Rusev's WWE Faction Rumor Remains Alive Despite His Recent Public Denial Again

Rusev could still join Ethan Page and Big Cass in a WWE faction despite denying the rumor.© WWE Network

Rusev may not be out of the picture for a WWE faction with Ethan Page and Big Cass just yet, even though the former United States Champion shot the talk down. The idea of grouping the three had not been relayed to the wrestlers as of last week, so the plan could still be under consideration. Rusev called it an “internet rumor” during an appearance on TMZ's Inside the Ring. He also said he wasn't sure he would be comfortable with the proposed direction for the time being, which is a much softer stance than a flat no.

WWE Has Already Put Ethan Page and Big Cass Together on RAW Without Rusev

Page has been feuding with Rusev's rivals over the past few months, including Chad Gable, Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Big Cass, meanwhile, has been going after Je'Von Evans and Dragon Lee on RAW. So both men have been pointed at the same group of opponents, and the overlap didn't go unused. They teamed up on the October 26 episode of RAW, and with Rusev nowhere around, they picked up victory over Gable and Lee.

Page and Rusev are former AEW colleagues, and that history is part of why a three-man grouping would not feel random. Earlier reports had suggested WWE was getting ready to bring the three together as a heel faction. Rusev wasn't keen to confirm any of it when he spoke to TMZ last week. He denied the reported creative direction and said he wasn't sure he would be okay with the idea. Because the plan had not been communicated to the wrestlers, that denial may simply reflect where things stood on his end, rather than a final answer from WWE.

As of this past week, the rumored potential stable of Big Cass, Rusev, and Ethan Page had not been relayed to them. - @FightfulSelect https://t.co/qCnqJU2cJ2

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) November 1, 2026

Rusev Has Been Medically Cleared Despite His Long Absence From WWE Television

Rusev's absence from RAW also raises the question of when he'll be back on regular television. His last televised match was on the July 27 edition of the show, a loss against Je'Von Evans. That puts him at more than three months away from TV, which is a long stretch for a wrestler who was a United States Champion.

He hasn't been completely off the road, though. The Bulgarian Lion worked WWE live events in Hawaii during October, and he's medically cleared to wrestle. No medical restriction has been reported that would keep him out of the ring, so the delay doesn't look tied to his health.

For WWE, the pieces are already sitting there. Page and Cass have a win together, and Rusev has history with Page and with several of the same opponents they've been facing. But there's still no confirmation that the faction has been officially approved, or that any of the wrestlers have been told to start working as a unit.