Rusev And Lana Announce They Are Expecting Their First Child Together After Difficult IVF Journey

WWE stars Rusev and CJ Perry reveal they are expecting a baby boy.© WWE Network

Rusev and CJ Perry are going to be parents, with their first baby boy due on April 28, 2027. The couple, known to wrestling fans as Lana and Rusev, shared the news in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE on October 27. The couple said that their son will be named Bear Petrov Barnyashev and also shared the reason behind this. They started in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 2025 and had an embryo transfer in August 2026, and Perry called the whole thing a “wild and emotional journey.”

LANA SURPRISING RUSEV WITH THE NEWS OF HER BEING PREGNANT, IS ONE OF THE MOST WHOLESOME THINGS YOU WILL WATCH TODAY ❤️ Congratulations to them both. https://t.co/5NBYNpPJ2a

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) October 27, 2026

Their IVF Journey Began in 2025 Before Pregnancy Tests Confirmed the News

The embryo transfer happened on August 10, 2026, according to Perry. Waiting for answers was hard, since the first pregnancy test was scheduled for August 19 and another got taken on August 21.

“We were so nervous,” Perry told PEOPLE, and she said those nine days felt like the longest of their lives. She also talked about trusting God while dealing with the uncertainty.

The IVF process had a few rough stages, like waiting to see how many embryos kept developing and then getting genetic testing results back. Perry said the first embryo with normal genetic test results was a boy, so that was the one they chose to transfer. 

She wanted to know the baby's sex as early as possible, because IVF already came with so much uncertainty, and finding out gave her more information in a process where lots of things stayed outside their control.

Hearing the heartbeat hit differently. “The first time we heard his heartbeat, I couldn't stop giggling,” Perry shared. After everything they went through, she said she felt full of gratitude and joy.

Lana and Rusev Choose Bear Petrov Barnyashev as Their Baby Boy's Name

The name is already settled. Rusev said he pictured naming a future son Bear around a decade ago, long before this announcement.

“Ten years ago, I had a vision of naming our son Bear, and we chose his middle name to honor my father,” Barnyashev said. He added that Bear will be his father's first grandson.

Rusev is also thinking about football for his son already. The wrestler joked that the family plans to move to Spain so their child can attend the Real Madrid Football Academy.

Perry said they both always wanted to be parents and are still thankful after the long IVF process. Bear is due April 28, 2027.