Russian-American relations have never been colder inside the ring.
World Wrestling Entertainment, in a seeming attempt to re-imagine “Rocky IV” as a soap opera, introduced an antagonist this year called Rusev. He’s Russian, but Bulgarian in reality, and is “305 pounds” the same way a 1,500-calorie fast food meal is just a “medium.”
Rusev had a moment in May when he was enveloped by jingoism. As Tim Teeman told it, he stood alongside his fictionally Russian manager Lana underneath a picture of Vladimir Putin that beamed through an arena screen. A “Russian-sounding overture” reverberated through the building. He had just dispatched a pair of inferior Americans in a brief confrontation. The fans booed. It was his breakthrough moment.
He’s rolled over a number of American characters since — including a wrestler billed as “The Real American.” Twice. What shots to the U.S. psyche. No one can match this brute.
Which brings us to Monday. Anyone fearful that the States couldn’t produce a specimen to match Rusev has never seen Big Show, who once ate the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on a graham cracker. He’s 7 feet tall, 425 pounds — the average size of a left tackle in the NFL about 10 years down the road, in other words.
Rusev was the one chased from the ring Monday night, and as Big Show looked upon him from the mat, a long Russian flag hanging overhead, America struck back.
Humorously, WWE apologized Tuesday.
“We at WWE would like to apologize to the Russian people for the incident on Monday Night Raw that could have been construed as disrespect for their nation’s flag.”
The Obama administration, however, has withheld comment, perhaps realizing that no conciliatory words could drown out the death knell for the Russian reset that emanated from American partisans in the crowd as Trikolor lay crumpled on the canvas.
