WWE status in recent weeks, but what is actually going on with the Bulgarian Brute?

Rusev | Netflix

There is a reason that Rusev has been missing from WWE programming, but it's not the reason you think.

Following Rusev's loss to Je'Von Evans on the July 27 episode of Raw, it was noted by fans that the Bulgarian Brute was seen "storming off" after the match. This led to immediate speculation online that Rusev was unhappy with his current run in WWE.

These rumors picked up steam when Rusev disappeared from WWE programming following this match and hasn't been seen since. This was puzzling because of Rusev's ongoing storyline as Ethan Page's unlikely tag team partner. But a new report has finally shed some light on the reason for Rusev's current WWE absence.

Rusev suffered an injury in his match with Je'Von Evans

We now have a substantial report regarding Rusev's status from Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select. Speaking with sources at the Performance Center, Sapp learned that during Rusev's match with Evans, the former United States Champion's hands went numb after a bad bump that landed him on his neck.

Despite the injury, Rusev insisted on finishing the match, which only made the injury worse. This is what led to Rusev "storming off" after the match so medical staff could assess him backstage. Sapp believes Rusev might also have been placed in concussion protocol, but that's not confirmed.

The Bulgarian Brute was given a few weeks off by WWE before returning to the Performance Center, where he ended up dealing with an undisclosed illness. As of last week, Rusev was waiting to be cleared by WWE medical to return to action. If all things go smoothly, he should be back on TV at some point this month.

Rusev | WWE

Has Ethan Page moved on without Rusev?

While there appeared to be an alliance formed between Ethan Page and Rusev over the summer as both men were in the hunt for the Intercontinental Championship, it will be interesting to see if these two men will reunite when Rusev returns to WWE programming.

Page has continued his unsuccessful pursuit of Intercontinental Champion Chad Gabe in recent weeks. Most recently losing a number one contender's match to Dragon Lee for a chance to face Gable in Mexico for the title.

It would likely be really easy to pair the two men back up when Rusev returns to WWE TV this month, but you can't rule out the company deciding to make the two men go their separate ways instead.