Rusev returned on the Raw After Mania, interrupting what was supposed to be the start of The New Day vs Alpha Academy match for the WWE World Tag Team titles.

The Bulgarian star came out to a big ovation and a new theme song and destroyed Otis and Tozawa as Kingston and Woods bolted before he could get his hands on them.

Deadline.com reported later that Rusev signed a two-year deal with WWE while his wife CJ “Lana” Perry signed a WWE Legends deal.

“We have been cooking this up from our Bulgarian kitchen since the day we left, and with the help of Paradigm, we were able to make this a reality! Machka Crush,” Perry told Deadline. Paradigm is the talent agency that represents them.

Rusev was originally released from WWE in 2020 and then joined AEW. He spent more time sidelined than in the ring for AEW and was finally released from his contract in February. He won the TNT title once while wrestling for AEW.