We have a very important question to ask today, Nashville. Last week, Rusev went out on SmackDown Live and one a gauntlet match to earn the right to face A.J. Styles for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. That match goes down on July 15th, Rusev Day no less. The gauntlet match was a lot of fun, and Rusev winning was certainly a surprise. But, now that it’s in the books, it begs the question:
Should Rusev win the WWE Championship, does that then count as Nashville’s first pro sports championship?
I mean, think about it – last year, the Nashville Predators fell short in the Stanley Cup Final. The Tennessee Titans infamously lost the Super Bowl to the St. Louis Rams. Vanderbilt has a baseball National Championship, but otherwise, there aren’t any major pro sports titles that reside in the Music City.
And, let’s not act like the WWE Championship isn’t a major professional real sports championship, because it is.
Now, you may say, “surely Rusev would not be the first Nashvillian to hoist the WWE Championship.” But, you would be wrong. Hall of Famer and Nashville wrestling mainstay, Jeff Jarrett, never won the WWE title. Ric Flair and Randy Orton were both born in Tennessee, but Flair was born in Memphis, and Orton was born in Knoxville. So, no Nashville rub there.
You may also say, “well, is Rusev technically from Nashville?” Nope – he is shoot from Bulgaria. Like, that’s not an act. The man was really born and raised in Bulgaria. News flash: Bulgaria is not Nashville. It is actually pretty far away from Nashville. But, Rusev has since moved to Nashville, he calls it home, and he actually had a stint as the King of New Nashville before losing the crown to Taylor Lewan earlier this year.
He’s a noted Preds fan, and has become a fan favorite of the town. But, it does depend on how you frame the question, how you count the WWE Championship, and whether or not you consider wrestling a spo….lol, I almost got through this without laughing…rt.
Regardless, I will be celebrating should Rusev hoist the gold. We’ll play his theme song on blast all night long, and everyone who opposes us will be greeted with an Accolade. I hope we get a parade in town, too.
We will finally have that celebration we planned had the Preds won the Stanley Cup in 2017.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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